36 Hours in New York City
by Haydee Torres

The Empire State Building by Max Touhey 

New York City is known as the largest most populated city in the world with about more than 9 million people living within its five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island. This megacity is the most diverse with as many as 800 languages spoken and more than 3.2 million residents born outside the United States. New York City has been described as the cultural, financial, and media capital of the world, significantly influencing entertainment, research, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, fashion, and sports.  

Friday 3 p.m. Exploring the MoMa: 

For all the art enthusiast this is the first place to visit. Get consumed and influenced by beautiful modern and contemporary art in one of the largest museums in the world, the MoMa. Explore works of architectures, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, books and film. This huge building is consumed with over 300,000 books in its huge library where you can sit and relax and take in all the different pieces of art and its history. Admission is $25 but if you stick around a little longer you might be able to get in for free since the museum has free admission Fridays starting at 4pm. 

MoMa by Heidi Bohnenkamp 

6 p.m. Dinner at Harry’s 

Anybody hungry? After so much art, take a walk over to Rockefeller Center and have dinner at this delicious Italian restaurant called Harry’s Italian. Harry’s offers individual and family style Italian cuisine as well as round and old-fashioned square pies. With about 20 options of pastas and an extensive wine list this is the perfect place to indulge in traditional Italian meals. After dinner walk outside on Rockefeller Plaza and admire the flags surrounding the huge ice-skating rink (winter) or the garden (summer) of over 100 countries to represent diversity in such a huge city. 

8 p.m. The luck of the Irish 

Indulge on a cocktail or beer at this classic Irish Pub near times square, this unique sports bar called The Mean Fiddler is the perfect place to unwind and end the night. With live DJ’s, Karaoke, and 3 bars set for drinks and some fun. TVs surround the entire bar to not miss an inch of the sports games and stats as well as pictures and flags to represent the Irish culture, its history and many who have come to visit. If by any luck you’re in town during the month of march you’re in for a treat since its famous for its march madness, hosting events every day to celebrate in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Full menus and drink specials as well as live performances and late-night partying, you can definitely consider a night to remember.  

Saturday 

10 a.m. The Highline 

This historic public park on the west side of Manhattan was once a rail line that used to transport goods to central and lower Manhattan, due to high pedestrian deaths of street crossings the city demanded for its demolition. With the help of local people in the community they proposed a preposition to reconstruct and make some purpose of the abandoned railway. Today The Highline is a 1.45-mile-long greenway featuring 500+ species of plants and trees. It exhibits numerous amounts of art works from artists of all over the world as well as pop up performances all for free. Besides the gorgeous gardens you can also admire the fascinating architect from the buildings surrounding the railway, it just gives it a unique perspective of New York City.

The Highline by Mike Tschappat 

12 p.m. Chelsea Market 

Brunch at Chelsea Market is ideal for any tourist coming to NYC exploring culture, this two-floor market is home to one of the greatest indoor food halls of the world, with more than thirty-five vendors selling everything from soup to nuts, wine to coffee, cheese to cheesecake. It is mostly known for its diversity in foods, goods, and merchandise shopping. This massive market complex attracts about 6 million national and international visitors annually.  

2 p.m. Alvin Ailey 

After some grub make your way to see one exquisite show at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Dive into a lovely ballet performance enriching the American modern dance heritage. This theatre and company were founded by Alvin Ailey and a group of young African American modern dancers with the vision to preserve the African American culture, in doing so they changed the perception to American dance forever. Today, the company continues Alvin’s mission with over 235 works including past and present pieces and created by over 90 choreographers. Traveling over 48 states, 71 countries on 6 continents performing for an estimated 25 million people.

Alvin Ailey

6 p.m. Tropical Sensation 

Hop in a cab uptown and have dinner at this delicious Latin American restaurant called Tropical Sensation. This Dominican style restaurant features anything from soups, salads, chicken, steak, pork, fish, to seafood and vegetables. Their drink menu is endless with options like natural juices, milkshakes, wines, beers or their top seller cocktail drinks. Served in fancy glasses and vibrant garnishes. Try the house favorite Paella Caribeña dish, golden yellow rice mixed with an assortment of seafood such as lobster, shrimp, crab, calamari, clams, and mussels this can serve two for $59. Listen to Spanish music and watch slideshows of pictures and highlights of the island of the Dominican Republic on the flat screen TVs behind the bar, it would honestly make you feel as if you were already in the Caribbean. 

9 p.m. The Best View of the City 

Take an exciting trip up the Empire State Building to either the 86th or 102nd floor observatory decks to see the most spectacular views of the city of New York. This thrilling adventure is one to remember because it’s the perfect place to capture the best photos of the city especially at night, when the city shines at its brightest. Note you can either do one or do both floors, the 86th floor is outside while the 102nd floor is inside with floor to ceiling windows. Both have a 360-degree view of the city and can be accessed with the fare of $30. Before leaving don’t forget to stop by the gift shop and purchase some souvenirs to take home in memory of coming to NYC with their famous I love New York gifts. 

11 p.m. Let’s Dance 

If you don’t want to end the night just yet and are in the mood for a tad bit more fun head on down to the Copacabana Night Club to show off your groves. This 80-year-old night club is best known for its Brazilian décor and its famous list of artists that have come to perform one of their memorable shows of their careers. The club was also known for its chorus line, “The Copacabana Girls”, who had pink hair and elaborate sequenced costumes, mink panties and fruited turbans. Enjoy this 4-floor nightclub with a different DJ on every floor playing all different types of music. Its most popular being salsa, dance the night away or watch couples swing around the dance floor to this Cuban afro-beat sound.

Copacabana Girls by Louie Despres 

Sunday 

10 a.m. “Hello Brooklyn, how you doing” 

Start off your morning on a nice nature walk through this iconic Brooklyn park known as Prospect Park. With its 586 acres of green land you can enjoy anything involving outdoor activities. Whether you want to ride a bicycle, run, walk or play sports this is the perfect place. In the summer it is the most popular time of year, the park has its own zoo, concert series, festivals, and fun family activities. Admission to the park is free and welcomed to anyone wanting an outdoor escape. Get lost on a hike and explore thousands of trees, flowers, birds and simply nature at its best, once inside it almost feels like you are not in NYC anymore. Have a BBQ, lay on the grass and soak up some sun or even read a book by the pond, either one is exiting at this beautiful park, it just can’t be missed. 

12 p.m. Smorgasburg 

Join this amazing open-air food market with about 100 local vendors selling and advertising there up and coming businesses or expansion of their already fast-growing food spots in Brooklyn. Come on an empty stomach because you will want to try everything there is to eat. Serving all types of food and drinks from local businesses, this is the perfect spot for an afternoon lunch. The Smorgasburg market is considered the largest open-air market in America attracting 20,000 to 30,000 people every weekend. It is free to come on site but each vendor sells individually with their own menus and price lists.

Smorgasburg 

6 p.m. Sunset Finale 

End this beautiful trip at Domino Park for the perfect sunset. This 11-acre site was home to the famous Domino Sugar Factory which was once the largest and most productive sugar refinery in the world, refining 4 million pounds of sugar daily and producing 98 percent of the sugar consumed in the United States. It was central to the growth of the surrounding area of Williamsburg and the industrialization of the Brooklyn waterfront. It employed 4,500 workers with different backgrounds and ethnicity including European countries such as Germany, Poland and Ireland as well as Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and people of Caribbean descents as well as African Americans. Domino Park is a tribute to the story of this site and is dedicated to the diversity and resiliency of generations of Domino workers, their families, and their neighborhood. With the Williamsburg Bridge to the west and the Manhattan’s skyline to the east this waterfront is breathtaking and perfect for photographers. This site is the perfect finale to an incredible trip to remember. 

Lodging 

Stay at this historic landmark called Lotte New York Palace which has reigned as New York City’s iconic and instant recognizable hotel. Whether on a business trip, a family getaway or a glamorous wedding this palace is the perfect place. Also known for its glamorous dining halls and private bars with one of the oldest Whiskey collections known today. Starting at $472, this luxury hotel has 733 elegant guest rooms and suites both stylish and comfortable for an urban oasis. Located in the midtown region of Manhattan and steps away from Rockefeller Center this gorgeous palace is in the center of all the action but relaxing enough to keep the busyness of this huge city a hush. 

Another historic landmark to consider would be The Roosevelt Hotel. This 90-year-old luxurious hotel has remained a true icon of the New York City skyline since it opened in 1924. It is synonymous for the orchestra performance of Guy Lombardo for over 30 years as well as having its appearance in several major motion pictures such as The Boiler Room, Wall Street, Malcom X, Maid in Manhattan, Men in Black 3 and The Dictator to name a few. Located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, this iconic hotel is the perfect place to unwind after a long day touring the city with its convenience to nearby attractions as well as the Grand Central Terminal. Starting at $105 a night for 2.