New York with my own eyes

By Alina Paliichuk  Oct. 3, 2018

As you probably know New York is one of the most magnificent cities in the world. It enchants me so every time I visit New York it is like the first time. I am absolutely mesmerized by its modern architectural design, arts, fashion, access to food of all the nations in the world, and of course its nightlife. New York is known as the city that never sleeps. Even in the night, there is traffic on the streets, food chains are open, nightclubs and movie theaters run, everything is moving and surrounded by light. So let me tell you, guys, what is my vision of New York in 48 hours.  

Time square during the day. By Alina Paliichuk

One of the most famous and memorable places in New York is the Times Square, which is situated at the intersection of Broadway and 7th avenue. This is the common meeting point for dates, meetings and general tourism because the concentration of all the advertising billboards and flashing screens blinds and somehow at the same time fascinates you. It represents the latest Media achievements and plunges you into the amphitheatre of yellow cabs, golden arches and crowds and crowds of people. The most spectacular view the tourists get in the night. This is where New York's heart continues beating and maintaining its atmosphere of a proactive and never stopping life. Times Square is where darkness becomes light again and night becomes day.

The streets of New York are nothing like Viennas - they are chaotic and busy. Their lines are  straight and high rectilineal glass skyscrapers make the whole view even stricter, but it looks very modern, while Viennas streets curve and represent the deep history of the country.

As New York was growing into a megapolis it connected nearby towns and villages whose names were given to some streets of New York. So you can always have a glimpse into its fascinating past when just have a look at where the name of a street comes from. Wall Street in Lower Manhattan was previously called "de Waal Straat" by Dutch settlers who founded New York. One of the legends says that the Dutch built a wall from the English settlers who they considered as rivals and wanted to keep them out.

Broadway, the dazzling. By Alina Paliichuk

The name Broadway comes from the dutch “brede weg” which means broad road. It is not only wide but long, too. Going through Manhattan, continuing in Bronx and 18 miles further until the Sleepy Hollow. I cannot help saying more about Broadway as the street of musicals and 41 theatres, one of the oldest of them dates back to 1750. There is no actor in the world who would not like to perform on one of the Broadway stages.

Many people come there to see famous performances, and the tickets are available online. That means you can get them on the other side of the world and come to New York to enjoy the real show.

Trump Tower guarded by police and by security in suits. By Alina Paliichuk

Speaking of skyscrapers, one of the most controversial and interesting ones has to be Trump Tower. It is situated on Fifth Avenue and is considered if not symbol number one of New York than a true icon of style, success and prestige. It shines from inside. You will most definitely need your sunglasses.

We went in for a starbucks and it's incredible how golden everything is there. Golden floor, golden walls, golden ceiling and glass and mirrors tripling the number of everything that is gold. So unique it is and feels incredibly rich. It is guarded by police 24 hours a day so it gives you the idea of how luxurious and specific the place is.

Plaza Hotel welcomes you to the red carpet in the sparkling light!

We stopped at the famous Plaza hotel on Fifth Avenue at Central Park South. It has always been my dream to go there since I watched a movie “Home Alone 2” that was filmed there in the early 90s. When I was there it looked exactly like in the movie. Every person looked there as an aristocrat, even the receptionists. You just feel gorgeous there I can not find a better word. I could see the Central Park out of my window. Autumn was coming and the trees were turning golden yellow. Even though it was cold it did not spoil the atmosphere of a fairytale that I got when coming out of the hotel.  

Pikachu on the streets of New York

What I liked most about New York was its people. They are not scared  to express themselves as seen on the picture. You can frequently see people in costumes, in flamboyant clothes and expressing themselves fully. They can be busy but they can also have fun.

Look at me at that picture, you can see that I am completely under the spell of the city. There are so many people surrounding me. It looks like a festival but actually this is an ordinary day of New Yorkers.    

  I would definitely recommend to visit New York. This is a huge attraction and it's totally worth seeing with your own eyes.  

Early in the morning. Black and white New York. By Alina Paliichuk