The East and West Coasts of the USA
Los Angeles and New York sit roughly 4000 kilometres apart, on opposite coasts of the United States, each with their own distinct and different personality. Both have much to offer, but if you want to ensure that you’re making the most of your visit, this cheat sheet put together by personal travel manager Carli Hester is a great starting point for planning your stay.
Welcome to New York
Where to stay?
It takes about a day get here from the East Coast of Australia so once you’ve arrived, you may as well base yourself in the heart of the action. There are plenty of hotels to choose from in the vicinity of Times Square, and the atmosphere when the nearby Broadway theatres are finishing for the evening is unlike anywhere else. Central can mean small and/or expensive, but your personal travel manager can help you find the best option to suit you.
Getting around
Don’t be afraid to be a tourist: the hop-on, hop-off bus is a fantastic way to see all that New York and its districts have to offer. It’s also great for getting your bearings so that when you’re ready to tackle the subway, you have a pretty good idea of the city’s layout. Walking and cycling are other great ways to soak up the sights and sounds of the city: there’s even a bike share programme, with stations dotted around Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and Jersey City.
So many museums
According to TripAdvisor there are 273 museums and galleries dotted around the city, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, so you will need to plan your time wisely. Many of the city’s museums offer free entry, or entry is included in your bus or tour vouchers. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum commemorates the events of that day in 2001 and its 2,977 victims and is widely considered a must-see if you’re in New York.
Song and dance
Taking in a Broadway show is a rite of passage for all visitors to New York, but if you’re not too concerned about which show you see, you can enter the Broadway lottery: it’s a great way to get cheap tickets to some of the hottest shows in town. Madison Square Garden hosts sporting events and concerts almost every night, but if there’s something you really want to attend that’s already sold out, you can sometimes pick up last-minute release tickets within the last half an hour prior to the show starting. You may have a restricted view but it can still be worth the effort.
Down time
New York really is the city that never sleeps, but if the hustle and bustle is leaving you craving a little peace in which to recharge your batteries, there’s only one place to go: Central Park. This sprawling, leafy enclave in the heart of Manhattan covers more than 840 acres of prime New York real estate, so despite the estimated 40 million visitors it attracts each year you can still find a quiet corner for yourself. Join an official tour of the park (or ask a pedicab driver to show you their favourite spots).
Peace of mind
