New York City

3 NYC experiences you should afford at least once

May 21, 2018

New York City – a place of longing for travelers and those who try to make a living there: With it’s sheer size and endless cultural, culinary and shopping possibilities it’s easy to live there for many years and yet see something different every day.

There’s only one big obstacle: You have to have the money. Yes, NYC is crazy expensive and the temptation to save every buck possible is big (and sometimes necessary). And although it’s not impossible to discover the city on a budget, some of the best things come at a price that pays off. So here are my 3 things that are absolutely worth paying for and should be ticked off your NYC list at least once:

1. See a Broadway show

It’s pretty logical: Seeing a musical in the capital of musicals makes sense. And even if you’re skeptical about the genre, I promise you – there’s something for everyone! The theatre district is full with ads of superlatives and some shows are running since many years without losing any of its popularity. The tickets ain’t cheap but whether you’re a visitor or a resident – musical evenings are something special: From entering the beautiful theatres, hours of finest entertainment and reminiscing about your favourite scenes with your company – you won’t forget that event too soon! For  more information and ticket purchase see the Broadway’s official website.

Here are my personal favourites:

  • The Lion King: The movie is bomb already and if you think it can’t get much better – you must see the musical adaption! Goosebumps from start to finish!
  • Aladdin: Yes – another Disney classic (surprise!) which is magic on stage at its best!
  • The Book of Mormon: Black humour is your thing? Then you’ll laugh your a** off with this one!

2. Stay at a hotel

Hotels are ridiculously expensive in NYC and as someone who just moved there, it never came to my mind until recently. But think cozy king size beds, pretty views and breakfast buffets (depending on the hotel of course) – oh I love it! We stayed at a hotel for our wedding day as we wanted to treat ourselves 😉 Besides that, a little mini vacation and seeing your city from a different perspective was a nice bonus! Our hotel choice: Because of its central location in Downtown Brooklyn, excellent reviews and good value for money we chose the Hampton Inn Downtown Brooklyn. After a recent makeover, the hotel comes with a modern but warm interior, very comfortable beds and complimentary breakfast that’s above average. Furthermore you can enjoy some nice views over the Manhattan Bridge from their rooftop bar! Click here to book.

3. Take a private tour through the city

Similar to staying at a hotel, a guided tour wouldn’t come into someone’s mind right away if you live in NYC. I didn’t think about it much either until I met Oli – a cheery German guy who lost his heart to the Big Apple many years ago and started his own tour company. My first tour with him was an eye-opener: During these 6 hours I learned more about the city than in the 6 months I’ve spent there! Forget boring historic facts and numbers, Oli focuses on the important details that make NYC unique!

A big portion of fun is the most important ingredient of his tours 😉

There are many things that can be easily overseen if you don’t know about them: Like this abandoned subway car…

… or this unusual perspective inside the Rockefeller Center!

From the hidden secrets of Grand Central Terminal…

… to the extremely touching stories behind the 9/11 memorial…

… the tour was an entertaining way to dig deeper into the city’s background and I’ll promise – you’ll see it with completely different eyes after! Oli does private NYC walking, biking and car tours in English and German. You can get in touch with him here.

Disclaimer: I’ve been invited to participate in his tour but that didn’t influence my opinion by any means. This article contains affiliate links. I may receive a little commission through bookings on this site. This doesn’t cause you any extra costs but at the same time you’ll support me to run this site. Thank you ❤


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14 Comments

  • Reply Paleica May 22, 2018 at 3:27 am

    in so nem hampton inn habe ich damals in ridgecrest übernachtet – am AdW zwischen kalifornien und arizona ^.^ ich kann mich sogar noch sehr, sehr dunkel an die schöne und das biest am broadway erinnern, als ich damals mit 10 mit meinen eltern da war. eins nach dem anderen, aber NYC steht mittlerweile doch recht hoch oben auf meiner liste der dinge, die ich bald (noch einmal) sehen will, aber das sagte ich hier ja schon ein paar mal 🙂 glückwünsche übrigens auch noch an dieser stelle <3

    • Reply sileas May 28, 2018 at 8:35 pm

      Dankeschön ❤ Mit 10! Hab ich eigentlich schon mal erwähnt wie cool ich es finde wohin dich deine Eltern überall mitgenommen haben? 😉

      • Reply Paleica May 29, 2018 at 1:37 am

        😀 ich muss gestehen, ich war gar nicht so meeeega begeistert davon – ich wäre lieber daheim geblieben und hätte freunde getroffen 😉

        • Reply sileas May 29, 2018 at 10:28 am

          Lol, ich hingegen hätte sofort alles stehen und liegen gelassen für solch einen Trip 😛

          • Paleica May 29, 2018 at 10:30 am

            hahaha ja das ist wohl immer das, was man hat oder nicht hat 😉 vermutlich hat sich deswegen mein eigenes interesse am reisen erst so spät entwickelt, weil ich meinen eigenen zugang dazu finden musste.

  • Reply SueT唐 梦 琇 May 22, 2018 at 9:00 pm

    A private tour – what a wonderful idea Julia and loving the view from your hotel…huge congrats again.

    • Reply sileas May 28, 2018 at 8:35 pm

      Thank you so much Sue ❤

  • Reply Christina May 26, 2018 at 9:24 am

    I’m loving the idea of a private tour, it’s so much more intimate than one of those group tours. will remember it for sure! 🙂

    • Reply sileas May 28, 2018 at 8:37 pm

      That’s great, and it’s true – you learn so much more than in a big group or tour bus 😉

  • Reply PinaySkattebasse May 27, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    I think I’ll do a private tour! 😉

    • Reply sileas May 28, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      You won’t regret it, especially with a baby you can get a customized tour too 😉

  • Reply Anna | Gradwanderung (@dgradwanderung) July 14, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    Hach ja, nach New York würde ich auch gerne mal wieder. Als nächstes steht aber die Schweiz an. 🙂

    • Reply sileas July 17, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Hach, die Schweiz ist auch wunderschön!

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