First time I saw big city lights was back in 2008. I finished my high school and started my higher education. However, didn't really like my university or my city. It's a small town in southern Europe. Type of town that wouldn't allow you to dream big, and dreaming big was the only thing I was good at. So I decided to leave my country. I was going to NYC. Out of blue, I droppout of college got myself valid visa, found room on Craiglist (** do not do that without actually being in NYC**) All I had to do was to get my ass on a flight. Suprise, not even one air company from my country does intercontinental flights. So I had to get an intercontinental flight from Austria. #SmallCountryProblems With everything settled I hit the road and didn't come back since.
It was December and landing in NYC is still, after 10 years of traveling, the most exciting thing my small heart ever felt. I felt warm and cold at the same time. Scared and happy and thrilled. I was so excited I would literally forget how to breathe. I felt like I was seeing my long lost home after a life time of wandering. Back then I didn't know, but now I know NYC is a home and I'm gonna tell you how to not only survive but how to enjoy that incredible jungle called NYC.
Once when you arrive at JFK you gonna be amazed how big airport can be. Shortly, It can be overwhelming if you are not experienced traveler. Simple, just follow the signs. It's quite easy once you start breathing normally.
Once you gather your belongings and nice immigration officers ask you what are you doing here you are ready to get out of the airport. You can to that by cab, metro or bus.
Taxi and car services are quite expensive, with the toll it will cost you over $50 to get to Manhattan. Cab remains the easiest way to commune however, it comes with the price tag. The line of yellow cabs can be found just outside of the airport.
The second most practical option is the Taxi Shuttle
Like most of the stuff, while traveling, you should plan and book your shuttle in advance.
The cheapest and my favorite way of transport AirTrain and the subway
AirTrain arrives and departs every 10 minutes from most stations during peak airport travel periods. Connecting to or from JFK with AirTrain costs $5 each way. ( just for the AirTrain) Once you are at your station you should get a metro card to be able to hop on the subway. Metro card you can buy in kiosk just next to the entrance to the subway. Depends on how long are you staying you could get weekly or monthly unlimited metro card. It takes approx 30-35 min to get to Penn Station, Manhattan.
your new best friend
And there is a bus, I never took it to or from JFK so can't really say anything from personal experience. However the price is $18 , should take around 1 hour to get to NY and drop off points are Penn station, Grand central station, Bryanr part and Port Authority Bus terminal.
It's a new day, let's assume you are fresh and ready to rumble. Well, You better be !! If you are not, grab some coffee from the first bodega you see. Bodega is a mini market you gonna see on (almost) every corner of this great city, Usually, it comes with the cat. Yes, there are cats in bodegas so don't get scared. If you are drinking your coffee with milk and sugar, just say regular coffee.
If you are not so sure about cats in the stores and would like something fancier, try Everyman espresso ( East village and Soho ) or Sweetleaf ( Queens ). If you are staying in Brooklyn try Parlor Coffee (84 Havemeyer St., at Metropolitan Ave.) or Freehold (45 S. 3rd. St., nr. Wythe Ave.)
I see, you might get confused with all street and avenues. You see, NYC is made from Avenues and Streets.
The most basic thing to remember is that avenues run north and south while streets run east and west. Most of Manhattan is a giant grid, so people will give you directions like “it’s on 52nd Street between 5th and 6th”. From that, you know the exact block you are going to: the block of 52nd Street that falls between 5th and 6th Avenues. Having a grid is also pretty handy for measuring distance: So, if you are on 50th Street and 6th Ave and need to go to 30th Street and 2nd Ave, you have about 1 mile to walk south and 1 mile to walk east. Remember this when judging whether or not a subway ride is worth it. Makes sense so far?
Avenues start on the east side of Manhattan with…options, downtown Avenues D, C, B and A preceed 1st Ave, 2nd Ave and 3rd Ave but uptown, York Ave and East End Ave take the alphabet’s place. Staying away from the gridless, lower part of Manhattan, the numbers turn into the renamed avenues- Lexington, Park and Madison – which are followed by 5th Ave, 6th Ave (aka: Avenue of the Americas), 7th Ave, 8th Ave, 9th Ave, 10th Ave and 11th Ave on the west side. Not bad, right?
Streets in Manhattan are a lot easier to understand than avenues, for the most part, once you know one street, you know them all. They are almost all numbered, so you always know where you are.
Told you it's a jungle
Small Disclaimer: I won't be telling you to go and see Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn bridge etc You know alone you should go and see that stuff right?
Now when you have your coffee and are a bit more aware where you are, the best thing you could do is to walk fast. Yes, walk fast! It's not a myth, once in NYC, your walking game needs to step up. The easiest way to explain it walk like you drive. So don't walk in a way that you wouldn't drive. You wouldn't stop your car in the middle of the road, so don't stop walking in the middle of a crowded sidewalk. You wouldn't drive on the wrong side of the road, so don't walk against the flow of foot traffic on the sidewalk. You wouldn't drive at 20 mph when everyone around you is going 60 mph, so keep pace or stay to the right. Makes more sense now?
This is not my picture. However, I have no idea where did I get it from I will try to find source and update it
After you have seen Statue of Liberty, Empire state building ( sad I still haven't been up :/) , 911 memorial, Brooklyn bridge and all other attractions time to eat! You could grab something from the street carts ( Yes, we eat that a lot ) and eat in Central park or you could hit one of many restaurants in NYC. When it comes to food Little Italy crosses your mind right?? Well, don’t eat in Little Italy. What’s left of this neighborhood is just a couple of streets lined with tourist traps selling cheap souvenirs and restaurants serving mediocre Italian fare.
You can go wherever you wanna, subway system here is amazingg and fast. Don't be scared of leaving Time Square or not eating in chain restaurants like Olive Garden. Just one hint, never but never enter an empty subway car and always have you metro card ready for action. You gonna thank me later!
One of my favorite places for lunch are The Odeon Manhattan, Local 92 East village Manhattan, Tellys taverna Queens, Roberta's Pizza Brooklyn, Barawine in Harlem. I could go on and one, but you get the picture food scene in NYC is the greatest so don't be afraid of going places and trying things.
Roberta's pizza, Photo by Max Falkowitz
Some so called touristic places worth trying are definitely Nathans hot dog and Katz delicatessen! It's Legen... wait for it ...dary !!
Now when you know how to use map and subway, you saw all major attractions and had awesome lunch and probably went to see is there really a cat in bodega you are ready for some booze! What kind of city would NY be if it would have the greats food scene and mediocre nightlife game ?! If you are like me you gonna hit bars a lot, if you wanna dance till you drop sure you can do that as well. You can do everything in this city, and the best part is you can do it in all in one night.
I wanted to share my favorite bar with you, but I just realizedd I have few favorite bars ( no judging tho I just like beers hehe)
The Dead Rabbit, Death and Co. ,Botanica bar and Employees only would be my top pics.
The Dead Rabbit
After having some pre drinks prepare your high heels and hit places like CIelo, Lavo, 1OAK, Marquee, Le Bain at the Standard and dance till the sun comes up.
After eating, drinking and partying time for you to see things that you won't see on touristic broscures
Take your time and see the High LIne, go to Williamsburg and wander all day, chack out Union Square Green Market, visit the Clouster, check the real China Town in Flushing, Queens , go to Buswich and check street art. Still standing ? Not enogh ?
Source: http://www.talesfromafork.com/where-to-see-street-art-and-graffiti-in-bushwick/
There are some things you can do only in NYC.
Drink at the bar where George Washington and Alexandar Hamilton frequented - Fraunces Tavern
See the real Broadway show
Shope at the worlds second largest departmant store - Macy’s Herald Square
Get freaky at first sex museum in U.S
Or just pop on one of 100 movie sets filming around the city
What ever you decide I hope you gonna have time of your life !!
If you can make it there, you will make it anywhere. It's up to you, New York, New York...