About the trip

In March 2020 all the family planned to travel to Marrakech for eastern holidays. But Covid impact us and dad got a terrible Covid. Three years laters we are ready to enjoy even further. And mum and dad invite all of us to cross the pond. The crew includes Ignacio our Hernan Cortés, Paula the smartest, Daniela who is still crossing the tunnel, and Ignacito who has special superpowers he’ll how us very soon. So…We are going to conquer NY!

New York areas

    MANHATTAN: It is the smallest of the five boroughs of New York, but even so, it is divided into three areas. From south to north, they are:
    • Downtown. Everything south of 14th Street. In this area there are neighborhoods like the Villages (West Village, Greenwich Village, East Village), Little Italy or the Financial District. The streets have their own names and follow irregular and unpredictable structures, since Manhattan began to be populated from the south and these neighborhoods were formed before they decided to divide the city into streets and avenues. Therefore, it is recommended that you have the map at hand.
    • Midtown. It stretches between 14th Street and 59th Street, where Central Park begins. In this area you will find neighborhoods like Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen or the Flatiron District. When most New Yorkers still lived in Downtown, in 1811, they decided to divide the rest of Manhattan into streets and avenues, anticipating that one day the island would be fully populated (and they were not wrong...!). Therefore, in Midtown you will find streets and avenues that are numbered and totally straight, in the form of a grid. They are predictable and finding your way around will be very easy.
    • Uptown. North of 59th Street. The two main neighborhoods in this part of Manhattan are the Upper West Side (west of Central Park) and the Upper East Side (east of Central Park), and north of the park is extends the neighborhood of Harlem. The streets and avenues are still numbered and straight and predictable (although some have names instead of numbers), and finding your way is quite easy. It is important that you know these concepts, since you will often find the word Downtown as a synonym for going south of Manhattan, and Uptown as a synonym for going north. For example, the subways go in the Uptown or Downtown direction, as we tell you in the New York subway guide.
    • THE STREETS AND AVENUES OF MANHATTAN With the exception of the Downtown area, you can see that Manhattan is shaped like a chessboard. This grid is made up of streets and avenues.
    • - The avenues (1st Ave -12th Ave). They cross Manhattan from north to south; that is, they are vertical. The first avenue (1st Avenue) is in the extreme east of Manhattan, next to the East River, and the last, the twelfth (12th Avenue) is in the extreme west, next to the Hudson River. Avenues sometimes have names instead of numbers. - From east to west, the avenues of Manhattan are: First Avenue (1st), Second Avenue (2nd), Third Avenue (3rd), Lexington Avenue, Park Avenue (or Fourth Avenue, 4th), Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue (5th ), Sixth Avenue (6th, or Avenue of the Americas), Seventh Avenue (7th), Eighth Avenue (8th, or Central Park West when it runs alongside Central Park), Ninth Avenue (9th, or Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side ), Tenth Avenue (10th, or Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side), Eleventh Avenue (11th) and Twelfth Avenue (12th).-The most important is 5th Avenue (5th Avenue), since it divides Manhattan between east and west .
    • - The streets (1st St – 210th St and more). They cross Manhattan from east to west (they are horizontal). The first street (1st St) is in the south of Manhattan, and as you walk north, the numbers are growing. 5th Avenue divides the streets between east and west. East of 5th you'll find, for example, E 42nd St (ie East 42nd Street); and to the west, W 42nd St (ie West 42nd Street).

The driving distance between Upper Manhattan (Harlem, upper than Central Park) to Lower Manhattan ( Wall street) is 15 km . It takes approximately 30 min to drive, and walking distance it’s about 3h and by metro is 40 min.

Curated points of interest

Some recommended places that I know (guillermo) and some other are recommendations of friends of mine:

Meatpacking District

The Meatpacking District is one of the smallest neighborhoods in New York. It runs from West 14th Street to Gansevoort Street and from the Hudson River to Hudson Street. It is a neighborhood in continuous evolution, there was a time when it was in decline, but currently it is booming and it is a fashionable neighborhood. At the end of the 90s, its renaissance began, several fashion boutiques, bars, restaurants and nightclubs began to open, giving the neighborhood a “cache”. The main point of tourist interest in this neighborhood is the High Line, the beautiful elevated park built on some old train tracks, from this park the views of the neighborhood are fantastic, but you should not stop walking and walking through the neighborhood, it is very interesting.

From the hotel we are very close distance. People love to walk around the HighLine in this ancient but now trendy district that originally was a meat industrial district in New York. Just 20 minutes walk it’s enough.

Soho & Little Italy

SoHo: (SOuth HOuston ave.)

is a popular shopping destination, especially with visitors, for its designer shops, upscale chain stores and upscale art galleries. Known for its cast-iron buildings and cobbled streets, this neighborhood is also the meeting point for the trendiest, who gather in luxurious restaurants and trendy nightspots. By day, street vendors sell everything from jewelry to original art.

Little Italy:

Little Italy or in English Little Italy is an American neighborhood located in Manhattan, New York, named for having been originally populated by a large number of Italian immigrants.

It’s cool to walk through these neighborhoods. Although Little Italy has been relegated to just one street. We could eat here.

Chinatown

Chinatown is a lively and highly populated neighborhood. Tourists and foodies alike flock to its many Chinese and South Asian restaurants to sample dumplings, pork buns, and handmade noodles. Its busy sidewalks are lined with souvenir shops, bubble tea shops, and markets selling everything from fresh and dried fish, herbs, and spices. Neighbors often gather in the leafy Colón park to do tai chi and play chess or mahjong.

Worth to visit, but it can be a bit tiring to walk the streets unless we want to eat in a good chinesse restaurant. For instance, Joe Shangai.

Getaway to Brooklyn 1 day

1. Cross the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset.

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan is one of the essential things to do in Brooklyn for free. And once you get to the other side, when the sun has gone down, you will be able to see the New York skyline at night.

2. Try the legendary Grimaldi’s pizza.

At Grimaldi’s you can try one of the best pizzas in New York, one of the essentials to eat in Brooklyn. It is located just across the Brooklyn Bridge, and every day there are very long queues to eat its famous pizzas, which are also very well priced.

3. Have an ice cream at the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.

If you’re in the mood for sweets, I recommend the authentic American ice creams at Brooklyn Farmacy, an old pharmacy in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood, with vintage décor.

4. Take in the views at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

It is one of the most beautiful parks in New York. Its location, just under the Brooklyn Bridge, makes it very special, because it has one of the best views of New York.

5. Stroll through Williamsburg,

The Jewish neighborhood of Brooklyn. This Brooklyn neighborhood is known for having one of the largest Orthodox Jewish populations in the world, where you can see their traditions firsthand. You can start on Bedford Avenue and end in the south, in the Orthodox area on Lee Avenue. The contrast is mind blowing! Everything in Hebrew, men with ringlets and black hats, women with long black skirts… You’ll think you’ve changed countries or times.

6. Take one of Brooklyn’s most famous photos of the Manhattan Bridge

On Washington Street Surely you’ve seen this Instagram photo of Washington Street with the Manhattan Bridge behind it many times. It is one of the most typical things to do in Brooklyn.

3. Have an ice cream at the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain.

If you’re in the mood for sweets, I recommend the authentic American ice creams at Brooklyn Farmacy, an old pharmacy in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood, with vintage décor.

4. Take in the views at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

It is one of the most beautiful parks in New York. Its location, just under the Brooklyn Bridge, makes it very special, because it has one of the best views of New York.

5. Stroll through Williamsburg,

The Jewish neighborhood of Brooklyn. This Brooklyn neighborhood is known for having one of the largest Orthodox Jewish populations in the world, where you can see their traditions firsthand. You can start on Bedford Avenue and end in the south, in the Orthodox area on Lee Avenue. The contrast is mind blowing! Everything in Hebrew, men with ringlets and black hats, women with long black skirts… You’ll think you’ve changed countries or times.

6. Take one of Brooklyn’s most famous photos of the Manhattan Bridge

On Washington Street Surely you’ve seen this Instagram photo of Washington Street with the Manhattan Bridge behind it many times. It is one of the most typical things to do in Brooklyn.

English sentences

  1. Hola, mi nombre es Blanca. - Hi, my name is Blanca

  2. ¿Cual es tu apellido? - What’s your last name?

  3. ¿Donde está el hotel? - Where is the hotel?

  4. Me puede llevar al hotel porfavor? - Would you mind take me to the hotel?

  5. ¿ Donde está el metro? - Where is the metro station?

  1. Quiero desayunar - I want to breakfast?

  2. ¿Cuanto cuesta? - How much it costs?

  3. No me interesa. - It is not of my interest

  4. La cuenta por favor. - The bill please

  5. Estamos de vacaciones con mi familia. - We are on holidays with my family

  6. Quiero café y un croissant. - I want coffee and a croissant

  1. Disculpa - I am sorry

  2. Yo catalán no español. - I am catalan, not spanish

  3. Vete a la mierda. - Go to hell

  1. Quiero desayunar - I want to breakfast?

  2. ¿Cuanto cuesta? - How much it costs?

  3. No me interesa. - It is not of my interest

  4. La cuenta por favor. - The bill please

  5. Estamos de vacaciones con mi familia. - We are on holidays with my family

  6. Quiero café y un croissant. - I want coffee and a croissant

  1. Disculpa - I am sorry

  2. Yo catalán no español. - I am catalan, not spanish

  3. Vete a la mierda. - Go to hell

Wheather block in NY