00:00In this episode, we're heading stateside
00:02to explore the best cities to visit from coast to coast.
00:05The US is a country of striking diversity,
00:08with a wide range of landscapes.
00:11So you'll be spoilt for choice when booking a trip
00:13to one of its vibrant cities.
00:15Whether it's New York skyscrapers,
00:17the cobbled streets of Charleston,
00:19or the white sands of Miami,
00:21there's a city break to suit everyone
00:23in the United States of America.
00:31We're starting in the Big Apple.
00:33No matter what time of year,
00:34a holiday in New York is hard to beat.
00:37The image of the New York skyline on the horizon
00:40as you ride in a yellow cab over from JFK
00:43is quite possibly the best in the States.
00:48There are more tourist sites
00:49than you'll manage to fit into one trip.
00:51Make sure you venture up at least one towering building
00:54to see the city from above.
00:56We'd recommend One World Trade,
00:59while also paying a visit to the nearby 9-11 Museum.
01:03Make sure you also find time
01:05to take a stroll around Central Park,
01:07admire Times Square at night,
01:09and spend a morning losing yourself
01:11in the works in MoMA and The Met.
01:14We'd also suggest hopping on the ferry to Staten Island,
01:17and paying a visit to Ellis Island
01:19while taking in the Statue of Liberty.
01:22And make sure you include Brooklyn on your trip,
01:24ideally by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge
01:27from the Financial District.
01:29It's a little more laid back than Manhattan,
01:31and boasts some of the best restaurants and bars.
01:34You can find plenty of them
01:35in the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Dumbo,
01:38as well as my favorite, Greenpoint.
01:41Over on the West Coast,
01:42Los Angeles offers sunshine, beaches, shopping, hiking,
01:46and if you're lucky, you might spot a star or two.
01:51Base yourself in West Hollywood
01:52to experience a city within a city.
01:55This walkable district is the heart of LA,
01:58where the hotels are full of character
02:00and the restaurants are world-class.
02:02You have the Sunset Strip on your doorstep,
02:04but from here you can easily reach tourist spots
02:07like Santa Monica Pier, Venice Beach,
02:10Runyon Canyon, Beverly Hills,
02:12and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
02:14For an urban beach holiday, Miami is our top choice.
02:18Rather unfairly, this Florida city
02:20has a reputation for partying hard,
02:23but there's so much more to the town
02:25than just spring break.
02:28South Beach has some gorgeous white sands
02:31with bougie bars and restaurants,
02:33but venture a little deeper into the city
02:35and you'll find the hipster hangout of Wynwood,
02:38famous for its street art and eclectic cafes and bars.
02:42You'll see plenty of colorful murals
02:44by simply walking through the neighborhood,
02:46but some of the best is displayed
02:48at the famous Wynwood Walls,
02:50which has evolved to become
02:51a globally renowned outdoor street art gallery.
02:56To the Midwest, and the first destination
02:58that probably springs to mind is Chicago,
03:00but today we're venturing a little further east to Detroit.
03:06Known as America's comeback kid,
03:08Detroit has overcome everything
03:10from bankruptcy and riots to devastating fires
03:13to make a name for itself as one of the liveliest
03:15and most exciting cities in the United States.
03:18The downtown area has been transformed
03:21with boutique hotels and fancy eateries popping up,
03:24but the city still retains its unique character
03:27and proud history,
03:28with plenty of neighborhood restaurants serving everything
03:31from Polish and Greek food to Arab-American dishes
03:34and classic American fare.
03:36To appreciate the city's motoring history,
03:38the Henry Ford Museum is a must,
03:41while the Motel Museum pays tribute to the city
03:43as the birthplace of this genre.
03:46There are so many cities in the South
03:48that we think are worth paying a visit,
03:50including Atlanta, Louisville, New Orleans,
03:52Charlotte, and Memphis,
03:54but today we're focusing on Charleston,
03:56the oldest and largest city in South Carolina.
04:02History buffs can wander through
04:04this living museum of a city,
04:06paying a visit to the Charleston Museum
04:08and the Nathaniel Russell House.
04:10For shopping, you'll be spoiled for choice
04:13with the boutiques on King Street,
04:15offering everything from fine jewelry and homemade candles
04:18to hand-woven textiles and secondhand books.
04:21Travelers should make time to visit
04:23the International African-American Museum,
04:26which sits in Gadsden's Wharf,
04:28the site where tens of thousands of African-Americans
04:31disembarked slave ships in the 18th and 19th centuries.
04:34The museum's nine galleries pay tribute
04:37to the history and legacy
04:38of both enslaved and free Africans.
04:43That's it for this episode of Travel Smart Weekly.
04:46For more information and inspiration
04:48on visiting the U.S.,
04:49be sure to check out independent.co.uk forward slash travel.
04:54And you can watch previous episodes of Travel Smart online
04:56on the Independence mobile app or on your smart TV.
04:59And don't forget to tune in to Simon Calder's daily podcast.
05:03Bye for now.
Comments