Midtown to the West Village: A Walk Through New York City, New York, New York

New York City is not a place you simply see-it is a city you experience in moments. On a recent trip we started our first day near Times Square with tickets to the Empire State Building and a lunch reservation waiting for us in the West Village. But somewhere between those two plans, the day opened up. We made our way downtown on foot, and what followed was less about sticking to an itinerary and more about noticing how the city changed along the way. This is the first of 3 posts in a Spring trip to NYC, that we hope adds some inspiration to your next trip to the Big Apple.

We landed very late on a Thursday night so we were able to experience 3 full days in Manhattan. Despite the lack of sleep, we were ready to go bright and early. We headed out from our hotel in Times Square, walking from 42nd to 34th Street. The first thing we noticed was spring was in full bloom everywhere. We came upon Herald Sq but it was too early for a visit to the iconic Macy’s store, so we took a moment to enjoy the flowers.

From Herald Square we made our way to the first stop of the day; The Empire State Building. Despite dozens of trips to NYC, this was our first visit to the iconic building. Pro Tip: Plan ahead. Timed tickets are still used, and it expedites the entry process. We did see people buying tickets for later in the day. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).