New York: Taking a bite out of the Big Apple
And if you really want to get a real taste of the city, then I’d really recommend looking beyond the tourist sites, and having a drink in some of the bars.
It won’t be long before the locals pick up on your British accent and the conversation starts flowing.
But be prepared for your wallet to take a hefty hit, as living the life of Riley in Manhattan is simply extortionate. The most I paid for two half pints of lager was $18.
Add on the $2 tip and, taking into consideration the poor exchange rate, the drinks cost an equivalent of £14.
To be fair, that was in a bar called 230 Fifth, where punters paid well over $150 on New Year’s Eve to enjoy the amazing views from the roof.
But it was still an almighty shock to the system.
For a more homely feel, where a pint of beer will only cost $6 (£4.10), I tried Brooklyn.
I wandered around some of the small-time bars, chatting to some of the friendly locals who have transformed the neighbourhood from one of the state’s roughest districts to one of the most sought after places to live.
The pubs were cosy, the shops were small and the atmosphere was a lot more laid back than the hype of Manhattan, still just 10 minutes away on the subway.
But if you go to New York you have to think big, so it wasn’t long before I was heading back to Manhattan Island.
The Empire State Building was unreal and the night-time view from the 82nd floor was simply breathtaking.
The Statue of Liberty was bigger than I expected, probably because everyone had told me it was smaller than I’d expect, and the American Museum of Natural History, which looked like the cast of Jumanji had just left, was so enormous it would take a weekend to look around it properly.
And then there was the food.
Think New York and you think burgers.
I tried the Americana filled Big Daddy’s Diner on 2nd Avenue and ate the largest hamburger I have ever seen.
For me, it was the ultimate family restaurant, full of pictures of comic book superheroes and the food they would eat.
And my favourite place for a quick snack was the street stall outside the impressive Hilton Hotel on the Avenue.
The Halal kebabs were cooked fresh in front of you and a kebab with rice, salad and a pitta bread only cost $6.
And it all came in a bag with an enormous yellow smiley face on it.
The Four Star Hilton which I stayed in had everything you need and boasts some of the biggest rooms in the city.
The showers, I was pleased to find out, were super powerful and super warm – just what I needed when the outside air temperature was plummeting to -4C.
A winter break in New York is worth every penny, and you can bet your bottom dollar you will remember it for a lifetime.
