New York…where to begin! Any place where you can get a slice of pizza for $1 is alright by me.

I have never before experienced a city like New York, but having been an avid viewer of Sex and the City, Gossip Girl, Friends and the like, I was sure that my time would include celebrity sightings, giant hot dogs and numerous shopping expeditions. Of course, reality never does quite meet your expectations, but in the case of New York it came pretty close.

New York is filled with a constant buzz. It is addictive in all its intensity and unpredictability. In New York, within the space of a few blocks seedy can turn into elegant, and grunge can turn into chic. You never know exactly what will be around the corner. For this very reason the best way to experience The Big Apple is to walk everywhere and anywhere, and I implore you to spend at least part of your time in NYC simply wandering the streets (with a pretzel in hand).

New York is also city of eccentricity, where each person is a type: from the break dancers trying to make it on the Subway, to the laundromat manager who reveres Oprah. The city’s attraction draws people from all walks of life, and the characters of New York are part of what makes the city so unique.

As a visitor to New York, I spent every minute partaking in every typical cliched tourist activity imaginable, which included ice-skating in central park, gazing upon the Empire State Building, eating yoghurt on the steps of the Met (xoxo, Gossip Girl), walking the Highline, shopping where I couldn’t afford, viewing the city from Brooklyn Bridge, eating a bagel filled with so much cream cheese it could feed an entire country, watching a basketball game decked out in the Knick’s merch, and becoming emotionally overwhelmed whilst visiting the 9/11 memorial. But the best part of my time in New York was being there with my best friends, who were there by my side to share in my excitement at seeing a squirrel in Central Park, and in my despair at finding that Central Perk does not actually exist. Most importantly, visiting New York with your friends means that you can always count on someone to persuade you to eat that second, third or fourth slice of pizza/pretzel/bagel/hero sandwich…the list goes on.