New York has always been on the bucket list of a place I wish to experience. We had offered our daughter to attend a gymnastics camp in US and we found one near New York that had a good write up and thought we would try it. She was so excited about it, that was until it became more real and we started our travels to the US and once there she let the nerves get the better of her and cut her camp experience short. 

I have taken my time to process my experience of New York. It was not as impressive as I had been expecting, nor as busy as I had imagined. It was crowded and it was difficult to get the impressive photos that you see in magazines, I imagine they must be taken first time in the morning before the hustle and bustle start. 

We did the usual tourist attractions of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller, Empire State, Brooklyn Bridge and Time Square. In addition to the Manhattan sites we did travel to Brooklyn Zoo and spent a day at Coney Island and Brighton Beach. 

During our week in New York we stayed at The Court, St Giles Premier which is on the corner of Lexington and 39th Street. My daughter have Coeliac and right across the road was a Gluten Free Bakery followed by a diner with a large gluten free menu. It was fairly easy to find gluten free food in New York, however the location of the hotel was ideal for getting around and also for quick access to delicious glutenfree food. 

We had been told that it would be extremely hot in New York during July, and although it was hot I never thought it was too hot. We had sunshine every day with the exception of one day when heaven did open after lunch in Bryant Park. Within minutes the park went from full to empty and people were running and finding a dry hiding space. We always made sure we took time and just in general experienced New York for what it is.