48 hours in …
– It’s big, like really BIG!
– There’s amazing energy here and good vibes
– New Yorkers are generally upbeat and there’s lots of smiles
– There are police everywhere, they’re friendly and doing their job
– It’s not nearly as dense as I thought, streets are wide, walkways are huge, you can breathe
– If you have the light, you walk, their giant cars stop and give you the right of way
– Soho is the nicest neighborhood I’ve been to so far, especially along the Hudson side
– China Town is full of asians, really reminds me of Hong Kong
– You walk, people ride bikes and it’s a fantastic place to skateboard, streets are flat and really smooth for boarding
– You eat what’s on the menu, they do not like you to alter things
– The paying by card and adding a tip etc is confusing
– Nobody is selling you really hard, nothing feels forced outside of maybe the very touristy places, but brands seem subtle and streets not cluttered with advertising
– The Apple Store is so minimal yet so busy it’s unbelievable
– Time Square is just crazy, screens blow your mind, but there’s just too many people and so much noise
– Central Park is paradise and feels like another world within this gigantic buzzing city
– Yet to have a dynamite meal, but foods not bad
– Lots of foreign accents
– 9/11 memorial is pretty special
– Chelsea market is pretty cool if you’re into the food market vibe and craft beers etc
– It’s really clean
– There’s lots of trees in my hood
– It’s hard not to smile here, it really is quite incredible
… another 48 hours in …
– New Yorkers get a late start on weekends, it’s dead most of the morning
– Monday the streets are buzzing with people pouring into the city
– Retail stores open after 10am
– They don’t charge you for bags, they’re mostly paper too, hardly had plastic
– It’s nostalgic being here, after years of watching movies, the city feels so familiar compared to anywhere else in the world I’ve ever been
– Shake shack is great fast food, but the best burger I’ve had is five guys
– General meals (burger, fries & milkshake) are give or take $20
– Stores close at 6pm on Sundays
– They turn tables, so hand the bill as soon as you’re done
– Coffee (kwarfy) is hellish expensive, especially for what you get. Starbucks grande cap $5 is a pretty reliable choice and better value. Restaurant drip coffee is the term they use for filter coffee, but cappuccino’s aren’t cheap or great quality or quantities at most places … go to Starbucks
– Other than the occasional person shouting or talking to themselves, I haven’t seen nearly as many weirdos, generally speaking, people seem pretty normal
– New Yorkers walk fast
– Central Park is perfect for a Sunday afternoon
– There’s loads of development going on, endless scaffolding, but they take every precaution to not let it obstruct you in any way
– They were really into the eclipse, lots of cereal boxes being used to watch the moon block out the sun, lots of excitement
– Chris Garver was tattooing right next to me when I got my New York City ink
– It gets breezy, but its warm, even on overcast days
– Starry Night 🌌 is beautiful, but nothing prepares you for the scale of a Jackson Pollock
– You pay tax on purchases over $110 (I think that’s it) so the price in@the label is not really the price
– This city and its people are inspiring and makes me want to be more creative and get fitter
A few final thoughts before I depart New York City
– What we call ground or 0 they call 1
– People jump off buildings, you can’t unsee that 🙈
– The doors confuse the hell out of me, there should be a standard
– it’s easy to get disorientated at first, despite the grid like structure of the city
– Yellow cab to and from the airport is set price from the city
– Found the crazies on the subway
– Not nearly the buskers as I imagined there would be
– No stray dogs
– The hotdogs are pretty great and no they don’t make you sick despite not having an A rating sign stating their quality like restaurants do
– Sitting in the park, sipping on your Starbucks and people watching is a fantastic experience
– Rent a bike, cycle around the city
– Buy a New York City pass which gives you 90+ things to do in the city that you’re most likely to want to do anyway
– The touristy stuff gets old fast
– The coolest brands literally have queues outside their stores and people seem happy to wait
– Store staff are really helpful and go out of their way to accommodate your needs
– Watching the Mayweather vs McGregor fight in the US was electrifying
– Everyone asks what your favorite experience was and it’s everything, New York City is absolutely outstanding, but if there was one thing, it’s walking around the city, along their streets, finding gems around every corner, being engrossed in their culture and enjoying their positive attitudes
– No need to rush to the airport, the taxi early in the morning got me here in just over a half hour
– Dropping off baggage and going through passport control took 10 minutes
– Don’t try take liquid through passport control, they make you throw even unopened bottles of water away despite how much you shake your head
– While there’s very little outside the terminals which was rather alarming the day we arrived, there’s plenty in the terminals for last minute shopping, food and even a massage
Probably the single best city I have travelled to in my life so far, grateful to have experienced so much in the brief time had. I will be back.
I love New York City!
