<p>Almost one year ago – when I came to America to become an au pair – I set foot for the first time in a pretty little town called Garden City. Today, that little town is the place I call home.</p>
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<p>Take a second to think about the typical American town you see in every movie: Big, beautiful homes with cute front yards; kids riding their bikes around the blocks; the neighbor passing by and saying hello. That’s where I am living! Isn’t that incredible?</p>
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<p>Garden City is about a 35-minute ride away from New York City and every time I stop and think about this, my eyes sparkle. Every single time I remember how close I am to the city of shining lights and opportunity, I think to myself that I am a very lucky girl to be living this au pair life. Garden City will be my home forever.</p>
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<h3><strong><em>10 fun activities you can do in (or around) Garden City</em></strong></h3>
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<p>Garden City is really a place that suits me. Walking around Garden City, you will notice pineapples everywhere. They are engraved on doors, painted on the streets and on all the welcome signs. Nope, pineapples don’t grow on Long Island. They are just a symbol for welcome – which I think is really cute.</p>
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<p>Garden City is not only pretty, it also offers a wide variety of things to do. Going out is a great way to unwind after a long day, to get to know more about the American culture, to meet new people and improve your language skills.</p>
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<p>Here are my 10 tips for fun things to do in Garden City!<br />
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<h3><strong>1. Take a walk on 7th Street</strong></h3>
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<p>With its nice lights, little boutiques, delicious restaurants and cozy cafés, 7th street is the heart of Garden City. As you start walking, you’ll see the majestic Garden City Hotel; it’s beautiful, but if you’re thinking about spending a night there, you better start saving money! The hotel is famous for having hosted many celebrities and world leaders, including John F. Kennedy, Margaret Thatcher and Prince Khalid of Saudi Arabia.  If you keep walking, you’ll find the best restaurants in town (my favorite is called The Burger Spot – their fries come straight from heaven!); some cafés such as Starbucks or The French Workshop (that actually sells macarons!); cute little clothing shops and so much more!</p>
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<p>7th street is always a lively place – you’ll see kids enjoying their TCBY frozen yogurt (must try), live music, tipsy adults having fun at Leo’s, couples having fancy dates at the Seventh Street café and more. It all fits together just so perfectly.</p>
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<h3><strong>2. Get on a train and spend the day in New York City</strong></h3>
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<p>Living in Garden City means having the chance to visit NYC every time I want to! I’ve had the chance to visit some spots I wouldn’t have been able to see as a tourist. I get to experience the city as a local, which is priceless.</p>
<figure id="attachment_372" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-372" style="width: 974px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-372 size-full" src="http://blog-api.culturalcare.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/09/Picture1.jpg" alt="Au pair Laura in New York City" width="974" height="650" srcset="https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/09/Picture1.jpg 974w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/09/Picture1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/09/Picture1-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-372" class="wp-caption-text">This is not just a day in the city, this was THE day. Photo credit:@ellemaxim</figcaption></figure>
<p>After one year, I still get goosebumps every time I am on the escalator that takes me out of Penn Station on 7th Ave and 34th St. I always look up to see the huge American flag hanging from the ceiling – then I step out and on my right I see the Empire State Building. Every single time, I can’t stop thinking about how lucky I am.</p>
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<h3><strong>3. Have a BBQ steak quesadilla at Gonzo’s</strong></h3>
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<p>The first time my host dad made me try Gonzo’s, he basically changed my life. Now, when my host family thinks I am sad (usually when I don’t go out at night), they buy me Gonzo’s and Arizona Iced Tea to make me feel better… and it actually works!</p>
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<p>Sadly, my friends don’t like Mexican food as much as I do – so if you’re thinking of giving it a try, hit me up and I’ll be happy to join you!</p>
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<h3><strong>4. Visit the New Hyde Park McDonald’s</strong></h3>
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<p>Yeah, I know what you’re thinking – McDonald’s? And the answer is yes! This is a regular McDonald’s (same exact menu as every other McDonald’s), BUT this one is located in an old mansion. It actually looks amazing and it’s a landmark worth a visit!</p>
<figure id="attachment_256" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-256" style="width: 930px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-256 size-full" src="http://blog-api.culturalcare.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/Untitled.jpg" alt="New Hyde Park McDonald's" width="930" height="451" srcset="https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/Untitled.jpg 930w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/Untitled-300x145.jpg 300w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/Untitled-768x372.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-256" class="wp-caption-text">Who says you need to spend a lot of money to eat in a fancy place? Photo credit: @ellemaxim</figcaption></figure>
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<h3><strong style="font-size: 1.125rem;">5. Have breakfast at Thomas’s Ham and Eggery Diner</strong></h3>
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<p>This is the Sunday morning go-to place for me and my friends. We love starting the day with some delicious strawberry-banana waffles. Just remember they serve huge portions – you might want to share them even if they are amazing!</p>
<figure id="attachment_258" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-258" style="width: 530px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-258 size-full" src="http://blog-api.culturalcare.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/muffin.jpg" alt="Thomas’s Ham and Eggery Diner" width="530" height="549" srcset="https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/muffin.jpg 530w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/muffin-290x300.jpg 290w" sizes="(max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-258" class="wp-caption-text">This place feels like big family meetings at grandma&#8217;s house on Sunday mornings and those muffins&#8230; well those muffins taste like happiness. Photo credit: @ellemaxim</figcaption></figure>
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<h3><strong>6. Enjoy a karaoke night at Canz (in Hempstead)</strong></h3>
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<p>Canz is a typical American sports bar that my friends and I really love! It is always full of young people – they serve amazing mozzarella sticks and the staff is the nicest. Every Wednesday is karaoke night, and the bar gets even more crowded. We don’t sing every time, but we do always have a lot of fun!</p>
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<h3><strong> 7. </strong><strong style="font-size: 1.125rem;">Make a bonfire at Hempstead Lake Park</strong></h3>
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<p>There are a lot of natural parks and green areas around Garden City, but this is definitely one of the best! There is also a BBQ/outdoor picnic area, but we like to walk by the lake, find a nice spot and make bonfires. We listen to music, toast marshmallows and have picnics by the water. The landscape is beautiful, and in every single season the colors are breathtaking. Not to mention, we get to take amazing pictures for our social media! *winks*</p>
<figure id="attachment_259" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-259" style="width: 539px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-259 size-full" src="http://blog-api.culturalcare.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/fire.jpg" alt="Bonfire at the lake" width="539" height="357" srcset="https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/fire.jpg 539w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/fire-300x199.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 539px) 100vw, 539px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-259" class="wp-caption-text">When I think about the time we spend at the lake, I can almost feel that James Blunt Bonfire Heart song playing in my head. Photo credit: @ellemaxim</figcaption></figure>
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<h3><strong style="font-size: 1.125rem;">8. Spend a day in Jones Beach</strong></h3>
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<p>Jones Beach is a 15-minute car ride from Garden City and it is a great place. There are huge parking lots, many restaurants and restrooms on the boardwalk. This is our favorite summer Sunday activity. My friends and I actually bought a beach umbrella together, and we are so proud of it because it’s the proof that we are basically family. We go to the beach every Sunday, right after breakfast. We bring food and drinks, we sunbathe, we swim in the ocean, we play cards and we chat all day.</p>
<figure id="attachment_155" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-155" style="width: 525px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-155 size-large" src="http://blog-api.culturalcare.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/image6-768x1024.jpeg" alt="Jones Beach" width="525" height="700" srcset="https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/image6-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/image6-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://blog-api.culturalcare.world//app/uploads/sites/8/2018/08/image6.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-155" class="wp-caption-text">This is my friend Denise and she’s about to go for a swim in the ocean. I think her smile describes how we feel about Jones Beach pretty well. Photo credit:@ellemaxim</figcaption></figure>
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<h3><strong style="font-size: 1.125rem;">9. AMC or AMF</strong></h3>
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<p>There are three movie theatres around Garden City – and they are AMC movie theatres, which means all shows are just $5 on Tuesdays! Isn’t that awesome? Just remember to book your seats in advance if you want to sit next to your friends. The other rainy day activity we love is bowling! At the AMF Garden City lanes, Sunday is “Fun Day”: After 5pm, bowling games are only $3! I usually lose and I get mad at some point, but my friends certainly do have a lot of fun when that happens! #UGH</p>
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<h3><strong style="font-size: 1.125rem;">10. Go shopping at the Roosevelt Field Mall</strong></h3>
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<p>This is one of the reasons why I can’t save money. I live by the second-largest mall in the state of New York! The mall is a great meet-up place, especially during the winter. There are tons of different kinds of restaurants and hundreds of stores. I actually think after one year I still haven’t seen all of them. I usually get lost.</p>
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<p>Truth be told, before moving to Garden City, I wasn’t expecting it to be a very cheerful place – but in the end, I was so wrong! Even having a BBQ in the backyard is so much fun here. Garden City is definitely a cool town, especially when you have amazing friends to enjoy your time with. It’s so easy to feel at home in Garden City.</p>


Garden City

Italian au pair Laura gives us an inside look at her au pair life. She tells us what it’s like being an au pair in Garden City, a peaceful community just outside bustling New York.

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