What’s up guys?
I am Breanna, a.k.a MiniMarley and today I’m guest vlogging for EF
to tell you guys all about New York City.
When I’m not making fashion videos or makeup tutorials, I absolutely love traveling.
I recently stayed in Ghana, then I was visiting South Africa,
but I currently live in New York City and this is where I call home.
I want to share some tips with you and some things to do if you’re visiting New York City
because I know this city is so huge.
There’s just so much to do and see and I want to help you make the best of your experience here.
So, let’s get started!
New York City is divided into five boroughs:
Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.
If you’re visiting New York City, you have to check out all five boroughs at least one time.
Let’s do a quick virtual tour starting in Staten Island.
This island is a great place to start getting some background on New York.
One of the places you can visit is the historic Richmond Town.
This is basically New York City’s living-history village and museum complex.
Basically, it’s 25 acres of restored buildings and a museum where you can learn about
the American experience from the colonial past to the present.
While you’re on Staten Island, you can also check the Staten Island Zoo
and then hop on the ferry to head over to Manhattan.
The Staten Island ferry is pretty much the only way to get from Staten Island to Manhattan
but, honestly, it’s just a really fun boat ride and it’s a free way to see the Statue of Liberty.
Now we’ve made it from Staten Island to Manhattan, the busiest borough of New York City.
Once you hop off the ferry, the first thing to do is visit the 9/11 memorial.
This is all the way downtown and
it’s a beautiful memorial that honours the people who died on September 11.
Then, if you want to escape the noisy streets and just take a nice, quiet walk,
you can head right over to Battery Park where you even have a view of the Statue of Liberty.
But, if you’re like me and you’re into shopping,
the next place you’re going to want to head up to is SoHo.
SoHo is a little bit past Chinatown and it’s home to all that’s fashion.
There’s every store you could think of and so many cute restaurants and cafés ….
I could literally spend my whole day in Soho,
so definitely make sure you go there when you have a lot of money and time to spend.
If you go a little bit more uptown from Soho and to the west side, then you’ll be in Chelsea.
Chelsea is a must-see place if you’re into art.
There are so many museums to check out and it’s just the best place for art.
Now, for the fun part, if we move a little bit more uptown, we’re finally in Midtown.
This is the home to the Empire State Building, to Times Square, the City of Bright Lights,
and this is where you can find something to do at pretty much any time of day or night.
Like I said, there’s so much to do in Manhattan.
From the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History,
all the way to Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall, there are just so many places to see.
So, definitely make sure you really explore Manhattan.
On your way out of Manhattan,
you’ll definitely recognize Harlem because of its cultural influences from the Harlem Renaissance
and you can find that in cafés, theatres and jazz clubs, if that’s your thing.
Make sure you visit Harlem as you go from Manhattan to the Bronx.
Once you’re in the Bronx, you’re pretty much all the way uptown
and there are a few things you can do here.
One of those things is visiting the famous Yankee Stadium for a baseball game if you're into sports.
But, if you’re a little more into animals than sports as I am,
then I definitely recommend visiting the Bronx zoo.
This is the largest metropolitan zoo in the States and one of the largest in the world.
If you leave the Bronx and cross over the East River, then you’ll end up in Queens.
Queens is another great place if you’re really into sports, especially tennis,
because you can visit the Billy Jean King Tennis Center, where the U.S. Open Tournament is held.
But if you’re a little burned out from everything we did in Manhattan,
then you can just head over to Flushing Meadows Park,
which is one of the nicest parks in New York City.
It’s been a long ride, but the last borough and the last stop on this train is one of my favorites and it’s in Brooklyn.
I live in Brooklyn and, like in Manhattan, there’s just so much to do and see here.
If it’s summer time and you’re in the mood for some sand and sun,
you can hit up Rockaway Beach or Coney Island.
Coney Island is really famous because there’s a lot of games and so much food and, of course,
the boardwalk right along the beach.
Coney Island is definitely a summer favorite for families and kids and
pretty much anyone in New York City who wants to get a little bit of beach and have some fun.
But, if it’s not exactly a beach day, then I definitely recommend visiting Brooklyn Heights.
Brooklyn Heights is probably one of my favorite parts of Brooklyn
because it’s just a quiet, little cozy city away from the city.
There’s so much to do here. There are a lot of restaurants and cafés.
You can take a nice walk and you can also visit the Brooklyn Heights Promenade where
you get the absolute best view of Manhattan. If you're in New York City, it’s just a must-see.
Once you’re done exploring Brooklyn,
I recommend hopping on the Brooklyn Bridge and walking across back to Manhattan.
The Brooklyn Bridge is just a really beautiful bridge and there’s a really great view.
I recommend walking across most of the bridges of New York City if you get a chance to.
I know that was a lot to take in and there’s so much to do in New York City,
but I hope my little virtual tour gave you a few ideas of what you should definitely do
when you visit New York City.
To wrap it all up, let me give you a few of my favorite insider tips for visiting New York City.
Tip number one is to use public transportation.
For New Yorkers, public transportation is an absolute must.
Taxis can be super expensive, especially when you’re sitting in that crazy New York City traffic.
Get yourself a subway map and learn how to read it and understand it.
It’s really simple, I promise.
If you prefer the scenic route, I also recommend renting a Citi Bike.
There’s Citi Bikes all over the city and they’re just a really great way to get around
because you can stop and look at different things along the way.
It’s really cheap and affordable to rent Citi Bikes in New York City.
Tip #2 is to choose an area to explore for the day instead of trying to do everything at once.
When you try to fit too much into one day, you’ll miss out on all the little secret places
and hidden treasures that are all over New York City.
Tip #3 is to ask for directions.
Don’t be afraid to ask for directions in New York City.
People are actually a lot friendlier than you think and they’re always willing to let you know
if you should be going uptown instead of downtown
or just to help you get on track when you’re lost.
I hope this video was helpful if you’re visiting New York City.
If you weren’t sure about coming here, I hope this video encouraged you to check out New York City.
Don’t forget to check out my channel if you’re interested in travel vlogs, or makeup and fashion tutorials.
I had an awesome time guest vlogging here with EF. Bye, guys!