There are so many amazing things to do in New York. I lived there many months and I never got bored. Before I went to NYC I made a NY bucket list and I am proud to say I did almost all of them! I did all of the touristy things, as well as all of the local things, and have created a list of places you must see and things you have to do while in the city!

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art:

The Met is hands down my favorite place in New York. I have always loved art museums since I was a young child, and when I lived in Pennsylvania my mom would take me into the city just so I could go to the Met for the day. Flash forward to today and I love it even more. In my opinion, the Met is the best art museum in the US. They have a wide range of collections, from ancient Egyptian art, to modern American.

The Met is located on the Upper East Side right up against Central Park. I always loved to go on a nice day and walk through all the exhibits. My favorite has always been the Ancient Egyptian exhibit. They have tons of mummies, gorgeous gold jewelry, and even a temple (where the scene from Maid in Manhattan was filmed)! From there I walk through over towards the modern art exhibits and the temporary exhibit. They have a fantastic modern art exhibit and impressionistic exhibit with artists like Van Gough, Monet, and Pollock. There is also always a temporary exhibit, the fast few times it had to do with fashion, which was amazing to see.

Lastly, while at the Met you HAVE to go to the rooftop. They have a bar up here, but the only reason I go up there is for the view. It shows a breathtaking view of Central Park and of the whole city behind it. It is by far my favorite view in the whole city! Finish your visit by walking through Central Park!

2. Central Park

Central Park is another must if you go to NYC. Even if it snowing, you have to take a walk through Central Park. Even though I didn’t live anywhere close to this park, I would take a 30 minute subway ride just to walk through the park and read a book. I even had the privilege of being in Central Park during the complete solar eclipse. It felt like everyone in the city left their buildings at that moment and came to Central Park. Everybody was sharing their solar glasses and completely at peace, it was one of my favorite experiences ever.

 3. The Museum of Modern Art

The Moma is my second favorite museum in NYC. If you enjoy modern art, this should be the top of your list. They have some of the best modern art that you can find in the world. The most notable piece is Van Gough’s “Starry Night.” They also have Jackson Pollock, Andrew Warhol, Picasso, and my favorite, Monet’s water lillies.

The Moma is upper Midtown, a few blocks south of Central Park. Prices are in the upper teens to $30s, but they do have a free night every week if you would rather do that (although it is quite packed).

4. Union Square Park & Union Square Farmers Market

Union Square Park was the park I spent the most of my time in. It was fairly close to my apartment, only a 30 minute walk or 10 minute subway ride. It is actually about 30 minutes from anywhere in the city because it is so centrally located and almost all subways go through Union Square, so it is very easy to get to.

Although it is nowhere near as big as Central Park, it is still enough nature to satisfy you for the day. Plus there is loads of culture here. I would go and just people watch because there were people from all over the world in Union Square.

The best part though is the farmers market that is there four days a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The Saturday farmers market is the best farmers market on the East Coast! There are every seasonal fruit and veggie you could ever want. There are also loads of meats and eggs, which were obviously my favorite. They also have tons of artisan products like jams, butters, kombuchas and way more. If you are in town on one of these days it is well worth walking through!

5. Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park is another amazing park that you should at least walk through while you are here. It is famous for its arch and fountain and is great to go to on a nice day. Another perk of this park is that it’s location is perfect. It is just north of SoHo and just south of Union Square. It is centrally located and very easy to access by walking or any subway. Another great plus is that Washington Square Park is near all of the amazing food locations so you can go after or before a meal. My favorite thing to do would be get Mike & Dave’s soft serve (about two blocks away) and enjoy it on a park bench!

6. Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market is an amazing spot to go for great food and shopping. It is in the West Village and right off the piers. It is a renovated old building that has dozens of restaurants that are walk up and order, then eat in the market. They also have an amazing fish market, meat market, oil shop, bakery, and spice shop. Another fun fact is that there are many studios on the upper floors for filming, including the studio where they film Chopped!

I would often go here with friends or family to walk around and waste time. It is a great spot for lunch, and for cheaper food! If you go you should absolutely get the tacos. There is an authentic taco stand where they hand make the corn tortillas and cook everything right there. If you go, get their pork tacos, they are life changing. Chelsea is also perfect on a cold or hot day when you are trying to escape the weather because it is indoors.

Another plus is that Chelsea Market has an entrance to the High Line, which is great to walk on a nice day!

7. The High Line

The High Line is perfect to walk on a great weather day. It is an elevated walkway that goes up and down the west side of the city. It is a couple of miles long, has tons of greenery and art along the way, and has amazing views. The best part is that is elevated, which means no traffic lights, so it is faster if you need to walk north or south in that area! It does have hours that it is open, so make sure to check before you go!

8. Tone House

This may seem like a weird recommendation, but it was one of my favorite things to do in NYC. I love a good fitness class, and luckily as a model I would get some “model perks.” AKA I would occasionally get free workout classes or random perks like a free hair cut here and there. Because of this I was able to try many workout classes while I was there, which was nice since they can be pricy for a membership.

Tone House was by far the most fun, and hardest workout class I have ever done. If you are a fitness lover like myself, you should definitely drop into Tone House for a class! But be prepared for an ass kicking!

There are two locations, one on the Upper East Side, or one in NoMad. It is a 50 minute class that is a team atmosphere. The best way I can describe this unique experience is like a football practice. You may be jumping, hurdling, burpee-ing, or who knows what. But they keep it fun, which is why I go to a class every time I am in the city.

9. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was probably the most touristy thing I did while I lived in NYC, but it also one of the most memorable. I had a day off one day so I decided to make my way to Brooklyn!

I started on the Brooklyn side, which I recommend doing since you get to walk towards the beautiful NYC skyline. I also recommend doing it earlier in the morning, because it gets crowded with loads of tourists and everyone knows tourists are slow walkers, aka the worst. Don’t miss out on this beautiful, and free, view! Its definitely one I will never forget.

10. One World Trade Center

Even though One World Trade Center is as far south as it gets on the Island, it is worth the trek down there. The building itself is a site to see. The memorial right next to it is also moving.

I recommend taking at least 10 minutes here. Even if you don’t have time to go to the museum, it is moving to stand where the Twin Towers once stood and see where America was changed.

11. SoHo Shopping

If you are a shopper of any sorts, you need to go to Soho! Soho has the best shopping and best aesthetics for any fashionista. They have any shop you can imagine, from the most expensive designers, to ones we can actually afford. Just head to Broadway street with lots of money in your pockets!

12. The Flat Iron Building & Madison Square Park

I probably walked by the Flatiron Building and Madison Square park 5 times a week when I lived there, and every time I had to take a picture of this building. It is always the building I think of when I think of NYC. The park is also perfect to stroll through and is a common place for a lunch break of those in the corporate world.

13. The Subway

Yes I am talking about the public transportation system that is frequently mocked and ridiculed. But trust me, all locals ride it while the tourists are above ground waisting money and time. Do not be intimidated by the Subway, I quickly learned to love it while I lived there. It is the fastest and the cheapest mode of transportation. All you need is a metro card that you can buy at subway stations. Also you should download the app “City Mapper.” This app tells you exactly what subway you need to get on, how to get there, and how long it will be for a subway to be there. It is an app from God Himself.

Don’t be afraid of the rats! They are kinda cute anyways.

What NOT to do while in NYC:

1. Times Square- Avoid Times Square at ALL COSTS. It is literally hell on earth, filled with way too many lights, about a million tourists, and a terrorist attack waiting to happen (only kinda joking here).

2. Midtown- Just don’t go there. It’s all shopping, all tourists, and no culture.

3. 9/11 Museum- this is definitely going to not be a popular opinion, but I am not a fan of the 9/11 Museum. I am not sentimental and seeing the old structure of the buildings really didn’t do anything for me. The memorial above ground is much better. I get more touched by the documentaries on tv about 9/11 because it tells people’s stories that the museum doesn’t.

4. Taxis & Uber – Unless you are oging to the airport, I wouldn’t take a taxi or Uber. Firstly, they are way too expensive, the subway and buses are far cheaper and usually faster. Secondly, they take FOREVER. Unless its 3 am, there is probably traffic, which means you are mostly going to be sitting on your but, while subways underground are moving way faster! You could probably walk faster most places. I can count on one hand how many times I got a car in the city, and usually I regretted it.