Five Days in New York City: Big Apple, Big Walks and Big Buildings - 2025 Trip Recap
Quick cost check
| QUICK NUMBERS | Price |
|---|---|
| Go City Pass - 3 x attractions | €89 pp (Black Friday) |
| Knicks Tickets | €150 pp (resale cost) |
| Broadway Tickets | €99 (Two For One - Black Friday) |
| Hotel | €450 for 2 |
| Flights | €400 pp |
My biggest money saving tip for NYC: Visit late January to February, hotels are cheaper, flights are cheaper and there are lots of deals on in the city!
Arrival
AIRPORT TRAVEL - NEWARK
You've just arrived in NYC and the buzz is alive!! Time to get yourself from airport purgatory to the concrete jungle.
If you are willing to pay the eye watering taxi fare from the airport, congratulations, but we are not on the same tax bracket. Between a group I'd recommend it for sure but for 2 people like us, I'd recommend the train or Uber shuttle (will be trying this from JFK in 2026).
We arrived into Newark and boarded the inter airport train to Newark airport station then onto the NJCL to Penn station. The total journey was around 40 minutes with waits between trains and cost $16.
We asked an airport worker for directions, don't let yourself get stressed out finding your way, just ask for help.
Hotel
HOTEL - SPRINGHILL SUITES TIMES SQUARE SOUTH
I'll go blue in the face telling everyone the same thing, the value you get for hotels in NYC at this time of the year is INCREDIBLE.
Now to preface this, I was booking this trip as a gift for my boyfriend's Xmas/Birthday and had been saving up points on my Premium Revolut Plan. Booking the stay through revolut gave me such a good price compared to the usual suspects (booking.com and hotel.com).
LOCATION
The Hotel was located a 12 minute walk from Times Square, and a 5 minute walk from Madison Square Garden (Penn Station where we arrived into). We loved the location, and when we decided last minute to go to Little Ruby's in the West Village it only took us 14 minutes in total using the subway.
ROOM
The room was big enough for a couple for 4 nights, and thankfully there was a little coffee station that separated a small seating area from the bed space. Small and cosy but more than enough space for us. Closet space was again big enough for us to hang up the important bits, if you're bringing big cases you will be tight for space. We brought two 10kg cases and backpacks.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast was provided in this hotel, which was a blessing and a hinderance. A blessing for our bank accounts because 4 days of breakfasts will no doubt add up quickly, especially if TikTok is guiding us. But a hinderance in the way that we also didn't get to eat our way around the city as much as we wanted to so there were no Bubby's pancake trips for us on this trip - but we did save a lot of money and time in the mornings. Breakfast was basic american breakfast, the hot food included scrambled eggs, sausages and always a some form of fried potato. There were also bagels and toast, yogurt etc, the whole continental spread. BUT it got very busy and we struggled for space to sit most mornings.
PRICE BREAKDOWN
4 Nights (31st Jan - 4th Feb 2025) : £510 (including taxes and fees)
Points Discount (5,314 points) : £103.08
Total Stay for 4 nights : £408.34
First Glance Of The City That Never Sleeps
DAY ONE
We landed, checked into the hotel and did the only thing that felt right - jumped straight into the chaos of Times Square.
It was around 4pm by the time we got into Times Square and having just got off a 7 hour flight, where lets face it airplane food portions just aren't it, we beelined for Raising Canes. The first of many TikTok inspired stops.
Even though it was raining and we hadn't prepared for that at all, it didn't dull the luminescence of Times Square. If anything, it exaggerated and complimented it the neon billboards reflecting off the wet street.
The rest of the evening was spent walking to Bryant Park (which still had a winter village), visiting the NYC Library, and taking it all in. I definitely needed this time to come to terms with the fact that I was finally here and it wasn't a dream. We managed to get a dinner reservation at Hard Rock Cafe - because we are tacky tourists and love a hurricane glass memento.
High Line and High Views
DAY TWO
Kicking our first full day off with a walk along the High Line - as in Taylor Swift 'heartbeat on the highline'. That's a recurring theme you'll find in this blog : Taylor Swift references. Drifting down to Pier 57 for a coffee and look at the market before exploring Little Island then wandering into the West Village.
*Taylor Swift says pick a neighborhood in NY and meander, so we chose West Village
It was on of those days where you just explore and let the city guide you... NOT. I wish I could say that but I was meticulously planning and following maps so I didn't miss a thing.
Stops included:
- A wander past the Friends Apartment
- Cornelia Street
- Bleeker
- Washington Square Park
From there, we jumped on the subway to The Empire State Building - fully covered by the Go City Pass. As much as I wanted that view of the NYC skyline with the ESB in it, I couldn't pass up learning about the history of it being built in the 1930's.
Back to the hotel for a breather then out again for Happy Hour @ Burgerology which was next to the hotel, a sneaky wee cocktail at the Moxy Hotel's Rooftop before finishing the night with a Broadway Show.
Tip: We managed to get our tickets for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child discounted thanks to Black Friday. Also keep an eye out for Broadway Week, a yearly Buy one get one free on tickets in Feb.
Alexa, play Naked in Manhattan
DAY THREE
Listen, if you are a natural early riser and want to see the sunset from the Brooklyn Bridge, crack on. But for this trip I just could not bring myself to get up and at 'em that early in the day and still continue on for a whole day of sightseeing without having a mid day crash. So we aimed for a nice 10 am start..
We headed over to DUMBO on the subway to get those classic bridge shots and strolled to the Time Out Market. The food choices are incredible so I suggest going there hungry.
Heading back toward Manhattan on the subway we landed in Wall Street. After a wander we grabbed lunch at Liberty Bagels. These probably are worth the hype, but we both got the salted bagel and it was a total mistake. Think sesame seed bun, but instead of seeds its rocks of salt. It was an absolute assault on my taste buds and I could only eat the filling, so do what you will with that information.
Next up: Staten Island Ferry, completely free and perfect for seeing the Statue of Liberty. This is perfect if you only want to sail by. There will be people trying to sell you paid tours at the terminal and telling you the ferry won't bring you any where near the statue, they are lying. Just smile and say you're heading to Staten island for shopping and they'll leave you alone. Once over in Staten Island you may have a wait until the return ferry, but they have outlet shops you can browse to take up time in that case.
The afternoon was spent at 9/11 Memorial and Museum, an incredible and powerful experience that was also covered by Go City Pass. We spent around 1.5 hours here.
That evening we headed into the West Village for dinner at Little Ruby's then settled into The Four Faced Liar Irish Pub for a pint - important distinction when pints aren't the standard.
Central Park and Classic NYC
DAY FOUR
Yesterday was jam packed and my legs were literally tingling, so lets slow it down and enjoy another meander. We're setting our sights on 5th Avenue and walking up to Central Park. At this time of the year you can still Ice Skate in Central Park, we didn't do it this trip but we noted it was $14.
The lakes were frozen over and the ducks are out in dozen's waddling about- if you plan you could bring them some snacks. We spent a long time exploring the park and following any random path. From there it was over toward the Rockefeller Center, where we stopped into a Little Italy joint for their lunch special: 2 Slices and Refill Soda for $7.95 + Tax.
One thing we were hunting for was fake Knicks caps, and there are NONE to be found in any tourist shops which surprised me. Nevertheless, we would just have to go to the game merch-less.
We headed back to the hotel for some scroll time before heading out to Tir na nOg and going to Madison Square Garden for a KNICKS basketball game. It was outside the venue that we found someone selling fake hats for $10 which I thought was a bargain. So finally I was dressed and ready to learn the rules of basketball on the job.
The tickets themselves did cost a grimacing amount - but it was so worth it. The atmosphere was incredible and we were lucky enough to be sat next to such a kind season ticket holder who disappeared and returned with a Knicks merch bag, a water Knicks water bottle and Knicks t-shirt inside.
The free stuff really made up for the fact that a can of beer was $18.
I really take issue with the stereotype that New Yorkers are assholes, because all my interactions have been genuine and lovely.
After the game, we headed to Times Square to see it for the last time at night, then it was time to head home. Now, if you don't know me you won't be surprised, but I dropped my Knicks cap in the venue so I did splurge for another off the seller outside - and it's safe to say haven't worn it since.
I <3 NYC
DAY FIVE
Our final morning was spent on the Upper West Side, starting with the American Museum of Natural History - covered in the Go City Pass. I actually reccomend starting at the top and working down the way.
After that, we went to the closest Levain Bakery - and these are most definitely worth every penny and hype.
We took one last wander through Central Park, then it was time to head to the airport and say goodbye to NYC for now.
We did the same journey to Newark from Penn Station in reverse, we did need to ask someone for help as it's a big station.
FINAL NOTES
- Go City Pass covered 3 activities: 9/11 museum, Empire State Building and Museum.
- Book Broadway tickets early and watch for Black Friday deals.
- The Staten Island Ferry is the best way to see the Statue Of Liberty for free
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