America, Life of adventure, Travel

Two Urban Wanderers in NYC

Suzanne

It was October 2016.  

Our first year of housesitting in the Northern Hemisphere had come to an end.  It was time to head back downunder for a short period. Though we were not quite finished with housesitting for the year as we had one in Queensland and New Zealand to look forward to while catching up with family and friends.

Usually, we head back via Asia, this time I had managed to obtain a visa [yes I needed one, the squire an ESTA, on my part there is a long story about a rebellious younger self].

Here are some of the places we stayed, visited and our thoughts on NYC.16856705843_2580ae1dcd_o_edited

Once we got through immigration [OMG what an experience that we do not want to repeat!!].  After surviving that we were on our way to enjoy the delights of New York for just over a week.

Finding a cab was not a problem as there seems to be an abundance of them all over the place.  Though when we told the driver, our destination we were not surprised at his reaction to our AirBnB location.  As we stayed in Queens – check out our accommodation here.  We told him we enjoyed staying in a local neighbourhood than a hotel environment plus the cost of hotels in New York City was not in our budget.  Even though he did try and push us towards Manhattan, it would’ve been easier for him to get a return fare to the airport.

We stayed in Queens.

Forget the media hype about how dangerous New York is supposed to be, use your gut instinct, common sense and treat people/their way of life with respect.  Move out of the tourist areas, and your experience of New York will be more insightful.

We found the subway not the easiest of systems, though, with most things, it was more straightforward to use after learning from our mistakes of getting on the wrong platform/train!

For more information about New York subway through a New Yorkers eyes, go to New York City by natives.  This is one city where I spent more time looking around and just trying to absorb as much as I could than actually taking photos.  Of course, I did manage to take some, though the experience of what I was capturing outweighs the quality!

Then there is the shopping experience.  When entering a vast shop such as Macy’s make sure you if bringing a partner, that a ‘meet up plan’ is foolproof.  Ours was not, and we spent an hour or more looking for each other.  The doorman when I approached him with my dilemma replied: “You would not believe how many times I have heard that!” At the same time trying to get a grip on my accent, he alerted his colleagues on the different floors.

My suggestion to him was to have a room labelled “Lost Husband or Property”.  

After what seemed like hours, we were united, and left Macy’s with no desire to go near an escalator for the foreseeable future, no shopping done and an amused doorman!

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This place needs no introduction, an impressive structure to remember the lives lost.

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This bookstore [ Three Lives & Company] was a delight to spend time browsing the shelves, the staff were friendly.  We loved it.  Another bookstore we found and enjoyed was Book Culture.  Thought the “Blind Date” was a brilliant idea.

Central Park, you could literally spend days here, we spent just one day walking, eating a hotdog [it had to be done!], and sitting on a park bench people watching.

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One highlight of our time in New York was walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and seeing the city from a different aspect.

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With its compact size and streets packed with architectural treasures, cafés, atmospheric booksellers and quirky, art galleries and shops, NYC was a pure delight for us.

With a city of over 200 nationalities, you can literally see the world by just stepping across the street and onto another block.  Every neighbourhood offers a dramatically different version of New York City, the ones that stood out for us were Brooklyn, Manhatten, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Meatpacking District [The Highline] and the Upper West Side.

Have you experienced NYC?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this wondrous city.

To read more about NYC check out these blogs:

http://www.rendezvousennewyork.com/ 

http://newyorkcliche.com/

http://bornandbredinbrooklyn.com/

 

Published by Suzanne

Travel and Life Musings from New Zealand and Beyond. . . . . . .

36 thoughts on “Two Urban Wanderers in NYC”

    1. Yes, we feel the same. Wonderful place for a short visit, we love the big outdoors too much to live in a city. So pleased we visited NYC as we did enjoy exploring it!

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  2. “My suggestion to him was to have a room labelled “Lost Husband or Property” – this made me giggle! There’s so much more to explore in New York; we stayed close to Times Square last time but would definitely stay in one of the other boroughs next time – we especially loved Brooklyn 🙂

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    1. Oh yes, the lost husband was an experience I do not want to repeat 🙂 Though afterwards we did laugh about it. Especially the doorman trying to get a grip of my accent 🙂 Brooklyn arty places were interesting.

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  3. Hi Suzanne! I am a native New Yorker (now living in Atlanta, GA) and your description of NYC brings back so many memories! I, too, have gotten lost on the NY subway system and once, when lost on the highway, discovered the Brooklyn Bridge quite by accident!! My husband and I met in Greenwich Village so we spent many a day (and night!) wandering the city. Thank you for this great post! Your new follower, Diane!

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    1. Thanks Diane. You come from an amazing city with so much to offer. We think we could spend years there and still discover a hidden treasure to explore!

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    1. Thanks Deb, yes the highline gave us a different view of the city, and it wasn’t too busy so we enjoyed the walk. Big plus was the good coffee and seat along the way!

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  5. Truly enjoyed seeing ‘my City’ through the eyes of visitors. And since you are a love, I’ll forgive you the ‘Manhatten’ (it’s ‘Manhattan’; Native American for swamp, or some such thing). But back to your trip. You did all the right things: hung out in bookshops, walked the neighborhoods, rode the subway (good for you! It’s how we ALL get around!) and spent time in Central Park (our backyard!) Even we folks who live here do that stuff! But we never ever venture into Macy’s. Too many tourists (!)

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    1. Oh thanks for the forgiveness re: spelling error will correct it 🙂 Don’t mention Macy’s what a horror, we wanted to see the old style escalator, which we did many times over lol We avoided the other touristy hotspots!

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  6. I’m glad that you didn’t stay in Manhattan! Tourists think that’s all there is and miss out on so much! I hope that you do come back again! Also thank you for mentioning my friends and I as further reading.

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  8. Love the post and photos!

    Stayed in Queens back in 2008 as we were in the US to buy Reality (boat). I remember at being quite rustic and a tad seedy, especially the train station. Although, I loved it for its raw feel.
    We were woken up one night with a shooting right outside our hotel and police sirens, etc. Thought we were on a movie set but also a tad concerned!

    Your new site layout looks great. 🙂

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    1. Thanks NIlla [email on its way!] yes Queens is raw and in your face in parts. That’s NYC so diverse 🙂 New site layout??? NO, I have not changed it. Still looks the same on my end.

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  10. Everyone should come to and experience NYC for a few days. We have friends who live there and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else (they have tried and even discarded San Francisco to return to Manhattan), but it is not for us either, apart from the occasional visit. Last time, we discovered the Highline as well. A nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle underneath, but more enjoyable in spring than in winter, I assume…

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    1. It was such a wonderful idea, something that anyone can create for a gift 🙂 Yes, New York was an eye opener, even for seasoned travellers like us!

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  15. Enjoyed the post. One of my favorite cities. I love walking the different neighbourhoods also, stopping for coffee and also a bookstore. You are right get out of downtown as cheaper and once you get a handle on the subway easy to get back into Manhattan.

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  16. I went Christmas shopping in Manhattan the day after Thanksgiving one year. Macy’s on the day after Thanksgiving! What was I thinking?

    I’m not one for crowded streets and constant bustle so I wouldn’t want to live there, but I do love to visit.

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  17. A little late to the game, but here’s a few thoughts: 1.) Customs & Immigration. I cannot agree with you more. Though I’m a US citizen, my wife is not, so I’ve had the opportunity to see the other side of that trainwreck. 2.) Eschewing the touristy areas was the right call. I grow fonder of Queens the more I explore it, particularly Astoria. 3.) No matter how many times we visit Macy’s Herald Square, we go through exactly what you described. In fact, I often tell visiting friends and family, “If you’re a masochist, by all means, go to Macy’s or Rockefeller Center…around the holidays. You’ll love it!” 😜 Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences.

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