The Bookish Travel Guide: New York City

New York City. The City that Never Sleeps. The Big Apple.

Last year (June 2018) I was finally able to cross New York off my travel bucketlist. I saw the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, The Book of Mormon (Broadway!!!), and so much more. As a book nerd, however, I had to “bookify” my trip a little.

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Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series is one of my favorite children’s books. I first read the series during elementary/middle school, and it remains one of my favorites to this day. You can imagine my excitement when I got to visit the Empire State building. Although I wasn’t allowed to enter Olympus, the view was still amazing.

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I never realized how big Central Park was until I got there. The city noise seemed to fade away, and I spent the day exploring as much as I could. One of my favorite statues was the Alice in Wonderland dedication that I stumbled across. It was even better when my sister and I realized that little kids were using the giant mushrooms as a “secret hideout.” They reminded us of our childhood games of secret worlds hidden in plain sight.

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Words cannot describe my state of awe when I stepped into the New York Public Library. It was huge! I could have spent the whole day there. From the architecture to the book collections to the featured galleries, the library was beautiful. I instantly fell in love with the sky painted ceilings. It took a lot of effort on my family’s part to get me to leave for dinner.

My trip to New York may have been my first, but it was definitely not my last. I hope to go back soon and explore more of the city. Who knows? I might just bump into a Shadowhunter next.

What are your favorite spots in New York City?