DD TRAVEL: Why a Shopping Trip to New York must be on your bucket list!
Atlantic Travel have some smashing deals to New York starting from €655pp for 3 nights including direct flights with Aer Lingus, 4* Hotel Accommodation, taxes and 1 checked in bag per person. Low Deposit of €100pp.
It was love at first sight with me and The Big Apple! New York is one of those places that you cannot help but be in awe of and at times you feel like you are on a movie set. It’s not just the sight seeing and the fantastic shopping, it’s the overall feeling of being somewhere seriously cool!
The trick to beating the jet lag is to stay awake for as long as possible. When you arrive in the afternoon, try to take it all in, have a wander around the streets and avenues and get your bearings. You will automatically wake early the next morning and want to jump up and head outside to hit the town.
For the serious shoppers amongst us, the good news is Century 21 opens at 0745. It’s the best time to see this store, everything is neatly in its place. It’s very similar to TK Maxx but with a bigger choice and even bigger discounts. There are now two stores in Manhattan but the bigger one is downtown, beside the World Trade Centre Memorial. Once you have had your shopping fix you can wander around downtown, check out Wall Street, the World Trade Centre site and if you have the time, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island are close by.
If your partner is not a shopping enthusiast they can be ‘dropped off’ at any number of Apple stores in Manhattan (the largest one in the world is in Grand Central Station) to play with all the Apple toys.
Further north is the trendy Soho / Greenwich area. It’s where the locals like to shop, all of the trendy shops are here and plenty of cool restaurants and bars too. You will also find the meat packing district, west village and TriBeCa (or TRIangle, BElow CAnal Street) close by, all familiar names if you are a ‘Sex and the City‘ fan! Speaking of Canal Street, or ‘Chinatown’ as it’s more commonly known, if you like to haggle, you can’t afford to miss it. It’s a Mecca for anyone looking for a fake designer bag, jewellery and even clothes. Bear in mind the ‘good’ stuff is not generally visible on the street stalls, if you are looking for the latest Mulberry bag or Tiffany necklace you will need to ask for it. You may get approached and shown magazines with the very latest seasons collections, you can literally choose the bag you want and someone will deliver it to you within minutes. Alternatively you may be asked to follow them to their ‘secret stash’. If you end up at the back of a dark shop or in a dingy basement full of bags, don’t panic, its normal! Remember they only accept cash and the local pick pockets are very aware of this, so be vigilant and try not to flash your cash!
There are two shopping outlets but Woodbury Common is far superior and a ‘must visit‘ when you are in New York. Woodbury is such a nice place to shop too, it’s like our own Kildare Village but on a massive scale. Buses leave from the Port Authority station almost hourly from 7:15AM and return as late as 9:30PM.
With the $42 bus ticket (Expensive but so worth it!) you get the VIP discount booklet free. This normally costs $10 and it will save you much more than that when you are there. There are coupons ranging from $10 off to 25% off in that book, so if you want the latest Michael Kors bag, it can save you over $100 on just one item. One other piece of advice is to get a locker they are a great place to leave items as you shop and free up your arms from carrying all those extra bags! We would recommend going to Woodbury early in your trip, complete your shopping mission and then you can wander around New York at your leisure afterwards and enjoy all the city has to offer.
Last but not least if there are any romantics out there I have to mention the Diamond District. It sounds more appealing than it looks. In fact, most of the shops or kiosks are like something you would see in Bangkok! Don’t judge a book by its cover though, the quality and prices of the diamonds are amazing.
Our Top Things to do In NYC
Spend a few hours in Central Park
I just love Central Park, have a coffee in the Boathouse Cafe, watch a baseball match, ice skate in the winter; you can even go to the zoo! This park is so massive a few hours will only scratch the surface, but its a great spot to escape the madness that is New York City.
Visit the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
No trip to New York would be complete without a trip to the iconic Statue of Liberty. If you want to climb into the crown make sure you book in advance. While you are there it would be a shame not to visit its neighbour Ellis Island. This moving museum gives incredible insight into American immigration. You can even search for your relatives in their database of over 51 million records
Go to the Top of the Rockefeller Centre
Take the interactive lift to the top of the Rockefeller Centre and get unrivalled views over the city. The open air observation deck is modern and spacious and for me is a better alternative to the Empire State building.
Visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum
The reflecting pools are a tribute to those who lost their lives in the terror attacks. For most of us we will remember the event personally so a visit to the memorial museum is a truly emotional experience.
Haggle for bargains in Chinatown
This simply has to be done. Get the latest Tiffany necklace or Hermes bag for around $20, sure it would be rude not to!
Take time out at the High Line
This has to be one of the coolest places in New York. Relatively new, this park which was once an old railroad track and is situated 30 feet above the city.
Take in a Broadway Show
From Les Mis, to Chicago, to Phantom, if its on, its on in Broadway. With over 40 theatres it is THE place to catch the best shows.
If you fancy visiting somewhere other than New York we have so many other destinations available at the most competitive rates, let us find the ideal US city for you!
Please see a selection of fantastic offers we have for the US with only €100 deposit per person, prices include return flights from Dublin, taxes & accommodation (nights specified below)
New York – 3 nights
4* Doubltree Metropolitan by Hilton
€655pp
03rd March 2017
Boston – 3 nights
4* Boston Park Plaza
€675pp
17th January 2017
Las Vegas – 4 nights
3* Circus Circus Hotel
€647pp
25th September 2016
