Are you eagerly waiting for your trip to New York? I am sure that you must be since everyone is excited about the prospect of witnessing New York for the first time. There are many reasons why New York is highly popular among tourists as it attracts over 60 million people annually from across the world. I am sure that you would have seen New York in movies where it is depicted as a glamorous place that is full of beautiful parks and huge skyscrapers.
There are several popular sites such as the Empire State Building, Westgate New York Grand Central and the Times New square which attracts millions of visitors so that they can enjoy the experience which the city has to offer. However, things are not as perfect as portrayed in the movies since it is home to over 8 million people which results in you dealing with a lot of people and get stuck in huge traffic jams every other day.
Checklist before going on a trip to New York
There is no need to worry about this since there are several things that you can follow so that you can enjoy your trip to the maximum and come back with great memories by following the checklist mentioned below:
1- A comfortable day pack
Having a backpack is a standard procedure which you should have with you when you are in New York. You will likely be traveling a lot to visit the various sites which are present in the city and situations like this, having a bag with you will be handy. You would not like to take your entire luggage with you every time you are going outside since the luggage will be too heavy and you will also be at risk of losing something which would be important.
Having a backpack will make sure that you would be having heavy luggage while also having everything with you in case of an emergency so that you do not face any major issue. Another major advantage of having these bags is that it allows your hands to be free so that you can carry any other important item such as your cellphone or a map which will allow you to navigate better.
2- Have reliable and comfortable walking shoes
One thing that you need to understand well in advance before you land in New York is that you will be walking a lot. You already know that New York faces a lot of traffic issues, people either commute using the subway or by walking whenever they want to go somewhere. So keep in mind that even the nearest subway could be a few blocks away which will result that you have to walk quite regularly.
Unfortunately, even if you are not a fan of walking regularly, it is better that you limit your unpleasant experience to this since if anything else occurs while you are walking, you will end up having a miserable time on your trip. Make sure that you keep a pair of shoes with you which are both comfortable and are of good quality so that you do not face any difficulty while walking.
For example, if your shoes are not comfortable, you will end up hurting your feet every time you put those shoes on which would be most of the time while if they are not of superior quality, they could end up being torn or damaged due to the amount of time that you are using them.
3- Pack a raincoat
This is another indispensable item that you must have packed with you if you are planning to visit New York. One of the reasons why you should have a raincoat with you is that you literally cannot predict the weather of New York. You may wake up one day to a sunny morning and think about visiting a park in the vicinity only to find out one hour later that dark clouds are approaching and soon it will start raining.
This is a usual phenomenon for the locals and they are used to it but visitors are not aware of it and end up regretting it later when they are out in the open and have nothing to cover themselves. Hence it is wise that you keep your raincoat when you are packing your stuff since buying clothes from New York will be more expensive compared to your local area.
You can also keep a jacket and sweatshirt with you which will serve you well both during the summers and the winters.
4- A conventional map
Although this would sound strange but having a map will be a lifesaver for you when you are visiting the city. I am sure that you will point to your phone and mention the Google Map app but it cannot always be trusted since the GPS is not always reliable. You will often find your phone showing weak signals in the city which will result in you facing network issues and the signals do not work especially if you are traveling on the metro. In such cases, having a map will help you to navigate yourself and these maps are easily available in souvenir shops across the city.
5- Keep a portable charger
Another item that you should not forget to have with you if you are visiting New York. Unless you are planning to spend the majority of your time in your hotel room so it would save you from a lot of hassle if you have a portable charger with you. You would not be pleased to find yourself with your phone being dead and you being hours away from your hotel. This will likely result in you cutting your visit short and going back you your hotel or you struggling to contact someone else who was traveling with you. In either case, you will end up not enjoying your trip which will be a shame considering that New York is a city that you will enjoy visiting.
Conclusion
New York is one of the busiest cities in the world and attracts millions of tourists annually. If you are planning a trip soon, you should take certain precautions and have a checklist to ensure that you are only carrying items that are useful for you. An easy way to remember is that do not carry valuables with you which you will tend to leave in your hotel room. There are several neighborhoods which you can choose to stay in according to your needs such as residing in Chelsea if you like to visit the art galleries situated in the city. These are among several other tips that you can follow if you want to enjoy your time in New York to the fullest.
