Last week, we spent 48 hours in New York City. It was our first time in NYC, and I have been dying to see the Big Apple. We landed at JFK airport after a very long British Airways flight. We were super exhausted as we had quite a few flight delays but we got there in the end. I wasn’t impressed with the flight service from Heathrow to New York. It left a lot to be desired. Apart from the many delays, the quality of the screen for the entertainment was poor. Thankfully, that was not the case on our back from Washington to Heathrow.

New York City is one place I have always wanted to visit. I have heard a lot of good and bad things about the city. I agree with majority of what I heard and I have my own views of the city. And I am very happy I finally got the chance to experience it all for myself.

The cold welcomed us as soon as we landed. It was a lot colder than it was in Cheshire, so it came as a bit of a shock to the system. It was easy to get a taxi to our hotel, and we were thankful for that. We stayed at Hilton Times Square for 2 nights. The service at the hotel was ok. I expected an excellent service since the hotel didn’t come cheap. But I quickly realised that excellent service in the US is extremely rare. I think it is just the way things work around there.

The first thing I noticed in New York, apart from the cold weather, were the long faces. Many of the people we came across looked unhappy. Like they didn’t want to be there, doing their jobs. It kind of reminded me of London, but the Londoners are not half as miserable as the New Yorkers.

We spent all of our time in Times Square. There was no plan to visit the major tourist attractions. We all suffered greatly from Jet Lag. And with 2 toddlers and just 48 hours to spare, there wasn’t much we could do.

Madame Tussauds was just next door to our hotel so we spent some hours exploring the beautiful place. I have a lot to share on that, so will be writing a dedicated on that in the next few days.

We also walked around Times Square and got some lovely shots! If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen many of my New York City photos and stories.

After our 48 hours in New York City, our next stop was Maryland. We drove from New York City to Laurel, Maryland. It was a fun road trip. We sent through New Jersey, Delaware and other cities. I will be writing a post on our road trip and time in Maryland in other posts.

Overall, I found New York a bit too much. It was overwhelming. The city definitely never sleeps and we were in the heart of the madness. I didn’t have the time or energy to explore the city as much as I would have wanted to. But from the little I saw, I am glad I don’t live in New York. I don’t think I would be able to cope living there. The hustle and bustle is unbelievable and it is such an expensive city. Having said that, it is a beautiful place to an extent. The many skyscrapers are a beauty to behold and Times Square is so beautiful with the lights and billboards. It is definitely worth seeing at least once in a lifetime.

Will I be visiting again? Maybe. If something comes up, I would go. But as a tourist, definitely not anytime soon. Maybe when the kids are older and we have more time to spare.

Was the visit worth it? Oh yes. Everyone should see New York. It is a great holiday destination.

Have you visited New York?