Aaron, welcome to the Big Apple.
It’s a bit different than Green Bay. For starters, the population of New York City is roughly 8.36 million people larger, so you might blend in a bit more. And this New Yorker—who grew up 100 miles outside NYC, to be exact, and who spent plenty of time in the five boroughs—has a few pieces of advice before getting into where to be and what to do before training camp.
For starters, avoid Times Square. It’s a disaster. Go there and it’s a certainty you’ll run into grown men dressed as half-baked Elmos and some grown men not dressed at all, holding guitars. It’s the tourist trap of all tourist traps.
Oh, and don’t waste your time learning the subway lines. You’re going to be in and around the city for only a few years, and it might take you all that time just to figure it out. Just get in a cab and pray.
Lastly, don’t go to Staten Island. It’s Staten Island. Enough said.
Alright, we’ve established what not to do. Now let’s get to the fun part.
So let’s start with taking a day and seeing the touchstones of New York, and then run down a list of bullet points about what you need to do.
A day in NYC
Of course, what makes New York so special is the variety. You can get any cuisine at any time. You can see any type of show. You can see history. And since you’re such a man of culture, let’s start there.
Take a weekday morning to avoid the masses and hit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Get up early. Give yourself time. It’s cliché, but it’s incredible.
From there, walk alongside the Fifth Avenue side of Central Park. Fun fact: All of the waterways in the park are man-made. They can be turned off any time. It’s an absurdly beautiful walk with all the flowers and trees in full bloom.
Once you emerge from the park at Fifth and 59th Street, head toward the water. You’ll see Trump Tower on your left and Rockefeller Center on your right. Make a mental note to go back around Christmas. The tree is awesome.
Once you hit 34th Street, you’ll take in the Empire State Building. Don’t waste your time going to the top. Just marvel and keep rolling. Go another dozen blocks as you stroll through Madison Square Park and check out the Flatiron Building. It’s an incredible piece of architecture.
As for lunch, don’t waste much time. Look for any pizza cart selling by the slice, fold that bad boy in half and eat while you walk. It’s the correct lifestyle.
So far, you’ve walked for an hour. Now for the second hour.
From the Flatiron, Battery Park is a bit further down Fifth Avenue, before a jaunt through Washington Square Park. Come out of there, and it’s Broadway. You’re going to walk to the lower tip of Manhattan, right through the Financial District. Take a moment to see the World Trade Center Memorial.
Finally, the Battery. It’s full of history and character. There’s the World War II East Coast Memorial. There’s also Castle Clinton, a place known for getting Statue of Liberty tickets. In reality, it was built for defense in the War of 1812. It’s phenomenal.
At this point, you have options. Buy a ticket, hop on the ferry and check out Lady Liberty and Ellis Island, go find a place to eat or do both.
Regardless, going to eat won’t be a problem. This isn’t Green Bay. You aren’t going to Culver’s.
Find time to ...
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Hit a few ballgames. Yankee Stadium and Citi Field don’t have much around them, but they’re quality parks. I’d tell you to wait until the U.S. Open comes to Flushing, but that’s late August and you’ll be busy with other things.
As we’ve already seen, you enjoy catching a game. Immediately after being traded to the Jets in late April, you were taking in playoff games at Madison Square Garden for both the Rangers and Knicks. Smart move. Nobody there cares about famous people. They’re as prevalent as 10-pound rats in Manhattan.
It’s a spectacle everywhere else. In New York, that’s Tuesday.
Eat. Then eat some more. Forget the high-scale joints where a side of mashed potatoes is a car payment. Hit Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood and grab a slice at Roberta’s. It’s worth the trip, whether it’s a long walk or an Uber ride over.
Want the authentic New York experience? Find a deli. That’s right, we’re still talking about food. G & R Deli in the Bronx is a staple. It’s an old-school Italian eatery. The essence of what the city is.
Visit Chelsea. One of the coolest parts of Manhattan. Whether it’s experiencing the Piers, hitting Little Island or walking on the High Line, there’s a great vibe to the area. It’s a nice spot to kill some time.
Get away from it all. Go to the Catskill Mountains for a weekend and visit the beautiful, quaint towns up there such as Livingston Manor and Roscoe. It’s less than a two-hour drive.
Go to the Hamptons and enjoy the beaches of Long Island while spending a small fortune across 48 hours. Take a trip to Hoboken and see the suburb where Frank Sinatra grew up. New York City is amazing, but it’s overwhelming. Get out and unwind a bit.
All right, Aaron. That ought to keep you busy between studying a new playbook, staying in shape and fulfilling your undoubtedly busy calendar.
Enjoy New York now, because once the season starts, nobody will want to hear about relaxing if things start slow.
After all, this isn’t Green Bay anymore.
