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There is hardly a person who would not dream of traveling to New York City. This bustling city tempts with amazing energy, interesting culture and rich diversity. No wonder, after all, everything is the best in the Big Apple. It is here that you will find iconic skyscrapers, one of the largest museums, as well as the most expensive streets in the world. Regardless of whether you are art lovers or not, you will not leave this city disappointed. I have prepared a 3-day itinerary for visiting this inspiring city especially for you. Find out where to eat and what to see in New York in 3 days. In this post, I describe 1 day, and the remaining 2 days can be found in the next two posts. I hope this post will inspire you for your next journey. Happy reading 🙂

Where to stay in New York?

Pod 39 Hotel

During our visit to the Big Apple, we stayed in a relatively inexpensive, yet stylish hotel Pod 39. This place is located in the very center of the Murray Hill district, famous for its greenery, charming tenement houses and numerous pubs and cafes. Although our room was small (about 13 square meters), it had everything necessary for a short stay in the city, i.e. a comfortable bed, a large shower, hangers as well as a desk and chair. The only thing we can really fault is the lack of a dedicated place for luggage and lack of breakfast included in the price of the room, which, however, was not such a problem for us, because we were going to eat out anyway. Apart from the price and location, the tastefully furnished common areas were undoubtedly the biggest advantage of the hotel. There was also a rooftop bar where in good weather you could have a drink in the open air while enjoying the nice views. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time during our stay but who knows, maybe next time? 😉

What to see and where to eat on your first day in New York?

Sightseeing route

Grand Central Terminal

It is worth starting your adventure with the Big Apple by exploring the central part of one of the most famous and also the most expensive districts of New York – Manhattan. It is here that there are many famous buildings with which we, Europeans, associate this city so much, such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building or the Rockefeller Center. The first place you should visit is located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue Grand Central Terminal. This building is reportedly one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world (!), and in terms of occupancy it ranks third just after the stations in North America. The current edifice was erected over a hundred years ago and boasts grand scale and impressive architecture. Undoubtedly, the most popular and at the same time the most beautiful part of the station is its Main Hall which was the background in many American movies. We also liked the food court located on the lower level where you could get a lot of local delicacies. You definitely have to go here!

Uncle Paul’s Pizza NY

Being in New York, you must visit one of the local pizzerias. After visiting the Grand Central Terminal and its supermarket, head to Uncle Paul’s Pizza NY pizzeria for a real New York pizza with crispy edges and thin crust. New York pizza tradition dates back to the late nineteenth century when Italian immigrants settling here began to make it. Although the first pizzeria in the country was opened in 1905, pizza gained its popularity only after the Second World War, and its secret ingredient is still supposedly rich in minerals New York tap water.

At Uncle Paul’s Pizza, as in any typical New York pizzeria, you have a variety of flavors and additions to choose from, including pepperoni, Neapolitan, Sicilian, caprese or marinara pizza, and for a large-sized piece you will pay about 5 dollars. We decided on the following menu items: pepperoni pizza, classic margherita, grandma specialty and apparently the favorite pizza of New Yorkers – marinara (so named because of its popularity among seafarers). All types of pizzas were delicious and very different to what is served in Italy. You must try it!

Uncle Paul's Pizza NY, New York, USA
Uncle Paul’s Pizza NY, New York, USA

Fifth Avenue

Another place where you should go on your first day in New York is the famous Fifth Avenue, one of the most elegant and expensive streets in the world. Once a favorite residential area of wealthy New Yorkers, it is now one of the most popular shopping districts in the world, home to boutiques from exclusive brands such as Gucci, Prada, Versace, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton. Numerous companies have their headquarters here as well.

The most famous symbols on Fifth Avenue include such an architectural gem as the Empire State Building (with its characteristic art deco spire) or the Rockefeller Center. We admit, however, that Fifth Avenue does not make a very positive impression on us. Perhaps because we are not fans of unnecessary luxuries or huge crowds overwhelmed by a wild shopping frenzy 😉 Nevertheless, it is definitely worth taking a walk to form your own opinion.

Maison Kayser

As you stroll down Fifth Avenue, be sure to head to one of Manhattan’s best French bakeries, Maison Kayser. Also based in Paris, this place serves delicious French pastries (including our favorite buttery croissants) and, as can be seen in the photo below, an aromatic coffee 😉 Being nearby, it’s worth stopping by and buying something good to take away. You will certainly not regret it 😉

Maison Kayser, New York, USA
Maison Kayser, New York, USA

Flatiron Building

Another interesting point that you must see is the Flatiron Building built at the beginning of the twentieth century. Thanks to its triangular shape, reminiscent of an iron, this building has become one of the most important symbols of the Big Apple and is probably one of the most photographed objects in the city. Well, we have to admit that in the pictures it really looks quite impressive. We think the best shot at the Flatiron Building is at the intersection of Fifth Avenue with Broadway Street. A must see during every visit to the city 😉

Flatiron, New York, USA
Flatiron, New York, USA

Madison Square Park & Shake Shack

After visiting the Flatiron Building, head to the nearby Madison Square Park, named after the fourth President of the United States. It is worth going here during the break between intensive sightseeing to relax for a moment in the bosom of nature, admiring the magnificent skyscrapers in the background, and at the same time try a real New York burger served in one of the most popular spots in the city namely Shake Shack. We do not hide that we learned about this pub from one of our favorite prison series (Orange Is the New Black) and it was thanks to its main character we decided to try the burgers served at Shake Schak’s.

We ordered the restaurant’s specialty in the form of spicy Smoke Shack burger (at a price of $ 9), which actually turned out to be very tasty. Although we were not completely convinced by a roll that with its rubbery consistency reminded us a bit of that served in McDonald’s, but we generally enjoyed it 😉 Well, probably as Europeans in terms of bread we remain very picky 😉

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

After lunch at Madison Square Park, head to the largest neo-Gothic temple in North America namely St. Patrick’s Day. We have to admit that squeezed between modern skyscrapers such as Rockefeller Center, the nearly 150-year-old temple made quite a big impression on us. Perhaps because, with its style, the interior of the cathedral reminded us a bit of the Paris Notre Dame Cathedral to which we have a unique sentiment 😉 Our attention as Poles was also caught by the bust of Pope John Paul II at the back of the temple, commemorating his visit to this city. Being in New York is worth going here!

Central Park

Of course, no visit to New York would be complete without a walk through the green oasis of the city which is undoubtedly the famous Central Park. Apparently, this place was once inhabited by escaped slaves and Irish immigrants and the area was covered with rocks and swamps. Currently Central Park is certainly one of the favorite resting places of all New Yorkers, regardless of their origin or size of the wallet. Decorated in the English style, it covers an area of ​​nearly 350 hectares and is covered by 26,000 trees, so it’s no wonder that work on its construction lasted up to 15 years!

The park is divided into three main areas and within it there are many ponds and lakes, hills, pedestrian paths, playgrounds, monuments, as well as a mass of other interesting attractions, including the Central Park Zoo. We don’t need to remind anyone how often this place appeared on the big screen – it is estimated that on average more than ten movies were filmed here daily, including our favorite movie from childhood – Home Alone 2: Lost in New York 😉 All this probably makes this place is the most visited city park in the entire United States.

We must admit that we liked the park very much, so much so that we decided to come back here the next day. In particular, we liked the places where proudly soaring skyscrapers can be seen in the background, making it impossible to forget that we are in one of the largest metropolises in the world.

Central Park is definitely a must-see during any visit to the city! Just remember to put on comfortable shoes, your feet will thank you 😉

Upper East Side

The penultimate place worth visiting on your first day in New York is the Upper East Side district between Central Park and the East River Strait. Once called the “silk stocking district”, it is now one of the most prosperous neighborhoods in the entire city. Influential families such as the Rockefellers, Roosevelt, and Kennedy lived here at one time. Today, such celebrities as Lady Gaga or Woody Allen have their apartments in the Upper East Side.

Beautiful, elegant tenement houses and unique character make it definitely worth a stroll. We came across this area while looking for a metro station and we were very pleasantly surprised by it. While strolling on the Upper East Side, it is also worth visiting the oldest and largest museum in the States – the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA), where we can permanently admire over two million exhibits (!).

Momosan Ramen & Sake

End your first day in New York with a visit to the elegant Japanese Momosan Ramen & Sake restaurant located on Lexington Avenue near our hotel. This place, as the name suggests, specializes mainly in ramen dishes consisting of broth, pasta and other ingredients depending on the chosen option. That day we decided to try a dish called the mysterious tsukemen. As it turned out, it is nothing more than ramen but decomposed into prime factors – they served us an intense broth in a separate bowl in which we used dip sticks to dip the pasta and other additions. As admirers of Asian cuisine, we admit that this combination of flavors with a clear note umami suits us very well 😉 Everything was delicious and filling, and for one portion of tsukemen we paid $15.

Unfortunately, the problem appeared when paying the bill – it turned out that the tip we left was insufficient, as it should be at least 15%. After a short discussion with the staff, we finally gave up and left an extra $5. Nevertheless, due to its unique cuisine, this place should be on the list of all connoisseurs of Far Eastern flavors. Just don’t forget the high tip 😉

Momosan Ramen & Sake, New York, USA
Momosan Ramen & Sake, New York, USA

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