My never ending lust for travel took me to different destinations. This time its “New York” to fulfill my American dreams. It is the most populous city in the United States. This city is home to huge number of restaurants, museums and other attractions. NY is the city impossible to see in one visit.
New York has been the dream destination, since childhood. When dream and passion combine it’s a deadly combination. I finally managed to step into my dream land New York.
Walking on the streets, reading map, getting on to the metro, deciding a good place to eat, looking for Indian restaurants, looking for a direction on google, asking strangers for directions and conversing with strangers with nothing in common were the exiting things I had to deal with during my NYC-exploration mission.
How safe is to travel solo for a woman to NYC? Yes, it is absolutely safe! I believe that with the proper research about the place you visit and preparation, almost anywhere in the world can be safely traveled solo by a woman. It is a fantastic city and has something for every solo traveler.
Place to Stay
Whenever I travel alone I book my stay at backpacker’s hostels. It is fun staying at hostel where you can meet new people with one thing in common is lust for travel. These are budget friendly accommodations and they are safe too. I usually book my stay with Booking.com and will always stay as near the downtown as possible, so that I could save time of travel.
Places to visit
Liberty Island and Ellis Island
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York. It is a universal symbol of freedom. Ferry service is available to reach the island. Ferries leave from two locations: Battery Park, Manhattan in New York and Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Important to note that your sightseeing Pass is valid for ground only ticket to board the ferry and enter the Liberty and Ellis Island. If you want to climb the statue to crown level book the tickets well in advance, these are very limited. I missed to climb the statue to crown as tickets were sold! Still not to worry as we can enjoy walking around the island. You can get an audio guided tour for free.
The ferry takes you to Ellis Island from Liberty. It has national museum of immigration, The American immigrant wall of honor and American family immigration center. Entry to the Ellis Island is included with Ground only ticket.
Departure point for ferry to Liberty and Ellis Island from New York
Closet Subway: Bowling Green Subway Station
Closet Bus Stop: Battery PK Vi Park
World trade center or 9/11 memorial
The 9/11 memorial and museum remembers and honors the 3000 people killed in the terrorist attack of twin towers of world trade center in 2001. Pools are constructed in the place of twin towers that destroyed during the terrorist attack. The memorial is free to visit and it will be pretty crowded no matter when you visit. The 9/11 museum require tickets to enter. It’s one of the important monument of American history.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City. It’s a connection between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Many thanks to Bollywood for making this place so famous. Many films feature this bridge and many more location from New York. You could walk across the bridge from Manhattan to Brooklyn and you can witness the spectacular skyline view.
American Natural History museum
American Museum of Natural History located on the upper Manhattan, NYC, is one of the largest museum in the world. Museum consist specimens of plants, animal, fossils, rocks, minerals, Hayden planetarium, astronomy exhibits, and one of the largest collections of dinosaur’s skeletons in the world. You need one full day to complete the museum tour. One of the most important attraction of the museum is dinosaurs. Time spent to explore the museum is worth spending.
Time square
Time square is bright and unforgettable with flashing lights, giant digital boards, costumed characters, musicians what more? It is a top entertainment hub in the midtown Manhattan, NYC. Time square is easily accessible by subways and buses. One could spend hours in time square shopping, watching the crowed, digital display and with free entertainment. It’s best to visit time square after sun sets, you can witness some of the mesmerizing movements. I’m a big foodie, whatever I eat finally I carve for Indian food. Here in time square you have some of the amazing Indian restaurants if you want to have a try.
Travel Tips
Travel Light!
Key to happy travelling is to know how to pack smart and travel light, especially if you are travelling solo. I always make sure to pack a cloths designed for travel, best travel cloths are lightweight, wrinkle free, packable and quick drying. Always wear a comfortable pair of shoes!
Carry backpack
I always carry a backpack during my day outing, which would contain wallet, passport, water bottle, selfie stick (must, since you travel alone) and other essential accessories.
Maps!
Carry offline maps, metro, bus route, and google map
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