In the "City that Never Sleeps"

Many people wish to be part of this city that never sleeps.  New York, also known as the Big Apple was the first city in the United States that I had ever visited.

I don't normally have that much time to spend in New York but I frequently get this destination on my schedule and that allowed me to see pretty much of what the city has to offer.

In this post, I want to share with you some of the landmarks that you can visit around Manhattan.  Please note that there ARE STILL a lot to see, these are just some and these are some of the places I've been so far.

1. TIMES SQUARE

I consider this as the Heart of Manhattan. Shops. Restaurants. Tours.  Sights. Name it, and Times Square has it! Shops like Sephora, H&M, Forever 21, MAC, Old Navy, Hershey's, M&M and etc are here.  When you get tired, you can just simply sit at one of the pink chairs close to Sephora and Walgreens or maybe stop at Starbucks from some coffee.

The big screens at Times Square are hard to miss

2. STATUE OF LIBERTY AND ELLIS ISLAND

Seeing Lady Liberty is very doable even if you only have a short time in New York. You can take the ferry located at the Battery Park and it will take you directly to Liberty Island. It's up to you how much time you want to spend around.  The same ferry will stop at Ellis Island on your way back to Battery Park. You can also hop off and take the next ferry back if you want to spend time in there.

Lady Liberty as viewed from the ferry

3. CENTRAL PARK

This is one of the biggest parks I've ever been to. I haven't seen everything in Central Park despite having been to New York for more than 30 times.  I suggest that you rent a bike (which I haven't done as well) and roam around the park. It's cool to do it especially now that the weather is getting better.

A part of Central Park, covered with snow

4. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING (alternatively, you can do the TOP OF THE ROCK)

If you want to see Manhattan's skyline and the surrounds, going to either the top of Empire State Building or the Rockefeller is what I suggest. Note that you can see the Empire State Building if you go on top of the Rockefeller.

The views from the top of Empire State building

5. GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL AND BROOKLYN BRIDGE

You can do these two as a combo and it's very easy.  Head to Grand Central Terminal first and from there, take a train to Brooklyn Bridge.  Grand Central Terminal is a sight on its own - its history, architecture and of course its purpose attract thousands of people.  At present, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes at the Grand Central Terminal so you can just go here to have your photo and take the rest of the time to eat or drink.

The grandiose terminal

Brooklyn Bridge is an icon for me. This is a proof of how marvelous the engineers are.  The construction took 14 years to finish.  Now 125 years old, the bridge is still passable by numerous pedestrians and vehicles.

The "marvel of engineering"

6. SPEND A DAY AT A MUSEUM 

There are plenty of museums at Manhattan. All you need is choose. To be honest, I've only been to one. Maybe if time permits and if I don't have anything to shop then I am surely going.  I've been to THE MET (METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART).  This is the largest museum in the United States and it can take your whole day to see everything.  I've seen only a part of The Met since I didn't really have the whole day to spend in there.

MET from outside

7. ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL

I love seeing churches on my layovers and even when I'm doing a personal trip.  I am a frequent visitor of St. Patrick's Cathedral.  I normally attend the mass or just have a quick stop to just have a moment praying.  The Neo-Gothic architecture of the church is a sight to behold.  The cathedral is located along 5th Avenue, just across the Rockefeller Center.  

I normally start my day in NYC with a visit at St. Patrick's Cathedral

8. 9/11 MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM

My short layover in New York allowed me to see the memorial but not to get inside the museum.  You can do both if you have time, maybe after or visit to Lady Liberty or vice versa.  We all know what happened to that one day in September, almost 17 years ago.  I don't need to elaborate.  You can see the twin reflecting pools in the memorial and the names of the people who died on that day are carved on the panels of the pool.

Some of the names inscribed on the panel

I consider New York as one of my favorite cities.  I can do sightseeing and shopping here combined.  Apart from the landmarks, there are so many "instagrammable" restaurants/cafes too! I've yet to visit each one layover at a time.  In addition, the list of the sights to see still goes on.  Despite not seeing LITERALLY everything for now, I hope this post still helps to those who want to visit this sleepless city.