Twelve reasons why I love New York City

I spent a week in New York City for my 18th birthday and quickly assimilated to the hustle and bustle of American city life. I stayed in the Wellington Hotel, located just next to Central Park on Seventh Avenue and spent the week doing everything and anything but shopping. I became a serious tourist, climbing the Empire State Building, watching the street performers in Central Park, drinking coffee in Times Square and checking out the hotspots such as Madison Square Gardens, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge and the Chrysler Building. Considering the vast transport links, most of the city was walkable (minus a cab ride to and from JFK airport) and for a city that never sleeps, it sure did make me feel at home. Here are twelve reasons why I fell in love with NYC.

• The subway is easier, quicker and cheaper than the London Underground (plus it runs 24/7).
• When you order dinner, they give you enough to feed yourself, six families, a herd of lions and an entire village. Nothing beats value for money, especially when it comes to copious amounts of food. 
• It is impossible to get lost. As one of the newest cities in the world, New York was drawn up so a young child could find their way home. A grid of horizontal and vertical lines, filled with blocks of houses and iconic landmarks in between, the city is perfectly planned for a tourist.
• It is home to one of the most iconic and impressive skylines in the world. The view from the top of the Empire State building is otherworldly (though beware of the birds, they get altitude sickness up there).
• You could go to a different pub every night of the year and never have to go to the same one twice.
• It is the one place that perfectly mirrors how it is portrayed in the movies. Nobody sleeps, yellow cabs flood the roads and you are guaranteed to hear a local ask for cawfee (coffee).
• You can travel the world without leaving the city as you fill your tummies with food from every nation on the planet (If you get a chance, head to Juniors, they do the yummiest food).
• There is a birth in New York City every 4.4 minutes. This lack of space ‘promotes a creatively wilful ignorance’. Anything is acceptable in the streets of New York, whether it be dancing to no music, dressing like a clown, or moving your sofa single-handed across a main road. The weird and wonderful is embraced by New Yorkers, with no judgement.
• The city really does never sleep; meaning middle of the night cravings can always be satisfied.
• It is the home of Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl.
• The city is filled with history. Even outside of the various museums, there is history in every direction, from the Statue of Liberty to the peaceful memorial of 9/11 (known as Ground Zero).
• There is always something happening and regardless of your budget, you can still have an incredible time.