NEW YORK! NEW YORK!

New York Skyline | Photograph by Anupama Subramaniyam

New York…a city of dreams. Sounds like something Fitzgerald would say. Actually, something he would precisely say: “The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in it’s first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald on New York City.

New York City is a place that you would like to give time and patience to explore. There’s just so much to do and so much to see. Taking a tour bus would be ideal if you are staying a short while. But if you have the time (and energy), I suggest you just walk most of the city and make use of the trains. Walking would be the best option as you’d see a lot!

There’s lots to do in New York City. There’s the mainstream tourism – The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, The Photography Museum, Times Square, Broadway, Empire State, Freedom Tower, Central Park, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Wall St and many more things. However, here’s a list of things that I personally enjoyed:

1. The Photography Museum: is conveniently located at 43rd street, busy ends. It looks pretty small, and it is. But it has millions worth of information. They photographs clicked are beyond amazing. There are creative displays such as tiny photographs made to look like windows of buildings. The place does not allow you to click photographs, but that’s alright! Who wants to create art by clicking pictures of other art? Art is for appreciation.

The museum is under the International Center of Photography, so if you are interested, you could sign up to become a member.

2. The Museum of Modern Art: most commonly known as MoMA, one can easily spend a whole day at this museum. The place is filled with works by famous artists like Ansel Adams, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dal, and many more. MoMA is a huge place to explore. There are different floors, categories and genres.

3. Broadway: If you’re in New York, please do try to go for a Broadway show! It’s one of the best experiences ever. The show that we went for was The Phantom of the Opera. The show is magnificent, the acting is brilliant and the music is grand as ever. An interesting fact is the music is performed by music students from New York University some nights. Also, remember to dress up all fancy!

Broadway, Phantom of the Opera | Photograph by Anupama Subramaniyam

4. Times Square: Busy central! Times Square is a photographer’s dream…sometimes. The place is always so busy, it’s unbelievable! There are people dressed up as characters walking about, there’s ten different genres of music playing about everywhere, there are street artists performing or painting, and there are the group of tourists clicking pictures from all sorts of angles. If you’re the kind that likes to observe crowds, Times Square is the place for you. Grab a cup of coffee or a bowl of Cold Stone ice cream and just sit there, observing people. It’s not the weirdest thing that can happen there, trust me!

Times Square | Photograph by Anupama Subramaniyam

5. Empire State Building: Catch the best view of New York City from the top of the Empire State Building. The best time to go is during the night, when the city is lit up and you photographers can capture some breathtaking pictures. It gets quite crowded, but everyone gets a chance to enjoy the view.

New York City | Photograph by Anupama Subramaniyam

These are my top five “to do” things in New York. Comment below on what you would like to do or have done during your visit to the world’s busiest city, New York!