Sophie Elise
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Cheap Things to do in New York

25/7/2018

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  If you've read any of my posts about my trip to New York, you will know that I got up to a lot of costly things that were typical activities for tourists like us. What I haven't mentioned yet is that we also got up to lots of cheap and fun things to do, as well. Here are some of my favourite cheap(ish) things to do in New York City.

The Highline

  The Highline is an old railway line that has been turned into a beautiful walkway with a lovely view of the Hudson. It's free to do and it gives you lots of lovely views of the city. We only had to take a stroll there as it's located in the Meatpacking District which is near to where we stayed. The ice cream and cold drink vendors were highly appreciated in the scorching weather (I definitely burnt!).

9/11 Memorial

  I've already written about my visit to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, but I don't think I mentioned the pricing. The memorial itself is obviously free to look at and pay your respects and entry to the museum is $15, which I think is relatively cheap considering the event and all of the proceeds go to charities for the victims. If you don't want to pay, the memorial itself is incredibly moving and I think it's something you have to do when you visit New York.

Parks

  When I say there are parks everywhere in New York, I mean everywhere. We spent a lot of our time at Washington Square Park, which was local to our accommodation and we fell in love with. A visit to Central Park was also vital and I think it would be easy to spend a day there, there's so much going on - we did get the subway to Central Park but it's only about $2 each way so it hardly breaks the bank. 
  Visiting the parks of New York is obviously free and I felt that they gave a really nice vibe and truly showed the sense of community in New York. I found all of the parks very friendly and I enjoyed watching other people socialising - be it playing a game of baseball or sitting having a coffee.
  These were my favourite 'cheap' things to do in New York, and I'm hoping I can go back soon to do them all over again! What are your favourite things to do in the city? Let me know with a comment! As always, thank you for reading.
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A Broadway Show

15/7/2018

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  One thing I absolutely wanted to do when we went to New York was see a show on Broadway. I've always loved going to the theatre and was desperate to see an amazing show performed by the best of the best. I wasn't particularly picky about what we saw, but I think we definitely made the best choice in going to see 'The Book of Mormon'.
  The show itself was absolutely hilarious, but definitely not for the easily offended or the very religious. It follows two 'newly trained' Mormons on their journey to Uganda to convert the citizens of a small, deprived village.
  We laughed the whole way through the performance and there were a few moments where I struggled for air. I thought my knowledge of the Mormon religion (thanks, GCSE History) would be useful in understanding the plot, but it was covered very easily in a few catchy songs. If you want a good laugh alongside some music that will be stuck in your head for days, 'The Book of Mormon' is definitely for you.
  We also headed to Times Square as it was just around the corner from the theatre. It was definitely a lot busier than anywhere else we'd been but I didn't find it too overwhelming. It's just what I imagined it to be and everywhere you look there is a billboard or a street performer. It definitely gives you the 'chaotic New York' vibe.
  As always, thank you for reading. I'm sadly home from New York now but I'm already looking into going again. Have you been? Let me know your thoughts on it with a comment!
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Guggenheim Museum

11/7/2018

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  One thing I definitely wanted to do when I visited New York was go to an art museum. I've always been a big fan of artwork and I've loved going to art museums since I was a child, so I just had to see some of the work that New York had to offer. So, we headed uptown to visit the Guggenheim Museum to have some time away from the city heat and to look at some work.

  The architecture of the Guggenheim is sort of what makes it so special - the building is circular and you're meant to start at the top of the museum and walk downwards using the spiral walkway. It was definitely nice to not have to use any stairs!
  There was a pretty good range of art in the museum (obviously) with some side rooms showing different exhibitions. My favourite pieces were some of Picasso's and a painting named "Tall Nude" by Giacometti. There was also an exhibition named "One Hand Clapping" by a collection of Asian artists which was much more modern than the rest of the art in the museum. 
Here are some of my favourites!
  After the museum, we headed to Central Park which was just over the road and enjoyed an ice cream. So, overall it was a very good day. As always, thank you for reading!
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Top of the Rock

9/7/2018

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  New York is amazing, and it's even better from the sky. We visited the top of the Rockerfeller centre a few days ago to see what the city really looks like from above and the views certainly didn't disappoint.

  We had our tickets booked for 7:35pm so that we could watch the sunset, which was unreal. It only took a 45 second elevator trip to reach the top and you could walk the whole way around the ledge, so the views were 360. I was really blown away by how incredible New York looks from above and was shocked at how huge Central Park actually is (I hadn't visited there yet). If you follow me on Instagram, you will have definitely seen these pictures before.
  There's not a lot to write about my trip to the Top of the Rock but I just wanted to share the view with you, so thank you for taking a peek.
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9/11 Memorial

7/7/2018

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Trigger warning: terrorism, 9/11 attacks.
  I am having the best time in New York and I have definitely fallen in love with the city. Between doing the really big tourist-y things we took a few hours out of our trip to visit the 9/11 Memorial, and I'm so glad we did. 
  First we visited the Memorial itself, which is (if you haven't seen) two waterfall pits in place of where the Twin Towers were. It was absolutely breathtaking and such a beautiful tribute.

Next, we headed for the museum which was an incredibly emotional experience. There were parts leftover from the Twin Towers, including the podium dedicated to their opening, as well as items such as the stairs, fire engines and the elevator engines.
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​  I was on the edge of sobbing the entire way round and I was left speechless. The museum was truly heartbreaking and there were a few moments where I really lost it; one being a voicemail from a husband to his wife and another being children's clothes from the planes. There was information and artefacts attached to stories everywhere, so many that I didn't get to look at everything (it was very busy) but the stories I read were truly heartwrenching and made the event a lot more 'real' for someone who wasn't old enough to remember/understand it when it happened.
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  I didn't take any pictures in the museum other than the two I've posted here, mainly because I just felt disrespectful to be experiencing the museum through my camera lens. There was just something about these two pieces, though, that really hit me.
​  The blue mosaic was done by an artist who, over time, watercolored each of these pieces of paper with what he thought the sky looked like that day with the words "No day shall erase you from the memory of time" written in the centre. This mosaic was enormous and took up a whole wall, so was very overwhelming and emotional to see.
  The podium in the second picture is called The Last Column and was rightfully named due to being one of the last pieces of infrastructure to be standing after the attack. The graffiti and photos you can see on it were done/placed there by families and friends of the victims as tribute to them. For me, it was a very beautiful piece. 
  I'm so glad I visited the memorial and museum for the 9/11 attacks because it made me so much more aware and educated on the event, and reminded me how ignorant I/we can sometimes be to the things happening around us. I could have made this post a lot longer, but I'm aware that the event is very morbid which is why I decided to focus on less negative aspects, such as the mosaic. However, if you do have any questions feel free to email me or drop a comment. As always, thank you for reading.
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What's in my bag? Travel edition

3/7/2018

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  As some of you may know, I'm heading to New York soon. I've never travelled long haul before so I've tried to pack some important pieces in my hang luggage bag to keep me comfortable and entertained. Have a peek what's inside my hand luggage!
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This is the bag I'm bringing with me on the plane. It's perfect for me because it's easy to find things in and it's very spacious. Believe it or not, it was only £14 from Primark!
  So, the first thing in my bag is obviously the 'liquids' bag, which is basically the beauty items I will need on the plane. Of course, my Mario Badescu rose water spray will be coming with me (it's nearly empty, so I will be repurchasing in NYC) as it's perfect for hydration on the go. Speaking of hydration, I've bought Garnier's "moisture bomb" mask with me, too, for when my skin is feeling really dry during the flight. Then everything else in my beauty bag are the essentials for me; Clarins' hand cream, Glossier's balm Dotcom and Tarte's maracuja eye cream. Hopefully, with all these goodies, my skin won't be ruined by the flight!
  I've also thrown in some mini perfumes (Flowerbomb and a CDG one) so that I'm not feeling too gross.
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  Next up; a few bits and bobs that are pretty important. My sunglasses and cap are in my hand luggage for when I arrive in the boiling New York (I'm very prone to burning) and obviously my purse is needed for the airport and the in-flight shop; I already know this trip will be expensive from the off! My headphones are also thrown in, too, so that I can switch off and listen to music.
  And last but not least, the vital pieces to keep me sane. My laptop for blogging and Netflix-watching, my phone for pretty obvious reasons and a good book to keep me entertained. This is the fourth book from Peter James' Roy Grace series, I'm really loving getting back into reading so this flight will be the perfect time for me to dedicate to a book.
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  That's everything in my bag for my flight to New York! Knowing me, I'll throw a load more things in last minute but these are definitely the essentials. Make sure you stay tuned because the New York posts will be endless, I'm sure. Thanks for reading!
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