The universal symbol for teachers is an apple.
And the Big Apple, New York City, is an amazing place for teachers to travel.
If you are looking for some helpful hacks to make a trip to NYC more affordable and more awesome, you are in the right place.
New York City is one of my favorite cities in the US and I’ve learned a lot about the DOs and DONTs when traveling there.
Here are some of my biggest tips for travel, theater, food, and more!
Travel:
Flights
Southwest airlines is NO DOUBT my preferred airline. It has TONS of direct flights into LGA, LaGuardia airport which is about a 30-60 minute car ride, depending on traffic, into most areas of the city. I fly southwest literally everywhere and I have SO many southwest hacks to save you money and get you free flights right here.
Lyft
When traveling in NYC I ONLY use Lyft, ride sharing, to and from the airport. If you try to use a cab in the city to get from place to place, you will find yourself in insane traffic and wasting time where you could be having fun. If you have never used LYFT before, it’s super easy using the app. I find it to be much more affordable compared to Uber and I have had great success with drivers! If you want to check out Lyft and save 50% on your first 2 few rides, check this out.
Subway
I feel like the subway gets a terrible reputation in NYC. People complain about how it’s dirty, hard to navigate, and unsafe. In my experiences, I have felt the exact opposite. I find that it is much cleaner than mass transport in other cities, super easy to navigate using the maps feature on iPhones, and the access and visibility of police officers is awesome. I use the subway SO much in NYC and for less than $3 a ride, it’s an awesome value. I don’t even prepay for a subway card. I just tap my southwest credit card at each station and ride!
Hotels
I have stayed at a number of hotels in NYC in a few different areas, but my favorite has for sure been in Manhattan. I loved this because it was in-between my two favorite places in the city, Central Park and the Theater District. On my first stay in NYC I was at a hotel in Time Square. And don’t get me wrong, that was cool, but VERY busy, and in my opinion, over priced and over rated. The Courtyard by Marriott in Manhattan was fairly priced and the location is remarkable. The rooms are really small and I wouldn’t recommend a standard room for more than 2 people because they are about the size of a cruise ship room. But, the hotel is clean, recently remodeled and close to seemingly everything I like to do OR is just a subway ride away. Important reminder- teachers are eligible for amazing discounted hotel rates.You can find more about that hack here
Food:
Bagels
The hype on New York City bagels is real! They are legit the best I have ever had and I think a lot of it has to do with the insane amount of cream cheese they use for a schmear. As I was waiting in line I heard a women next to me say, “The amount of cream cheese that they put in these bagels is a fat girl’s dream.” And that isn’t an exaggeration. Below is a cross section from a bagel at my favorite spot, Broad Nosh Bagels. I have tried the French Toast Bagel with Cinnamon Raisin Cream Cheese and the Jalapeño Cheddar Bagel with Sun-dried Tomato Basil Cream cheese and both were out of this world!
Pizza
If you aren’t eating pizza every single day that you are in NYC what are you even doing? There is literally a pizza spot on every single city block and sometimes more than one. The prices of pizza range a great deal and so does the quality, but I’ve never had a slice of pizza that I didn’t like. There is a 99 cent pizza slice right next to my favorite hotel in Manhattan and if you need a late night slice I do recommend just because it is a crazy good deal. My personal favorite slices come from Ray’s pizza which is a little closer to Time Square, but not insanely busy. To give you a price comparison, each slice at Ray’s is closer to $6, but they are massive slices and very fresh!
Best Dinner & Drinks Spot:
There is a ton of Italian options in New York and calamari is found on nearly every menu I’ve seen there, but there is one calami dish that ranks in the top 3 I’ve ever had. Seriously. And I get calamari a lot! It was from a spot located a walking distant from the Theater District called Parker and Quinn. I went here for mid-day meal after a matainee of a play. The calamari was a little spicy, had a perfect marinara and also a bit of goat cheese. The combination of the flavors and the tenderness of the seafood was sensational. And not only did it win best calamari of the trip, it also won best cocktail of the trip. The Paloma was 10/10 perfection. Sour, sweet, and so refreshing! The Veggie sliders came in a close second here and were surprisingly good!
Best Late Night Dinner & Drinks Spot:
I think fish tacos can be very hit or miss because they have become rather trendy. I actually would argue it’s difficult to make a perfect fish taco but a roof top bar in Manhattan has done it. The spot was called PHD Terrace. It is within a hotel, but you don’t have to stay at the hotel to eat or drink at this super cool, hip places that had nighttime vibes that I loved. The drinks were good, but the view, food, and music made it! The fish tacos had a corn relish which was phenomenal and a sauce that I could have drank with a straw. There was also a pizza on the menu that had hot honey, sausage, and other magical ingredients. It wasn’t very “New York” pizza but it was a highly recommend.
Delicious Lunch Spot:
Trying new, unique things in a new city is for sure one of my favorite parts of travel. Recently in my FYP page on social media Korean corn dogs have been popping up like crazy. I had never heard of a Korean corn dog before, but anytime I saw the pictures or videos it caused my mouth to water so I was desperate to try them. There are a number of spots in the city, but one was really close to central park and it didn’t disappoint. It is called Oh-K Dogs and sold these special sticky rice battered corn dogs on sticks. They are SO different from what you would find at a carnival or fair in the midwest. I tried two different kinds, one filled with cheese and surrounded by potatoes and one classic rice dog with a premium hot dog on the inside. Both were absolutely credible and the variety of sauces that you can use makes it really fun. You can also sprinkle cinnamon and/or sugar on these and make them a sweeter treat. I tried a bite like that and it gave me funnel cake vibes. Very fun, very delicious, and would totally try get these again!
Experience Lunch Spot:
If you google lunch spots in NYC you are sure to find lots of hits on Katz Deli. It is a subway ride away from most landmarks, but it was a new adventure that I wanted to try. They are known for their ridiculously large pastrami sandwiches and mounds of homemade pickles. When I saw google images of their insane rueben I knew I had to try these rye-bread sandwiches like I had never seen. When I got to the deli at 3 pm I did expect it to be busy, but there was a line formed outside of the building that was 2-city blocks long. A local told me the line goes fast. 45 minutes wasn’t my idea of fast, but I was committed. When I reached the front of the line and was handed a yellow ticket to get in a “slicer line” I waited another 20 minutes before I was standing at the counter watching a man perfectly slice a 10lb slab of pastrami. He literally poured what felt like a half galloon of Thousand Island dressing on the sandwich and slide a $30 sandwich my way. The sandwich was good, but not great. In my opinion it didn’t live up to the hype, but the whole experience is something i’m glad i did once. I wouldn’t run back, but if I did I would likely get a plain pastrami sandwich with only their famous mustard.
Desserts:
Let me begin by saying, I’m not much of a dessert person. I would picky salty or savory over sweet most days of the week. But sometimes you have to try things for “research” purposes right? While on this trip to NYC I tried 4 different sweets and I will rank them in order from WORST to BEST. And warning…. this list may surprise you!
4.) Dough– a donut spot that google RAVED about. HUGE, unique donuts that will cost you $5. The person working the counter recommended a blueberry, lemon doughnut. It was absolutely beautiful, but tasted more like a bagel to me than a doughnut.
3.) Hot Nuts– literally you can find warm nuts all over the streets of NYC. I’m not much for food carts, but the smell of cinnamon on a cashew is hard to resist. For $4 you can get candied nuts and have a sweet, little treat while walking the city. It’s a tradition for me.
2.) Waffles and Dinges– I saw these special waffles a few years back while in Central Park and regretted not trying them. These are almost more like a cake than a waffle and have chunks of crystalized sugar in them. I got a churro one and it was hot, fresh, and SO good
1.) Angelina Bakery– everybody said Magnolia bakery was the best. But I think it’s just hype. Ive had their red velvet cupcake before and I thought it was very average. At Angelina bakery I got a Nutella stuffed donut square and OMG. Nutella is kinda trendy, I admit, but this donut was insane! I literally don’t have a picture because it mysteriously disappeared before I could snap a picture. In the words of Buzz McAllister if I wanted a picture “somebody would have to barf it up because it was gone.” That quote was funny for Home Alone fans and gross for everybody else
New York Landmarks:
Central Park: This famous park is NOT at all what you expect or see in the movies. It is the largest “park” I have ever been to in my life. It is packed with so much to do and so much to see. From an ice skating rink and a zoo to little shops and restaurants, you could literally spend an entire day here. Each trip to NYC I block at least 2-3 hours to just walk around and take in all of the things. I love grabbing a cup of coffee and just walking 5-6 miles through the park. There are plenty of sidewalks, trails, and even dedicated running and biking lanes in the park. It feels very iconic and you will be blown away by the things you see, hear, and experience. I have witnessed weddings in Central Park, countless family photo shoots, and even filming of TV show and movies. Located within walking distance of Time Square this is a fun place to spend a morning or afternoon.
9/11 Museum and Ground Zero: This is honestly difficult to write about. It’s hard to put into words the emotions that sweep over you when you step foot in this part of the city. The speed and sounds of the city completely shift. A peaceful, quiet, compassionate vibe can be felt in the air. I found myself taking very, very few pictures at the museum, ground zero and Freedom tower because it just didn’t feel right. It felt like a place to remember and honor. The museum is heavy and hard to take in, but I feel appreciation for the opportunity to visit. It is extremely well done and I do recommend, but maybe not for young kids. The realness of something so tragic, that doesn’t feel like it should be reality, could be hard for children. It is a subway ride away from other popular parts of the city, but certainly worth it.
Theater:
This is my absolute favorite park of New York. Every single time you visit there are no less than 50 show to pick from and every single one brings a unique level of entertainment. I LOVE ticketed events like musicals, plays, and concerts, so to have access to high-quality performances is my main reason for picking New York time after time. I have bought very proactive tickets for shows, entered the lottery for shows, and done super last minute tickets. These options range in prices with buying advance tickets being the highest price.
If you know you really, really want to see a specific show and you want a great seat I do recommend buying advanced tickets and paying the premium for an amazing experience. I have found that proactive ticket buying is easiest and most cost effective on Telecharge. This website DOES offer some discounts in the “Deals” tab of their page and then navigating to “Broadway Discounts” Look for “purple seats” to save some money and see an awesome show.
If buying tickets a few days in advance I have found that Today’s Tix is a great spot! Look for their “Hot Deals” section on their website to save some serious cash! This is a really fun way to see a show on a whim. You aren’t always going to find “perfect” seats or the most popular shows, but I have seen some of my most favorite Broadway shows of all time by purchasing tickets 1-2 days before. And the best part is, I had never even heard of some of my favorites until I purchased these last minute tickets.
If feeling lucky you can always enter the lottery for show tickets. This is exactly what it sounds like. You put your “name into a hat” via a website and they randomly draw names. You find out about 24 hours before the show if you snagged the tickets. Broadway Direct is the lottery that I have entered in the past. I have personally never won using this hack, but I have friends who have saved thousands of dollars over the years by winning tickets.
Here are 3 shows I saw on my most recent trip and my AGenta Rating Scales
Water For Elephants – A musical mixture of a Vegas show like Cirque du Soleil and The Greatest Showman.
AGenta Rating:
Music: 1/5- I don’t recall a single song that I wanted to download or look up after the show
Storyline: 3/5- a man has flashbacks of his time working for the circus
Entertainment: 4/5- my jaw was on the floor a number of times with the amazing acrobatics
Overall: 3/5- a solid musical that made me laugh and say “wow”
Appropriate – A very dramatic and surprisingly funny (at times) play starring actress Sarah Paulson
AGenta Rating:
Music: N/A (it’s a play)
Storyline: 4/5- unpacks some very deeply rooted family drama and prejudice
Entertainment: 4/5- when the curtain went up after Act 1 I was shocked by how entranced I was and when the curtain went down at the end I was mind blown
Overall: 4/5- Sarah Paulson knocked this out of the park and I can’t stop unplaying the final dramatic scene in my head
Titanique – An off-broadway silly, comedy that feels like Second City, SNL, drag show, and low budget Celine Dion concert smashed together
AGenta Rating:
Music: 5/5- every single song is from Celine Dion. If you like her music you won’t be able to resist taping your toes and singing along
Storyline: 2/5- an absolute wacky storyline that combines Titanic, made up history, and improv
Entertainment: 5/5- I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face. So many insides jokes and pop culture references.
Overall: 4/5- I actually can’t believe how much I enjoyed this. I’m almost embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this.
And there you have it my teacher, travel friends.
The ultimate guide to New York City.
If you still have questions about teacher travel to NYC, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
Find me on all socials: @MonicaGentaEd
Happy Travels!
PS– If you need a new suitcase for your trip, here is my highly recommend