Navigating New York with Map in Hand

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Once you have vacationed in New York, you will realize that all the clichés about the city are true.  It is a city that never sleeps; a city with surprises in every nook and cranny; and a city where dreams are made.  It is also a city where you can get lost, both figuratively and literally speaking. 

Now, this is where maps of New York City will definitely come in handy.  Unless, of course, you have every intention to explore the city where your feet will take you, then say goodbye to New York maps.  Just don't forget the address of your accommodation in New York because as sure as you can find a yellow cab in New York, the taxi drivers will take you wherever and whenever you want to in the city.  Make sure to book said holiday apartment in advance, preferably through an online reservation site. 

If you wish to wander around New York with a map in tow - discreetly hidden, of course, because you want to be a New Yorker even for just a day - you can take the route suggested by the map.  Again, just try to go where your feet take you and divert from the route if you'd like to explore. 

Start the day with a cream cheese and lox bagel followed by strong espresso to really wake up the senses.  Then, you must head on over to the American Museum of Natural History for a quick tour of the exhibits.  Stay a little while longer to gape but remember that New York awaits you.

You may choose to spend the day in Central Park complete with a picnic and just take in the ambience of the green urban oasis set right smack in the center of the concrete jungle.  You may also need another map for this activity as Central Park is huge in itself.

We will understand if you want to take your lunch at the Whole Foods Market where just about culinary delight can be found.  Buy your tickets for a night of jazz at the Lincoln Center, just in case you want your night to end in a most relaxing manner later on.

The afternoons are the best times to do your shopping.  Head on to Times Square, Herald Square and Union Square, all of which offer just about every product associated with being a New Yorker.  And we do mean almost everything considering that the Big Apple is a big ethnic melting pot.  No, you need not bring a map with you as shopping in New York is all about following where your pocket and credit cards lead you.

In the evening, go to a nightclub for you to enjoy the New York party, opera or bar you liked during your wanderings around this big city, take note of it on your map and cross your fingers the big man at the door lets you into the most happening place in the brightly-lit city.  Enjoy your night and then go home to your holiday apartment.  Tomorrow is another day in New York.  And you can make it more exciting, too, by mapping another route on your map.

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