When it comes to shopping and exploring, New York City has so much to offer.
I had never been to the Big Apple before so I was looking forward to seeing if it lived up to the hype.
So many of my friends and family had visited the city over the years and had come back gushing over how incredible it was.
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My partner Elly and I had five days to take in as much of this vast Empire State as possible.
With the city being so huge (it is bigger than the country Greece) we set about making an itinerary which would see us taking in all of the well-known sites, some shopping and of course a Broadway show.
We got an Aer Lingus flight which took off from Dublin in the afternoon which was ideal for us as with the time difference we would get to our hotel, smack bang in the middle of Times Square, at about 8pm American Time.
The Hilton Hotel was a great place to be based and the Christmas decorations which adorned the city made it even more magical while taking in the sights in December.
Despite saying we would take it easy and have an early night once we arrived, the bright lights of Times Square were calling so we dumped our suitcases in our room and set off to explore what was on our doorstep.
Times Square sent us into complete sensory overload, between break dancers doing summersaults along the pavement to the large fluorescent screens which lit up the night sky, we didn’t know where to look.
As well as Times Square we also walked up to Saks Fifth Avenue for the Christmas light show and the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree and Ice rink, an iconic sight which most of us will have seen in movies growing up like Home Alone.
The next few days saw us clocking up close to 30,000 steps a day as we explored some of the 843 acres of Central Park, Brooklyn, the Upper West Side and Staten Island (pit stopping for some famous New York Pizza).
When we walked to Central Park, which was a 20 minute stroll from our hotel, we soon came to realise just how vast the iconic park is.
We walked across the victorian-era Bow Bridge, which is one of the most photographed features as well as one of the most romantic, and we stopped for a break to watch people ice skating on the seasonal rink which was located on the east side of the park close to Central Park Zoo.
We watched both professionals and novices navigate the ice with the backdrop of towering skyscrapers as we sipped on some delicious hot chocolates from the rink side coffee shop.
One of our favourite things to do while in the city was to walk across Brooklyn Bridge in the late evening, it was truly breath-taking after dark with the lights of the city in the background.
Another thing which we did during our stay was take in one of the many shows on Broadway.
A boulevard full of famous theatres where visitors from all over the world gather to watch top musicals of the season, Broadway is without a doubt a must see when visiting the city.
We went to see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre on West 51st Street.
Starring Brittney Johnson as Glinda and Talia Suskauer as Elphaba, the show was an incredible experience which at times made the hairs on the back of our necks stand up as the stars of the show belted out the high notes. From the performers' flawless vocals to the sublime production, we left the theatre wanting to see the show again.
A bit of advice for anyone wanting to take in a show would be to book it well in advance. All of the shows on Broadway are extremely popular and sell out quickly.
We got our tickets through The Broadway League online, the national trade association for the Broadway industry.
With tickets for Wicked starting at around $110, the 2 hour and 45 minute show is worth every penny.
And when it comes to shopping in New York, there are so many good offers to be had.
That’s why traditionally, so many Irish hop on a plane to the Big Apple, for the new year sales.
The shopping sprees are back after the pandemic – despite, or perhaps because of, the cost-of-living squeeze.
With cheaper flights and prices slashed, it’s a canny way of combining a holiday abroad with long-term savings.
In 2019, more than 30,000 people jetted to New York during the Christmas and New Year period.
New York City has an abundance of amazing shops to choose from but for me, the iconic Macy’s store on 34th Street was worth the trip in itself.
It’s America’s largest department store and covers an entire city block with 11 levels of the latest fashions, toys and homeware.
I spent four hours here, picking up presents including designer tops and runners which had between 20% and 50% off the price.
I bought my son a red Ralph Lauren jumper for $29, down from $59 and an Epic Threads jacket which was a bargain at just $18.40, more than half its original price of $46.
I also picked up some Christmas decorations which were marked down more than half price at just $6.
On my third day in the city, I booked a return bus trip to the famous shopping outlet of Woodbury Common, an hour or so away from the pick-up point in Times Square.
Similar to Kildare Village in Ireland, Woodbury Common has 220 high-end stores including designer brands like Gucci and Michael Kors, spread out over 845,000 square feet.
It also has other great brand shops including Nike, Adidas and American Eagle.
One thing I would suggest is that if you only have one day to shop, make sure to get the Woodbury Common map so you can mark off what shops you want to make time for as the hours quickly pass you by as you browse.
Another thing I would suggest is picking up some outlet coupons at the information desk on your way in, they will save you even more on the already reduced prices.
Also check out the special in-store promotions on the official website as it will see you getting further reductions on sought after items.
I managed to pick my son up some fab converse runners for just $22 after all the deductions were taken.
And when it came to toys and games, I tracked down some Pokemon cards he really wanted to get his hands on which are currently sold out in Ireland.
He had been trying to get the Pokemon Ultra Premium Charizard Collection which was out of stock in Smyths Toystore in Ireland.
Woodbury common is just one outlet in New York that is worth venturing too with more then 10 others located within driving distance from the city.
One New Yorker I spoke to said the Tanger Outlet at Foxwoods, a two hour drive away in Connecticut, had the greatest bargains to be had.
She said it was a local secret where tourists don’t tend to go and offers even bigger savings than Westbury common.
Wherever you are go to shop in New York you will be making huge savings compared to back home and have the magical seasonal sights to take in at the same time.
We flew with Aer Lingus who currently have some great deals on flights to New York in their January sale which runs until January 16th.
They have all their latest deals, including return flights to North america starting at €179 each way, over at www.aerlingus.com
The Hilton Times Square, which is smack bang in the middle of the action, has King City View Rooms from €280 a night, including city taxes during mid-week in early January.
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