My Day in NYC
- Ella T.
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
This spring break I got to go somewhere new—New York City! I’ve technically been before, but I was in a stroller, so I don’t remember a single thing, which basically makes this my first real trip. Going into it, I was fully expecting classic March weather and thought I would need to pack a bunch of layers, thinking I’d be freezing the entire time. I had already accepted that I was going to be cold no matter what we did. But somehow, we got so lucky with the weather. It ended up being 72 and sunny, which made the whole trip 10x better. Walking around the city, exploring, and just being outside felt so much more fun when we weren’t worried about being cold. It honestly made everything more enjoyable, and I got to take in the city instead of rushing from place to place to stay warm.
How Did We Get There?
With my host being from New Jersey, we started the day by driving about an hour to Hoboken. Parking there seemed to be a little challenging because every parking garage closed at 9 p.m. Eventually, we found a 24-hour garage and started our walk to the Hoboken Train Station. This walk was cool because we could see the New York City Skyline from across the Hudson River. A little fun fact about New York Train systems, anytime you need to use the train, it is only $3.
What We Did in NYC
After getting off the train we headed straight to Times Square. We wanted to grab some lunch and see one of the busiest nightlife areas, without the insane crowd of people. We spent the day going to see all the New York sites. From Times Square, we took the train to Battery Park to get a look at The Statue of Liberty. We then started walking towards the World Trade Center. We stopped by Trinity church and got to see Alexander and Eliza Hamilton’s graves on the way, along with Hercules Mulligan. We crossed the street to the 9/11 museum. Being at the sight of such a tragic event was saddening, thoughts about the families and friends who lost someone that day stuck with me.
After the memorials, we took the train back to Times Square where we went into a few stores and sat on the red stairs. We did this to really take in the city while waiting for our Broadway show to start. While we were there my friends and I had the chance to get in some good people watching. The amount of people performing, in character suits, and participating in the street shows was insane. New York really showed that day that it is a place where you can find a sense of belonging anywhere.
Broadway
Later in the evening, we went to see Six the Musical. Before buying the tickets, all I had known about the show is what I have seen on TikTok and that it was about King Henry VIII’s six ex-wives. It was all a show to talk about what they have endured in their lives from him and how they died or got out of their marriage with him. The show was fun, and the plot was surprising. They had quirky ways to incorporate the number six into the play and even started the show at 7:06 to make another hint at it.
Troubles on the Way Home
We decided to make one more stop to see Grand Central Station before getting on a train and heading back to Hoboken. We had read online that you can get from GCS to Penn Station by train, apparently that was not the case and since it was past 9 p.m. not every train station access was open. We had to walk thirty minutes to Penn Station to get on the train. We made the walk and found our way back to the parking garage and back home.
What I Will Cherish
Looking back on the day, my friends and I ended up with so many more inside jokes about the random people we met and the little moments that made the trip unforgettable. It felt like every corner of the city had something new happening. Seeing all the sights I had only ever heard about or seen online was honestly surreal, and it made the whole experience feel even more special. From walking through busy streets to just taking everything in, it was one of those days that goes by fast but sticks with you after. Now I have so many stories to tell my friends and family, and it’s fun getting to relive everything while sharing what it was like being there. It turned into one of those trips I’ll always look back on and smile about.
Be Well, Auburn.
