New York City
Things to Do in NYC
Without a doubt, New York City is a hustle and bustle center. Not only is it hard to ask someone for directions but pedestrians walk with a purpose. New Yorkers will cut in front of driving cars, just to cross the street. You also must walk faster than normal just to avoid getting bumped into.
You don’t have to spend money to enjoy yourself either. NYC is unique in that people just hangout on the streets walking back and forth. I spent my days walking around different neighboring boroughs getting a vibe for what each one offered. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and The Bronx has a little bit of something for everyone.
The subway system is a convenient transportation method to get from one borough to next. Do not take a taxi. My cousin and I had to provide our cab driver with directions using Apple’s iPhone map and got lost of course. Underneath the city you’ll find the subway. Remember the movie “Demolition Man,” with Sylvester Stallone. It’s a sprinkle of that. The homeless are passed out as you try to walk over them. Dozens of people are walking past you in waves with no etiquette. You don’t know what kind of characters will be in your train. The grimy ones are sitting next to you passed out in their seat smelling. Hopefully you’re not crammed into a train like I was. My ass was rubbing up on another person for about 20 minutes. Lucky me.
Nevertheless, I loved New York. New Yorkers are up early in the morning making money. I walked around and felt the electricity from the city. Its jam packed with so many things to do and explore. Skyscrapers block most of the sun’s rays so it’s cold. I grew up near San Francisco, but NYC is way different. I felt more than safe because each street corner had a police officer patrolling the area.
Midtown Manhattan NYC
Times Square is full of tourists. Not only will you see massive televisions from the side of buildings but it’s where the action’s at. It’s loud from all the honking of cars and has the highest foot traffic in the United States. Remember, NYC has the biggest population in the country. Soak it all in, that electricity I keep talking about, liveliness, will hit you fast. Pretty much, you’ll be spending most time here. There’s a lot of shopping and attractions here. Again, people walk Hella fast so get ready to experience it. Luckily, my hotel was near everything.
Madison Square Garden
You know I had to attend a Knicks game! I bought tickets a while back in anticipation for my trip from StubHub. It was about $100 a ticket but once in a lifetime right? My cousin and I sat, damn near courtside. We found two empty seats and sat in them. Luckily for us, those seats were empty all game long. I guess New Yorkers can afford to miss a couple of games here and there. It was a real treat. I got to see Carmelo Anthony. Now, there are arenas and there are basketball arenas. Once I walked into “The Garden” it felt magical. It was a different feeling and you can sense it. I’ll never forget that feeling. It’s almost like you can feel the history of previous Knick’s players from years ago. Again, New York does that to you. You sense the energy heavily in Madison Square Garden.
Manhattan, NY almost reminds me of Las Vegas. In that, there are huge buildings lit up everywhere. You see people just hanging out in groups taking pictures and observing the scenery. That’s why I keep saying you can walk around the city enjoying the day. It’s not like California where you have to spend money to have a good time or fun.
Remember that actor who played Biggie Smalls in the movie, “Notorious,”. My cousin and I spotted him just outside the arena. I should have gotten an autograph from him but a photo is just as good. He was nice and approachable. You see, in NYC, celebrities walk around town without security and blend in. TMZ isn’t here recording high profile names or disturbing their private space. Be on the lookout for celebrities as they are walking among you.
White Castle, New York City
I was not happy with my first experience at White Castle Hamburgers. The movie “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” over-hyped it. The cheeseburgers tasted as if someone had put it in a microwave, and then served to me. The fries and burger buns were soggy and didn’t have much flavor. I waited so long to try the food and got disappointed. My cousin ate almost all his food but then asked for a refund because he was unhappy. He got a free meal and his money back. I’ve made up my mind, In-N-Out Burger is simply the best. I don’t care what anybody says.
Wall Street | New York City
Wall Street is a beautiful place. The amount of money that pours in and out of these building is ridiculous. I admire how New Yorkers are up early in the morning, taking the subway system and making that money. Back in California, my friends and I are usually sleeping into the late morning. Then we try to figure out how to spend the day or who’s going to be driving. I can now see how Californian’s are a bit relaxed compared to people in NYC.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
New York has so many things to see in such little time. I’m grateful to have seen the 9/11 site. “The Twin Towers,” were once destroyed but NYC rebuilt them to be bigger and stronger now. The previous towers were turned into memorial sites with waterfalls to remember the fallen. It’s overwhelming that people had died where I stood. Tickets were less than $30 and the tour ran just under two hours. I didn’t cry but you might.
Central Park NYC
It really doesn’t matter where you enter Central Park from as it has no official entrance. The problem is that you won’t have enough time in a day to walk or bike the whole perimeter. My cousin and I found a pedicab driver and he peddled us for about 30 minutes. Apparently, those residential penthouses above the park are valued at 50 million dollars. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino live in them to name a few. I got to walk around the park which is surrounded by buildings. Really cool how the city surrounds the park entirely yet is humongous.
Southwest of the park you’ll find an area called Strawberry Fields. It is a garden in memorial to Beatles legend John Lennon. He lived in an apartment just a short walking distance from the fields. He would walk past them to get home at times. Sadly in 1980, John was murdered just as he was approaching his apartment front entrance. He was gunned down by a lunatic fan that waited for him outside. His name was Mark David Chapman.
Yankee Stadium New York
Remember the movie “Gladiator,” there’s a scene in the film where the Roman Coliseum is shown. It’s mighty and grand. I swear that’s what Yankee Stadium looks like closely. It’s just spectacular. Only in New York, could an owner pull this off. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stadium walls are marble.
Only problem is that it’s located in The Bronx. The neighborhood area looks grimy. I’m pretty sure you could get mugged easily. Like a tourist, I chose to walk around the area and check what was around. I would compare the Bronx to Oakland, CA. It’s just a rough area. The people that hangout underneath the subway tracks looked rougher. The buildings look worn down and the paint is faded. The telephone cable lines have shoes and clothes hanging from them. There was a point where I told myself this is not a good.
Lastly, I dislike the Yankees. In 2001, Derek Jeter and his Yankees beat the Oakland A’s with a magnificent flip-play at home base. It ended our chances to advance to the World Series. YouTube it. I think about that season from time to time.
Coney Island Fun Guide
I don’t care what anyone says, Coney Island, NY is not all that. There wasn’t much to see except a small amusement park. In the background there are apartment buildings that are massive. It’s a bit different knowing that people are crammed in there for housing. I wondered what the living conditions were like. Being from California, we really don’t see massive apartment building like in New York.
I ate at “Nathan’s Famous”, which always broadcasts their yearly Hot-dog Eating Competition on ESPN but wasn’t impressed. The hot-dog didn’t have any special taste or uniqueness. It was just a hot-dog.
