10 Reasons You Should Visit New York City

We decided to spend the long Labor Day weekend in New York City. It was our second time visiting New York City and we absolutely love the Big Apple. But there is so many more reasons to visit the largest city in the United States than the tourist traps like Times Square. Here are ten reasons you should make a point to visit New York City.

1. The Neighborhoods

New York City has some incredible neighborhoods, each with their own unique vibe. One of our favorite New York City neighborhoods is Chelsea. If you venture over to the Chelsea area, be sure to explore the High Line. The High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenbelt and rail trail. It was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. The Chelsea Market is another great stop. The market is a food hall and shopping mall built in the former National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) factory complex where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced.

2. The Food

Foodies rejoice.....New York City has an incredible culinary scene. You'll find the authentic New York style hand-tossed thin crust pizza (check out Juliana's Pizza in Brooklyn), delicious seafood, hand-cut steaks and of course every other type of food imaginable. One of our favorite restaurants, Cookshop, is in the Chelsea Neighborhood.

We also love greek yogurt (more like obsessed). One of our other favorite and unique food stops is the Chobani Cafe. Chobani has two cafe's in New York City, one in SoHo and one in Lower Manhattan. The Chobani Cafe features a curated menu that offers Greek Yogurt creations made from hand-selected artisinal ingredients. We ended up stopping at the Chobani Cafe every day of our trip, and yes, it was that good.

3. Broadway

New York City is well known for it's theatrical performances which are presented in 41 professional theaters with 500 or more seats located in the Theater District in Midtown Manhattan. We had seen Wicked before when the musical came to Boise but it was nothing compared to the performance we saw at the Gershwin Theater on Broadway.

4. Shopping

Shopping, shopping and more shopping. If you want it, you can surely find it in New York City. New York City has great shopping corridors like the famous 5th Avenue and cluster of shops in the SoHo area. One of Nick's favorite shops is the BirchBox store (see our full review).

5. Central Park

Central Park is an urban park in the heart of Manhattan and there are literally hundreds of things to see and do in the park. We really enjoy hiking through the park and just taking in the beauty of the natural elements located in the middle of one of the biggest cities in North America. You can also visit the Central Park Zoo, eat lunch or dinner at the The Loeb Boathouse and catch incredible views of the New York City skyline.

6. Coffee

We love coffee and New York City has great coffee. You won't find coffee shops serving up super sweet lattes in the Big Apple, but you will find freshly roasted, delicious coffee and espresso. Some of our favorite coffee shops include Intelligentsia, La Colombe and Blue Bottle Coffee.

7. The Museums

New York City is full of incredible museums. On this particular trip, we took time to visit the American Museum of Natural History (the museum that Night at the Museum is based off of) and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. On our last trip we also spent part of a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We would highly recommend a visit to all three of these museums. And there are many more we haven't been to yet. So if you love art, history, museums, etc., you'll love New York City.

8. Rooftop Bars

New York City has some great rooftop bars. We grabbed a cocktail at the Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar at the Conrad New York. The Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar features incredible views of lower Manhattan and the Hudson River. One of our favorite rooftop bars is Gallow Green at the McKittrick Hotel. Gallow Green is a rooftop lounge with a green-garden vibe that serves chic cocktails & punch bowls. Essentially it feels like you are in a overgrown garden or forest in the middle of New York City's Chelsea Neighborhood. Gallow Green is a must stop for us on any New York City Trip!

9. Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is an absolute must stop for anyone visiting New York City for the first time. Tip: Book your tickets early (at least 6 months in advance) for an opportunity to go up in the crown of the Statue of Liberty.

10. Desserts

New York City has some crazy food and they have some crazy and unique desserts. We waited in like for over an hour (yes over an hour) to try out Do, Cookie Dough Confections, a cookie dough bar! Needless to say it was worth the wait. We had smore's cookie dough and sugar cookie cookie dough, both served with a scoop of Blue Marble Organic Ice Cream.