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Even though Manhattan is not massive, there is still a myriad of attractions to see; an array of activities to do; countless number of restaurants and bars and more shops than you can poke a stick at. Everyone who has been to New York has their own personal favourites. And below is a list of my favourite things to see and do in the Big Apple.
Attractions
Empire State Building – In my opinion a trip to NY is not complete without the mandatory visit to the Empire State Building. We went up on a sunny day and fortunately the weather was great. The ticket cost $20 and the audio-guide was an additional $8. The audio-guide was really good and well worth the money but don’t be afraid to haggle if you’re on a tight budget. Dennis and Sam did and they got it down to $4 each.
Statue of Liberty – Another NY must see. There is a daily limit on the number of ferry tickets to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty so book early to avoid disappointment. We weren’t too fussed so we took a ride on the Staten Island Ferry instead. It’s free and goes every half an hour. There was not a lot to do on Staten Island so we just took some photos and then caught the very next ferry back. It’s arguably the best free service in NY and we got great photos of the Manhattan skyline and Ms Liberty herself.
Central Park – Central Park is HUGE. It’s amazing that a park of this size exists in a city where space commands such a premium. Rx and I are both into jogging, so for fun, we did a lap around the Reservoir (around 2.5 kms). Apparently quite a few movies feature a Reservoir jog scene including Sex and the City. So do it for a healthy break or to brag about it to family and friends back home.
Shopping
Dean and Deluca – If you’re into food, cooking and likes to shop at David Jones Foodhall then you have to check out Dean and Deluca. They sell everything food related and their quality and range is mind-blowing. When we were there I actually spent over five minutes just staring at their meat counter and salivating over their $100 per kilo wagyu. Also, go there for the best chai latte and homemade lemonade ever and make sure you check out the Prada Store across the road.
Century 21 – THE place to go if you want cheap designer gear. Their slogan is: Fashion worth fighting for. And trust me, don’t bother going if you’re too shy to throw some elbows. The place was jam-packed all the time but the discounts were so unbelievable it was definitely worth the bruises.
Abercrombie and Fitch – This 5th Ave store is hilarious. The day we went, there was a topless male model manning the front entrance. We dubbed him Ab Guy because he had the most ripped body I have ever seen. He was like the sun, I had to squint to look at him. Inside, the store was like a nightclub. With loud music, dancers and staff whose job was to walk around and spray perfume into the air. Oh, and they sell pretty good clothes there too.
Hotels
We stayed in a hotel near Union Square called Hotel 17. To be honest it was pricey for what it was. The rooms were really small and most of them had shared bathrooms so the hallways smelt like pee. The service wasn’t great either. The guy in reception had an attitude and a high pitched voice that made him sound like Nanny Fran. Nevertheless, the location was very handy and so it was okay for what it was.
Restaurants
Ino – A tiny cafe on Bedford street in SoHo. But OH MY GOD, they had the best bruschettas I have ever tasted. A sample plate of four only cost $10. Try the Asparagus and Truffle oil, it was orgasmic.
Spice Market – This place kills Longrain or any other Asian-fusion restaurants in Sydney. It is seriously the best Asian restaurant I have ever been to. We had the most amazing cocktails, the best bottle of Alsace Riesling and the yummiest fried rice. The service was great and the decor was dark and moody (a bit like The Victoria Room in Kings Cross). And it was very reasonably priced. I highly recommend it.
Gramercy Tavern – If you want to celebrate a special occasion then Gramercy Tavern is definitely the place to go. Rx and I had our 11th months anniversary while we were in NY. It’s not exactly a round number but it was a significant milestone nonetheless. We thought it’d be a bit cheeky to tell them we were only celebrating a 11 months union so we rounded it up to a year and received free Champagne, desserts and special attention from the wait staff. It wasn’t cheap though, the three course set menu cost $86. So be prepared to folk out over $300 for dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine and tip. The restaurant has a business casual dress code so I had to buy a new outfit just to dine there. Even though our dinner was the most I have ever paid on a meal it was also the most amazing meal I’ve ever had. A fitting way to celebrate such a momentous occasion and a fitting finale to our New York Times.
There were so many other amazing bars, eateries, sights and attractions. Too many to jot down in a single blog post. However, if anyone wants advice or just chew fat and share notes I’ll be more than happy to talk to you about my second favourite city. Just hola at me.
I’ve always wondered what the deal was with New York. Everyone I know who has been there raves about it. And what’s with the I ♥ NY T-shirts? I’ve seen enough episodes of NYPD Blue to know the city is gritty and dangerous. No, I’ve always been a sceptic.
However, after having spent two weeks there, I’m proud to announce I’m sceptical no more. Let me introduce myself: “Hi, my name is Bill and I love NY.” You don’t understand, I’m actually in love with this city. And I’m not talking about love as in the way I love peanut butter on toast for breakfast. I’m talking about love as in the way a 15-year-old me used to love Kelly from 90210. It’s more than a crush, it’s an unhealthy infatuation.
Those who think Paris is the most romantic city in the world probably haven’t been to New York, they probably haven’t been to Paris either. The skyscrapers, the shopping, the restaurants, the bars, Central Park, Magnolia Bakery… It’s just AMAZING! The city was the perfect setting for catching up with some old friends, for meeting new friends and for re-connecting with a girlfriend who I haven’t seen in three months.
New York is the perfect date city, there is just so much to see and do. And if you love food and wine like Rx and I then this place is like heaven on earth. We had eight amazing nights there, each filled with fun, excitement, laughter and romance. Our days were spent sightseeing and shopping (a lot of shopping) and our evenings were devoted to fine dining, wine bar hopping followed by… more wine bar hopping. We had the time of our lives. Each day we woke up, in a city that never sleeps. And we felt like we were king of hill, head of the list, cream of the crop, at top of the heap. New York New York.
It was really hard to leave New York. Two weeks were enough to cross everything off our to-do list but like any holiday romance the final goodbye was gloomy, teary and very hard to let go. And now… even though I only left New York less than a week ago my time there already feels like a distant memory. Like an experience from another life time or a beautiful dream that I’m not even sure I had. I miss her terribly. Her charm, her exuberance, her sweet perfume and her intoxicating smile. Till me meet again. I ♥ NY.
To be read while listening to Empire State of Mind to set the mood
New York – Concrete Jungle, Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps… Or perhaps just A Really Great Place To Meet Up With A Boyfriend Who Has Been Away A Long Time.
In early January it was decided that, if at all possible, I should fly over and meet Bill for a couple of ‘date nights’ to break up the length of separation during his six months overseas adventure. As we checked schedules and timing, it looked increasingly likely that our date destination was to be one of the most exciting cities in the world – New York. For those who have been, these two words may conjure up memories of bright lights, towering skyscrapers, funky neighborhoods and great restaurants and shopping. For those yet to experience this magic, just hearing the name New York may be enough to make you want to start planning a trip. Tomorrow. Yes, it’s that good.
For me, I loved this city, having been there many years ago for a quick stopover. How exciting that I was to meet Bill in one of my all time favorite destinations! And to be honest, I was more than a little thankful that fate had thrown me the NY card rather than landing me on the Inca Trail!
By mid January, the ticket was booked and the planning and the countdown had begun. Where to stay? What to do? Where to eat? And of course, the bigger question – how will things be after not seeing each other for so long? Communication today provides us with a sense of connection, but for a relationship to function well, Skype, Facebook and emails can only get you so far. So after some extensive research, collecting travel tips from friends (thanks Joe for the valuable info!), we had put together a rough itinerary.
For me the only musts while there were a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and a run in Central Park. Apart from that, I was happy just to wander, do a bit of shopping – oh, and catch up on our last three and half months worth of dates. Which I’m proud to say, we ended up doing well. Especially the dinner and wine bar part! For Bill, shopping was high on the list of things to do. Yes, he may have been living off $1 hamburgers up until then, but this apparently enabled him to put a little away for the great bargains NY has to offer.
My time in New York was not long – eight days to re-discover this incredible city and to experience several things I had not previously done or seen – Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO, a trip on the Staten Island Ferry, Century 21 to name a few of these gems. Eight days however was long enough for the two of us to do pretty much everything we wanted, to go on some incredible dates, and perhaps most importantly to answer the question we had been asking ourselves for a while (see above). The answer? Amazing!
Arriving back Sunday, I am now in withdrawal mode. What seemed like so long away when it was arranged, has now passed. Fortunately though, with a lot of romantic dinners, great memories – and some pretty swanky shoes – to see us through until July.
Rx
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- Empire State of mine
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- Brooklyn Bridge
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- Dainty DUMBO
Even if you don’t know a lot about US history, Washington DC is still an amazing place. There is just so much to experience and see. The city itself is quite easy to get around, all the action lies around the National Mall. For those who don’t know, the National Mall is the huge space between the Lincoln Memorial and the United States Capitol and whether it’s intentional or not I thought it’s quite apt and rather ironic that the most important space in the most market-driven country on earth is called the National Mall.
Here in Washington DC, to save money, we decided to stay in a cheap motor inn outside the city centre. However none of us realised just how outside we’ll be. Our hotel is so far out we’re actually not even in DC, we’re in the STATE of Marylands. It’s like visiting Canberra and staying in a hotel in Goulburn. And let me tell you, it’s quite a journey to get to the city centre. The trip takes over an hour and half and involves catching a bus (which comes once every hour) then two subways. It’s a bit of an inconvenience but that’s the price for not watching our spending in South America.
It may be a pain in the arse to get to the museums, memorials and monuments but once you’re there it’s well worth it. The National Mall is such a beautiful space; the Smithsonian Institute is great; the phallic Washington Memorial is awe inspiring; US Captiol is splendidly grand and the White House is… a big white house with snipers on top. It’s great here, so much culture so much history and all free!
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- Our hotel
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- US Captiol
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- Washington Monument
My legs are sore from overexertion. I haven’t had wholesome food in days and I’m sleeping in crowded and noisy dorms. How did my life come to this?
As most of you know, we started our round-the-world holiday in South America. And instead of wisely taking advantage of the cheap food, travel and accommodation in abundance there to build a financial buffer for costlier places, I decided to splurge on luxuries such as taxis, private rooms, restaurant dinners and big nights out. As a result I grew accustomed to these luxuries, blew my budget and now my bank balance and I are feeling the pain.
When I was planning for this trip I figured accommodation would cost around $30 a night and $50 a day spending money should be plenty to get by on. So I made a budget on the assumption I would spend $80 a day and all would be well. Sure $80 might be a bit tight for places in Europe but it should be plenty for South America. Well it would have been plenty for South America if I didn’t blow a load of of cash on non-necessities like 1st class travel, expensive steaks and wine. After a recent review of my South American spending I was shocked to realise that on average I was spending $95 a day. So instead of building a surplus I’m actually in deficit.
OK, let me help you with the math. I was in South America for exactly 86 days and on average I was spending $15 a day more than I should, so my deficit for the cheapest leg of my trip is exactly $1,290. This is a pretty depressing thought especially as I’m likely to spend even more in places like New York and London. So what measures did I immediately undertake to help my situation?? Well, I bought myself some take-away beer (the brand on sale of course), got drunk, felt really sorry for myself and slept on it.
The very next day I dragged my sorry arse out of bed and went to work on strategies to minimise my cost of living. First to go were big boozy nights out. Also on the cull list was eating in expensive restaurants and taking taxis. Fortunately for us, in the States, the local transportation system is relatively cheap and easy to figure out.
Also, there is an abundance of cheap meals around. Fast food chains like Burger King offer $1 meals which include tasty treats like junior whopper burgers and garden salads for only a dollar. Trust me, I’ve had more than a few recently. However while they’re tasty and cheap there is unfortunately only so much grease I can handle. Other alternatives include buffet restaurants such as Sizzlers, Cici’s and China Buffet. They’re great because they’re all you can eat (who doesn’t love a good eating contest?) and they offer more than just buns, pickles and patties. So what I have been doing is eating a huge, free breakfast at our hostel and then a massive all you can eat dinner with little in between– pretty smart huh? Sure I may not be ticking off all the essential food groups but at least I’m getting my spending down.
When I first heard that the Walt Disney Company had created the mother of all brand extensions, I was intrigued to say the least. They had planned, designed and built their own society. So when we arrived in Orlando, right on the top of my to-see-list was the town of Celebration.
Nestled between the city of Kissimee and Disney World Orlando and covering an area of just under 30 square kilometres, Celebration is a sizable place. Like all other Disney creations, it follows the Disney brand to the letter and is a true legacy of Walt Disney’s vision of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow or EPCOT (one of the four theme parks). Does this sound scary to anyone else?
In planning for Celebration, the Disney people conducted a massive amount of social research before settling on the design they believed would best capture the American ideal of community. The houses are constructed in an early 20th century architectural style and all have old fashioned exteriors; the homes are purposely built close to the road so neighbours are more likely to interact; and there is even a congenial old-fashioned downtown area beside a tranquil lake. Apparently new neighbours are greeted with home-baked brownies and each home is fully hooked up to all the others by an elaborate intercom system. I don’t know for sure but I reckon the homes in Wako Texas were designed on similar principles.
There is no arguing the fact that Celebration is picture perfect. The houses are beautiful, the gardens are perfectly manicured and there is no crime or annoyances like pollution, heavy traffic or homeless people. However living in this Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow comes with its price. There are some stringent rules in place in Celebration: such as the insistence that all window treatments facing the outside must be white; public parks are closed after 6pm (so under-aged drinking will have to take place elsewhere); and all litter bugs are chained to a chair and forced to watch The Lion King over and over again.
It was truly surreal seeing Celebration in real life. Yes, everything is beautiful but it’s also contrived and sterile. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was kinda hoping I would see a temple worshipping L.Ron Hubbard or something. It’s a great idea but at the end of the day Celebration is no place for me. I like to go to parks after dark, I like the option of having brown windows opposed to white and I prefer my home to be girt by sea. I guess what I’m trying to say is: “no matter how far or how wide I roam I still call Australia home.”
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- Town entrance
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- The traffic free streets
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- The Church by the lake
Hoards of screaming snotty nosed kids, extortionate prices and queues as long as the eyes can see. No, it’s not post war Russia. It’s the happiest place on earth. Welcome to Disney World Orlando.
Opened in 1971, Disney World goes way beyond Walt Disney’s original theme park – Disneyland, which opened in LA in 1955. Delivering escapism at it’s most technologically advanced and psychologically brilliant, shrouded in a multitude of ingenious guises across an area 60 times bigger than Sydney’s Centennial Park. It’s touted as a crime free environment where wholesome all-American values hold sway and the concept of good clean fun finds its ultimate expression.
Covering an area of over 10,000 hectares. Disney World is huge and it’s four main theme parks are more like small towns.
Magic Kingdom is the Disney park everyone imagines. With the signature Cinderella Castle towering above it all, where Mickey and Minnie mingle with the crowds and where the emphasis is on fantasy and fun. It is very much the park for young kids.
EPCOT is Disney’s attempted celebration of science and technology, coupled with a Disneyfied trip around various countries and cultures. I’m certain the reason George W Bush and millions of other American adults never owned a passport is because they’d already seen countries like Norway, China or Morocco in EPCOT. Why bother with the discomfort of long haul flights and learning a language other than American when you have it all right here in Florida?
Of all the parks, Disney-MGM Studios is the one most suited for everyone. It’s Disney’s answer to Universal Studios and its special effects are supposed to be enjoyable even if you’ve never seen the movies they’re derived from.
The more relaxed Disney’s Animal Kingdom is basically a new age zoo. Apparently it is quite remarkable in recreating Africa and Asia in the swamplands of Central Florida.
In typical backpacking style, we severely underestimated the cost and time it would take to fully appreciate Walt Disney’s vision. We were told doing any kind of justice to all four parks will take at least five days (one should be set aside for rest). Furthermore, there is the shocking cost to deal with. A single day pass to any one of the four parks costs $84 for an adult and $74 for a child. Parents with teenagers won’t save a cent either because Disney’s ticketing department considers your 10-year-old angel a full-grown adult.
If like us, you also lack the funds, there is fortunately a plethora of other fly-by-night tourist attractions for you to experience. From Universal Studios to SeaWorld to Cirque du Soleil to Kennedy Space Centre to Ripley’s Believe it or Not and many, many more. This place really is the most finely realised concept in escapist entertainment anywhere on earth. Amazing.
I was never a fan of the United States. I didn’t agree with their foreign policy, I despised their ex-president (the one they call dubya) and I couldn’t stand their brash, chest beating, bling wearing attitude. To be honest I have never been interested in visiting the country. I thought I’d hate it. But now that I’ve arrived I’m surprised to admit I was wrong. I love it here!
Because whether I like it or not all my life I’ve been exposed to US culture. The TV shows, the movies, the fashion and the music. And walking down main street USA, everything seems so familiar yet so unreal. It’s like a repressed memory or a dream that you’re not quite sure you’ve had.
The entire country has this vibe about it, the vibe of capitalism on steroids. Everyone knows it’s the birthplace of modern-day capitalism but nowhere else on Earth do they live it, breathe it and celebrate capitalism like they do here in the USA.
On the plane from Rio, along with the usual in-flight magazines, American Airlines also offers it’s passengers the opportunity to shop from a shopping catalogue. This shopping catalogue is amazing. It’s about 300 pages thick and has over 1000 items. My favourite was this cat potty trainer. As the name suggests, it’s an appliance that promises to potty train your cat. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking: “here I am messing with kitty litter like a sucker when I can have my cat doing its unholy business in the toilet like all them America cats. Where my credit card at?”
Here on US soil the OTT capitalism continues. The highway median strips are filled with signs advertising compensation lawyers. The malls are filled with discount outlets. Everything is a must buy, everybody can do you the deal of a lifetime and every location is specifically designed for you to you part with your hard-earned cash.
Maybe it’s because my brain is hardwired for marketing, but their strategies are so blatant and obvious. However, at the end of the day, it works. Nobody pays $8.99 for the salad bar when you can have the steak and salad bar for $9.99; you just have to buy the Brontosaurus Burger when you’re in Jurassic Park; and yes I will have that free extended warranty even though I’m only here for two months.
And nowhere is this more evident than here in theme park filled Orlando. I thought I’d hate it but I kinda like it. And I can’t wait to experience everything this brash, chest beating, bling wearing country has to offer. Super size me!
If you have ever backpacked you will know one of the best and worst aspects of it is the unpredictable nature of accommodation. You can check trip adviser all you like but at the end of the day it’s still a bit of a lottery. Some places are great, some not so great. Unfortunately Copa Hostel on Copacabana beach falls into the latter category.
We had high expectation of Copa mainly because it was highly rated and also because of its affiliation with Hostelling International. Our disappointment lay not in the fact that it had poor facilities or that it was located in a bad part of town. Rather, the disappointment was in their customer service. The staff were nice people, however they took lying to a whole new level. They lied so much, and so well, that it was actually funny.
When we first arrived in Rio we were keen to stay in a centrally located place and we were also keen to stay in a HI (Hostelling International) hostel because the one we stayed at in Iguazu was really cool. On paper Copa Hostel had it all. On paper Copa Hostel was perfect.
In our initial conversation to book the room the person we spoke to told us if we booked there and then we would receive 20 beers upon arrival. We were already sold on the hostel and didn’t need any sweeteners to close the deal but we thought it was a nice extra nevertheless. Three Aussie lads like us will always find a good home for 20 beers. However when we arrived to check in, the person at reception had no idea what we were talking about. In fact when we told him, he looked at us as if we were crazy and almost laughed.
You can imagine how disappointed we were. One minute we had 20 beers and the next we were getting laughed at for having the audacity to ask for 20 beers. To console us, he said that the bar has a ‘buy one get one free’ offer so we shouldn’t worry because drinks here are good value. Fair enough, we thought.
The beer and free drinks lie were just the beginning. Below is a laundry list of some of the other issues we had:
- The 3 bedder we booked only had 2 beds
- The TV remote was for a completely different TV set
- The microwave had a plug that did not fit the Brazilian standard
- There were no towels
- And the bathroom smelt like something unholy had died, then crawled up someone’s arse and that person died as a result. It reeked!
The bed situation was easily fixed. After experiencing ten days of the ultimate luxury of having his own room in Florianopolis, it was Dennis’ turn to rough it. And he happily obliged to sleep on a mattress on the floor. But the other issues took a bit longer to resolve, some were never resolved.
In addition to the above, after a few days we ran out of gas for our stovetop. We were spending quite a bit on eating out and were looking forward to eating in so this presented a problem for us. It took them five days to get another gas canister. Each person we spoke to blamed someone else, it was never their problem. Time after time, hostel staff would come into our apartment to inspect the situation, promise to be back to resolve the issue and were never seen again.
Getting back to the buy one get one free offer at the bar. Guess what? A beer at Copa costs 5 reais . But a beer costs 2 reais max at any other place. So that’s not ‘buy one get one free’, they’ve just doubled the price of beer!
Finally, they sold us on a party cruise in the harbour. Jorge at reception told us that the boat had a capacity of 200 people and 130 spots are strictly allocated to girls and 70 to guys. Not that it mattered to Dennis or I, but Sam, being single, thought it was a good ratio. And you guessed it, when we arrived, the boat was filled with guys all sold on the same false promise. All expecting a boat full of drunken horny girls but instead left staring, face to face with a boat full of pimply horny dudes. There were so many guys on this boat it looked like a bucks party. Thanks Copa!
I probably sound like a whinny bitch right now. And in all fairness it wasn’t that bad. The room itself was close to the beach, it had air-conditioning and it had reasonable views of the water. It was expensive for Rio but in the whole scheme of things it was OK. And the people who works at Copa? Well, they do have a tendency to stretch the truth but then I’m told that’s customary in South America. We still had a good experience and Rio will always have a special place in my heart.
