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traveltofrance · 4 years

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Travel to France

Before you go to France, use this comprehensive online France travel guide to find out all the basics about customs requirements, the culture, weather, currency and more. Also, get tips on when to go and where to go in France.

About France Travel

France is a diverse and rich nation, filled with destinations to suit every taste. The French, while often stereotyped as rude or snobbish, is actually a proud but friendly people. The key is to understand cultural differences. The food in France is among the finest in the world, and it is the largest wine-producing nation in the world.

The French value cuisine, arts, culture, and history. Each region has its own flair and uniqueness. You are about to embark on an enticing adventure, but there are certain details and rules you should know before you go.

How To Get In

All foreign visitors must have a passport. (If you don't have a current passport, start this process as early as possible. Glitches, like a missing birth certificate, can drag this out.) Americans planning to visit for 90 days or longer, or those who plan to study in France, must get a long-stay visa.

Where To Go

Think of France, and most people automatically think of Paris. But there is much more to this country, whether it be the robust stews and beer of the Alsace or the laid-back attitude and sunny beaches of the Riviera and Monaco. There are many other underrated but wonderful cities, as well as unique spa resorts and villages and lovely beaches all around the coastline from the north to the border with Italy.

France is divided into regions, and I would recommend you read up about the distinct personalities of each before deciding on a destination.

Getting There

Most major U.S. airports fly to Paris, some going non-stop, and Roissy-Charles de Gaulle in Paris is the most popular airport in France. Some airlines also fly into other major French cities, such as Lyon and Strasbourg. It takes around 7 hours to get to France from the East Coast.

Getting Around In France

There are many economical and handy ways to get around France. You need to examine where you will be going and how flexible you are.

If you plan to visit villages not accessible by train, a rental car is ideal. The French drive on the same side of the road as Americans, but there are some differences. While traffic lights are commonplace in the States, many intersections in France are traffic circles instead. These are actually much more efficient but might take getting used to. Also, it becomes far more crucial to have good maps if you will rent a car. (Try asking for directions in a foreign language. Not pretty.) Check out the advantages of long term Renault Eurodrive Buy Back Car Leasing.

If you are visiting cities with train stations, rail is convenient and can be inexpensive. The key is to determine whether you will just buy point-to-point tickets (preferable if you will be taking few trips or short trips), European rail passes (if you plan to go country to country) or a France Rail Pass (if you will travel often and long distances, all on one country).

If you plan to visit French cities that are far apart (say Strasbourg and Carcassonne), you might want to check into flying within the country. It's relatively cheap and can save you hours of train travel.

Train Travel

In addition, many cities also have their own transportation system (such as Paris' metro). Even many smaller villages have a bus system. France's transportation system is much more extensive than that of the U.S. Check with the city or region's tourism office.

Next: When to go, Cultural differences, Official holidays and French language

When To Go

Deciding when to go depends on both your temperament and that of France. Climates and the popularity of a region depend heavily on the time of year and vary dramatically from one region to the next.

The North of France is at its busiest in late spring and early summer. The weather is best, but the attractions are packed and the prices are the highest. Also, you might want to avoid the North in August, when most of the natives are on vacation in the South. If swarms of tourists aren't your thing, fall is a wonderful time to visit the north. While you are sure to have a few overcast, windy, rainy days to contend with, things are still very happening this time of year. Winter can be blustery, but there are keen benefits then as well, such as ice skating in Paris or Christmas Markets in Alsace. See Christmas In France.

The South of France is attractive almost any time of year. But remember that it is jammed in August. In May, the Cannes Film Festival packs that city and those nearby, visit city of Nice or the Monaco city-state. Even in fall, sometimes you can dip your toes in the Mediterranean. Don't be fooled, though. Provencal winters can be unexpectedly chilly. Find out more with the France Travel Monthly Calendar.

What Time/Day Is It?

France is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, and five hours ahead of New York City. The country does honor daylight savings time, so during that time, it is one more hour ahead, or six hours later than in New York. The French also celebrate several holidays, and visiting during this time can result in some good things (festivals abound and many museums and restaurants remain open) and bad things (most businesses and shops are closed). These are the holidays in 2017:

January 1 - New Year's Day

April 16/17 - Easter Sunday/Monday - Pâques

May 1 - Labor Day - Fête du Travail

May 8 - Victory in Europe Day 1945 - Fête de la Victoire 1945 (marks the end of WWII)

May 25 - Ascension

June 4/June 5 - Whit Sunday/Pentecôte

July 14 - Bastille Day - Fête Nationale

August 15 - Assumption Day - Assomption

November 1 - All Saints Day - La Toussaint

November 11 - Armistice Day (End of WWI) - Le 11 Novembre

December 25 - Christmas Day - Noël

How To Communicate

If at all possible, it is very helpful to at least learn a few basic phrases, especially ones you will use often (such as transportation and menu terms, etc.). Although the French are taught English in grade school, some do not know much English (what do YOU recall from high school Spanish, after all?). They also are more likely to reveal their ability to speak English if you at least make an attempt to speak their language first.

How To Blend In

Many times, people presume the French are being rude when it's actually just due to cultural differences. The French, for instance, always greet each other before speaking. So if you run-up to a French person looking for directions by saying, "How do you get to the Eiffel Tower?" you have just been rude by French standards. Acquaint yourself with French Culture.

Next: Euros; What to Pack; How to plug it in; Calling home and Extra Tips and information

How Much Is That?

In France, the euro is the local currency. This involves a little less math than the previous franc (although I still miss the colorful franc with interesting themes such as "La Petite Prince"). When the euro is more valuable than the dollar, just round up a little (such as, you spend 8 euros and estimate $10 in your head just to be conservative).

Even those who know a little French language may have trouble understanding shop keepers who recite prices. When you ask "Combien?" (How much?), keep a small pad handy so shop keepers can write the amount down.

What To Pack

What to pack for your French trip depends heavily on which region you will visit, where you will stay and how mobile you will need to be while visiting.

If you will be traveling all over the country, hopping the train from one destination to another, pack light. A rolling backpack is great for this, by allowing you to choose between rolling it along or popping it onto your back. If you will, say, fly into Paris and stay in one luxury hotel the entire time, you can be more flexible and pack heavier.

Don't presume you can just find it in France if you need it, however. Good English-language maps or guide books can be tough to find, and it is challenging even in a big city to get an adaptor plug designed to convert an American appliance into the French plugs. (Think about it. They have plenty that allows French appliances to be plugged in while in America because most of the shoppers IN France need that). To be sure you don't have packing regrets, check out this list of the Free France Travel Packing Checklist or these tips for packing light.

How To Plug It In

If you want to use American appliances in France, you will need an adaptor and a converter. The adaptor allows you to plug it into the wall, while a converter changes the electrical current to the French standard. For example, if you have a hairdryer that allows you to change the electrical current, you would only need the adaptor. What some visitors fail to realize is that phone plugs also need adaptors, and without them, you will not be able to connect your laptop. Be sure you also get a telephone adaptor if you plan to take a laptop.

How To Call & E-mail Home

Placing a call home from France involves certain knowledge, but once you get the hang of it, it is surprisingly affordable and relatively easy. But first, you must know the basics. For one thing, most French payphones do not take change, but instead, use "telecasts." These can be purchased at many spots, such as tobacco and convenience stores, for a few euros. You slide the card into the slot on the phone, wait for the prompt on the display, and then enter the phone number (starting with the country code, such as "1" for the U.S.). The display will show how many units you have remaining. Calling on off-hours will eat far fewer units. You can take advantage of time differences by, for instance, calling later in the night when it is late afternoon or early evening in the States.

How To Get Stuff Home

Dreaming of lugging cases of delectable French wine home with you? Think again, unless you want to pay. The U.S. government offers the following restrictions:

Most visitors are allowed to bring back $800 of French goodies without paying duty.

The duty includes up to 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars.

One liter of alcohol is also included in duty-free.

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amortm · 5 years

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* 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐔𝐏 , pretty kitties ! i'm terribly sorry abt my absence on the dash alongside you angels , & trust that i’m fully embarrassed of my slow ass , but i finally typed this baby out , & i can’t wait for y’all to meet my love , 𝒋𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 !

* ╰ it’s an absolute dishonour to meet you , julianna / jules . at twenty - one , you’ve disgraced the peralta family name & failed to carry on their legacy as an elite . as a result , they’ve requested that we at the academy do our best to rid you of your venality , & seeing as though they’re worth 86m , we dutifully obliged . while your pleonastic & inexorable attributes have always promised failure , it’s your spar with pride & ghosting your breakout acting role after you found out your daddy secured it for you that got you committed . before we take possession of you , it’s imperative that we know that you are a cisfem who prefers she & her pronouns , & you resemble diana silvers . your birthday is on april 26th , making you a recalcitrant taurus , & you were transported to us all the way from vail , co . at the present time , you work off campus at seaside florist . go ahead & purchase that extra large suitcase , disgrace . you’re going to need it .

your name / age / pronouns / timezone / etc .

hiya loves ! i go by blue & she / her pronouns , i’m 9teen , & i’m a pst baby ! i’m one of the six lovely admins @ #unholy , & they’re all superstars , so imagine my daily awe ! anyway , i’m beyond excited to finally get the ball rolling , & share the dash with you babes !

muse inspo .

noora sætre , the goldfinch , ella of frell , neil perry , charlie dalton , claire saffitz , monica geller , carla lalli music , mia thermopolis , adam parrish , blue sargent , anna ou !

character details :

💐 : sweetly judgmental , adoringly vindictive / vindictively adoring , witty ‘n gritty , bitingly tender , expressively stubborn , softly feral !

😈 : hershey’s chocolate , brooklyn pizza , baguettes , collector edition copies of wuthering heights , selfies , her mom , richard siken anthologies , twilight ( #teamedward ) , crowded movie theaters , english gardens , the air in new york , the air in vail , snowboarding , her hair , hot chocolate ( no whipped cream , half a bag of mini marshmallows dumped atop ) , andrew garfield , her discover weekly playlist , german shepherds , harry potter , lord of the rings , comedies , horror movies , nude lipstick , chocolate chip toffee cookies with sea salt drizzled on top , mamma mia franchise , dissertations , driving , any typa jacket / coat , being the big spoon , her father , coca cola , lilies , disney t - shirts , her father’s films , take out , farms , italy ( every single crevice of it ) , the plaza hotel , mint chip ice cream , hats , trains , monthly horoscopes , ancient history , greenwich village , maggie rogers , mating ritual , vampire weekend , mitski , the wombats , magic bronson , jade bird , hockey , pretending to be a fairy / witch / mermaid as a child , naruto , avatar the last airbender , stepping over state / country lines , hot water with honey , amazon prime !

👿 : the marvel franchise except for the captain america & thor trilogies , coffee & tea , shorts , sweet potatoes , layovers of any length , socks , soy milk , her arms , chihuahuas , a song of fire & ice novels , super fudgy / rich cake & brownies , cooking for herself , being told what to do , being wrong & having everyone know it , people who are rude to employees , bad tipping , margaret atwood , her first grade teacher , plastic coke bottles , too much pepper in a dish !

upbringing & family life , life before the academy , etc .

julianna rachel peralta was born to a beauty - charmed family of three , with a new yorker mother & italian father birthing the healthiest & happiest girl parents can dream for . her mother , susanna ‘ susie ’ peters , was coined the model that pioneered 90′s fashion , a la kate moss , & met julianna’s father , elio peralta ( think the francis ford coppola of this verse ) , whilst she was briefly on set for jack to see friend fran drescher . their love stemmed from there , after she made a mocking comment & he overhead & mocked her in return for it , & the whirlwind romance that captivated their world for the next few years led to miss jules being born . neither of her parents desired marriage from each other , rather believing that their love knew no bounds , even those of matrimony , but never did it dim the bond held between the small family of three . once jules was in their arms , they relocated from new york to colorado , into the quaint town of vail , surrounded by pristine mountains & crystalline air , where susie & elio found a pocket of indisputable peace after a small winter trip in their first year of romance .

it was there that jules grew up , & there that the love of her parents faltered . her mother missed the world of fashion , the rhythms & rhymes of the space she knew as well as in maintaining the fame that spotlighted her so , while elio’s passions for turning out film after film dwindled . & when the offer from vogue came in , waxing poetic about a fresh position as a fashion editor , both she & elio knew that their paths would veer . their love was no less , but integral factors of their relationship were now fractured , & they each desired after different things . this was all said to julianna , in soft tones & with assuring words . yet , never was it promised that everything would be the same as it was , for the truth was in something unsaid . susie moved to new york , while elio & jules stayed in that mansion in the mountains , & all was as fair & well as it could be , with julianna staying with her mom during the fall season & discovering every little piece of italy in the summers . christmases & hanukkahs were always shared in vail , & susie tagged along european dives when her schedule allowed for it . it was as if their relationship & subsequent uncoupling were trivial details no one could bother to account for , until , in the worst spot she’s ever seen her mother , it came out that elio peralta found a new woman to share a life with , & that their new life together would be housed in the same home that susie & elio specially chose & , in emotional terms , truly built themselves & carved their family in its foundations . it was a betrayal of the deepest caliber , & from there the small peace that still was at the core of their little family was forever severed , & it became obvious to jules that those few years were lucky .

she was thirteen when famed actress lily taylor ( aka jennifer connely lmao ) moved into her family home , bringing her adopted eleven - year - old twins with her . in a sense of loyalty to her mother & her own hurt over the despair that her father caused their original trio , jules was heartily & positively prepared to hate the new additions to her family with a vindictive fidelity . her plan was promptly overturned , however , when she spent day upon day with her new fam & steadily allowed them into her heart . this , of course , was paired with doubtless guilt , spurred on by her own mind whenever she flew to nyc to see her mother , but soon enough this was caught by each of her parents , & susie was insistent in her assurance that whatever frigidness she still held for elio & his new beau ( which julianna didn’t bother to correct with wife ) , it in no way extends nor should be mimicked by her . elio , in turn , was quick to promise to jules that his love for her mother flamed in his heart to this day , but each of them are happier living their lives in the lifestyles they’ve chosen , with the people they’ve chosen .

there really wasn’t anything to do but swallow their words , & live by the sentiments they expressed . jules was both a mama’s & daddy’s girl in one , so to take their words as fact was an ignorance she allowed herself , even when the hurt look on her mother’s faced inevitably shone through in hidden moments .

but when jules turned seventeen , susie fell in love with a musician / designer named tommy lever she met while interviewing his collection for vogue , & the two fell deep , far enough to sway susie into moving to brazil during the spring season , away from her beloved manhattan loft , to be with him in his home ( the link is crucial to his characterization lmao , as lenny kravitz is essentially tommy lever ) . when she can , jules visits as often as she’s allowed ( always ) & has gained a room herself .

after that , however , the cycle between her various homes continued , well into her slipping teendom , & when the prospect of college crunched down on her , the choice seemed inevitable . nyu gained a classics & theater major for its class of 2019 ( she skipped the third grade , a fact she didn’t stop bragging about at that age ) , but in her senior year of university , the walls came crashing down .

what sin are they categorized under ? why ?

jules belongs to the sin of #pride through & through . after all , if there was one damning trait to send her straight into the pits of burning infernos , her prideful sense of self would be it . that’s not to say she’s arrogant ( nor am i saying she isn’t ) , but it’s more that she can’t take being undermined or allow the supposed undermining to go unpunished . she has a great deal of #pride in her own self worth & capabilities , though she’s usually loathe to make it known in plain terms , & if she feels attacked in that manner , she’ll completely close up . this often , as you’ll surely be able to tell , beckons problematic shit .

what got them sent to the academy ?

during jules’ senior year at nyu , she was contacted by her agent ( shared with her father ) & offered an audition for a leading role in a major hollywood studio film . throughout the years , she dabbled in theater & attracted a starring role or two along the way , especially in school productions , but the plan for success was always envisioned after college . when she got the call , however , she handled it with a happy - go - lucky fuck it sort of approach , & a week later , when she received the good - bearing call , there was no backing out , or so she thought . tentatively dropping out of the semester in which she would graduate , jules modeled the next few months of her life around the film , happily doing so .

yet , the first week into rehearsals brought down a cloud so dark she thought she’d choke under it . she overheard a few producers on their lunch break , talking about this - & - that - esque bullshit , but just as she was passing , one of them made a comment about the peralta girl , & how hollywood legacies are the roaches of the industry . how directors from the middle ages should just stick to ruining things behind the camera , not forcing a disaster in front of it .

that day , jules walked out of set & never took a step back in . effectively ruining her future career in the process , she ghosted all contact from the production & even went as far to jet off to brazil to regenerate with her mom as an escape . she couldn’t even pick up where she left off during the semester , & simply had to sit back & witness her classmates of four years graduate without her . her parents were furious , but the only thing she gave in return was a steely silence , refusing even turn a glare to her father . now , she’s been shoved into the hands of the academy , biding the days until she could return to nyu in the fall .

what do you think they’ll struggle with the most at the academy ?

tbh , the biggest issue for jules is the resentment curling at her core . at her father , the film , the academy , herself . right now she’s just in a foul mood & sick at being forced into glitterati rehab , but her #pride won’t allow her to fail , even if she wishes to do it just to spite everyone . she is a people person , however , & will almost definitely warm up , even if it’s just for appearances sake .

extra details : links you’d like to incorporate , wanted connections , literally anything else you want to include , etc .

wanted connections will be coming soon ! for now , please enjoy this authentic video of jules chillin in her fav corner of the world , aka italia , taken by her bff eli 😔✌️

#unholyintro #icb how LATE my ass is w this gd intro #cue y'all throwing the torches and pitchforks @ me JDJKSDJSKDJDSKJDSDS #⋆ ╰ ` 𝒹𝒾𝒶𝓂ℴ𝓃𝒹 ╱ 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 ╱ 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 . : dev .

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simplerstudying · 5 years

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4 things I learned when applying for college

So for reference, I only applied to two (2) schools because I did early decision and early application and was lucky enough to get in to my top choice which was NYU. I also got into UMassAmherst which was the other school I applied to. I sort of fumbled my way through the whole USA college application process completely on my own because I go to school in England and my school knows fuck all about American applications. I also just applied this year (2018) so my experience is recent af - I’ll be starting my freshman year of college Fall 2019.

This is just a lil preface/disclaimer so you guys know that this is only from my personal experience and this is not an extensive list of things that can be helpful.

There are so many lists like this in the studyblr community so please! Look at a variety of them because everyone’s experience is different but still equally valid. I found these lists so helpful when I was applying and I thought that now I’ve done it myself, I should give some of my own tips from what I have learnt.

1. do not leave things to the last minute

I literally cannot stress this enough oh. my. god.

I was a procrastinating idiot and left everything to the very last minute (and I really do mean the last minute - I only just finished my UMassAmherst application in time). The essays especially can be really daunting and I think I just panicked a little bit with them so I kept on putting them off for as long as I possibly could. I promise you, once you start the essays they aren’t that bad. And if you’re smart and don’t leave them until the last moment, not only do you relieve some of the pressure of the application process, you also give yourself time to improve it and to show the colleges the very best version of you.

2. if you can, visit colleges

Obviously this might not be a doable thing for many people, but if you have the opportunity to visit colleges, take it. I was really lucky that my family was able to fly to America and do a college tour as a sort of family holiday, but I 100% recognise that not everyone is able to do that.

When I went, I visited eight (8) in total: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, UChicago, William & Mary, and UVA. The reason why I valued this trip so much in particular is because of Columbia and NYU.

Before going on this trip I thought I’d love Columbia and hate NYU. For me, the idea of a closed campus was a very big thing that I wanted as part of my college experience and in general, I knew more about Columbia than I did about NYU.

What ended up happening (which you may have already guessed since I’m going to NYU) is that I hated Columbia and loved NYU - a complete switch from what I thought before. I went to Columbia and it immediately just didn’t feel like the right place for me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an incredible uni and a cool campus, but I just personally didn’t vibe with it at all. We were supposed to get a tour but ended up leaving before it started because I just knew that I would never want to spend a whole bunch of money and four (4) years of my life there. The next day we went to NYU which I was iffy about from the get go because it’s an open campus and a much bigger school so I just didn’t really think much of it. We weren’t able to get a tour because they had been all booked up the week we went but we got a map and a student drew out a route for us to take. I fell in love with this school so damn quick you have no idea haha. The entire feel of it just clicked with me and even though its an open campus, it still felt like you were on a campus and surrounded by students whilst also being a few steps away from the centre of Greenwich Village.

TL;DR - NYU went from barely being on my application list to being my top choice all because I visited it in person. If you can, visiting can change so much for you.

3. be honest in your application

Going into the application process I had a lot of anxiety over extracurriculars. Activities and extras are a very different thing in England. They aren’t as big of a deal when you’re applying to uni and in general, they aren’t pushed quite as much as they are in America. As a result, I was really worried that I wouldn’t have enough and that I wouldn’t get into uni because I don’t do a million and five after school clubs.

What I realised when I started the application is that a) you probably do a whole lot more than you realise, and b) there is no point in exaggerating or stretching the truth about what you do/don’t do.

On the CommonApp they give you 10 spaces for activities. I originally thought I’d only have 3 things - I ended up having 6. It isn’t just about what you do as clubs after school, it’s how you help out in general at your school, it’s what you do to expand on learning outside of school, and it can just be stuff you do for fun. I have squash lessons and let me tell you guys something - I suck at squash. I do it purely for fun but it was another thing I could put on my application because all that section is for really is to show the colleges what you do and how you expand yourself beyond your grades. You don’t have to be a star athlete or national level debate competitor - you just need to demonstrate that you do something other than lessons and trust me, everyone does something other than lessons whether they realise it or not.

Another thing that made me go shit i have done nothing with my life was the personal essay. I read so many example essays before writing my own and some of them probably did more harm than good. Not because they were bad, but because they were next level good. There were kids who helped teach refugee kids how to read, who had lived in 12 different countries and spoke a bajillion languages, who were champion chess players, and who had lived insane stories and lives that sounded like they belonged on an episode of Ellen. Now, if you are one of those people, a) congrats! you’ve lived a super dope life already and i’m jealous, and b) this does not apply to you.

If, like me and many others, you are not one of those people, don’t panic and write a fake super human story. It isn’t worth it and it won’t get you very far. Even if you don’t realise it, there is something that is interesting about you that you can write 600 words about that will give a better insight into who you are for colleges to see. I straight up wrote about my anxiety disorder and how I like to relax by snacking and watching NCIS. That is not a joke. I am serious, I wrote about binge watching TV and somehow still got into NYU (trust me, I’m confused too).

My point is, find something that you’re passionate about, something that is unique to your experience of life that others might not have, something that makes you think. If it’s provoking thought from you, it will provoke thought in the admissions officer.

4. try not to get hung up on one (1) school

I think a lot of people are guilty of this and I am going to go ahead and put myself in that same box. My heart got set on NYU pretty quickly after I visited, trolled the NYU website and watched every youtube video I could get my hands on. I was so fortunate that I got in because despite many efforts, I was totally obsessed with the idea of NYU and wanting to get in. If I hadn’t gotten in, I honestly think I might have had a breakdown and that isn’t an exaggeration. Even when I found out I got in, I still felt sick to my stomach for the entire night because of how unbelievably worried I was that I wouldn’t get in.

My point here is that I wish I hadn’t gotten to that point because there are so many universities out there and so many incredible ones and I think that you end up where you’re supposed to go - truly. I didn’t even think of NYU as a serious thing at first and now I’m going there. Your validity - both academically and personally - is not based on a college acceptance or a high GPA or a great personal essay. By getting hung up on a single school, if they don’t accept you, I think it can really hurt your confidence and it isn’t worth risking your own mental health because of one institution.

That ended up being waaayyy longer than I anticipated haha. I really hope this was helpful and gave a little insight into the process.

If anyone has any questions about anything - my college application, school in england, study tips, grades, my cats who i love to talk about - pls pls pls do ask me!

#studyblr #appblr #college applications #college #collegeblr #commonapp #studyspo #study community #studying #study #study tips #my post #my content #simplerstudying #mine #personal

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annabellckel · 4 years

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parc central residences developer

A friend of mine, I met in Chicago, who is visiting New York, just reiterated that very statement to me today. She said she had fallen in love with New York, and that she saw it as an impossibility of ever getting bored here. "There is SO much to do. Chicago is fun, but compact." New York's city spreads before a person for miles and within each of the miles there is more than enough to do in one week, even without visiting all of the iconic places known to tourists and New Yorkers alike.

Think about all the different places and things that can be done just to exercise, outside. Getting ready, for a half or full marathon--go to Central Park or Riverside Park or even walk the length of Manhattan. Walking the length of Manhattan might sound daunting, but when training for a marathon, my walking coach had me walk at least half the marathon within a week of the walk. Pick an avenue, favorite or one of the famous avenues to walk or mix it up and walk a little more than the 13 miles of Manhattan's length. My favorites to walk are Broadway and Avenue of the Americas (commonly known as Sixth Avenue) and Fifth Avenue. If you're a morning person and it is the spring time, start at the bottom of the island on Broadway, before the rush of all the people going into their various Wall St. jobs. Passing on your left will be the famous Bull, for the bull market. Keep going north through Wall St. and its various shopping conveniences, City Hall, along with its beautiful park, will come up on your right, how many times have you told your guests to visit City Hall. Looking just east is the Brooklyn Bridge, which could be a side track walking experience in itself. Imagine getting out onto the middle parc central residences showFlat on a beautiful day to see three of the five boroughs close at hand. It's amazing, plus all the other bridges. It's beautiful.

Continue up Broadway through Greenwich Village, the perfect spot for a mid-morning snack, although more prevalence on 6th Avenue, intriguing food spots along the way on Broadway will keep you salivating. At 14th Street there is a fork in the road and your choice of travelling up Park Avenue, but for me, I'd stick to Broadway. It depends on whether you want to see shops or grand houses. Continuing up Broadway you'll encounter the sometimes wild Union Square. There are always vendors, sometimes protestors or dancers or musicians. You name it you can sometimes see it in Union Square. Depending on the day you're walking, there may be the famous Union Square's greenmarket and then you've got easy lunch. Fresh foods from within the state abound to entice you to buy and eat or both. Don't buy anything you can't eat while you're walking though, tempting as it is, because it will weigh you down. You can always go back; the vendors are there until almost dusk. Continuing up Broadway will take you into the eastern edges of the Garment District, mostly the accessories part, luggage, purses, some scarves and necklaces, as well as hair accessories and wigs. If it is a hot day, you might be able to find a sun hat along this route, as well. Keep walking and you're in Herald Square, near Macy's and the super discount store with the pink bags. You know the one. If you're walking around Easter, you can enjoy Macy's Flower Show in their windows, if not then their windows anyway.

Keep walking on Broadway and you're into the Times Square in no time, where all the tourists or folks who do not live here fulltime, hang out traversing from west to east visiting the iconic spots and the ones you will not go into today. Between Times Square and Columbus Circle are more sight-seeing or window shopping adventures on your trip. At Columbus Circle there is the 3rd fork in the road of your travels. If you want a quiet repose as you walk north without too much foot traffic and the refreshing sight of Central Park to your right, then break off at 59th Street and go along Central Park West (CPW) for 51 blocks or continue on Broadway north. If you continue on CPW, you'll be greeted by the various doormen as you traverse on the west side of the street. At 96th Street, you'll be able to peak over to Columbus and see the new buildings that have and are going up as new residences, which abut or are across the street from the shopping center that includes WholeFoods, a great spot to stop for lunch and the bathroom, if you need one. Plus, in this same complex is Michaels, the craft store. We knew (crafters) what we were missing at Michaels before and finally it's here.

If you've walked up Broadway to this point, you've passed Time-Warner building with various shops including Borders & WholeFoods, Lincoln Center, various magazines stores, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, mom/pot coffee shops (They do still exist.), the American Folk Art Museum, various bookstores, boutiques, Fairway, Zabar's and Westside Market along with other museums on interior streets, other music halls, including Symphony Space. Passed 96th on Broadway, you're into the various eateries from all over the world, along with six secondary schools. (Columbia University, Barnard College, Teachers' College, Union Theological Seminary, Jewish Theological Seminary, & Manhattan School of Music) When my husband and I first started dating I lived in this neighborhood and he'd drive in from Queens, where there was easy parking, but when school was in session, he'd sometimes be an hour late driving around trying to find a parking spot, but I digress. At 125th Street you are officially in Harlem, albeit the western part. Before arriving to this spot other iconic places are both to the west and east. To your right (west) are Grant's Tomb and Riverside Church on Riverside Drive. To your left (east) are Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam and 110th St., the top of Central Park and Morning Side Park begins, along with the split of the Harlem's Heights and the valley of Harlem all at 110th Street.

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