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Man oh man… New York is definitely something else. I don’t even know where to start. I am literally on the flight from NYC writing this post because I just couldn’t wait. I felt that since my intent while I was in NYC was to figure out the best way to get my biggest bang for my buck because it was a last minute trip and I didn’t go to spend much money. I’m sure some of you are planning to go so I devised a post to share with you guys to get you better equipped before your trip. Since my trip was so complex I’ll section this post up so that it’s easier to digest…. You’ll thank me later.
What to pack:
• Comfortable shoes: You’re gonna be walking….A lot! If you’re planning to wear heels at all on your trip, bring a bag that will carry your heels, wear your sneakers/flats in transit there, and put your heels on at the venue.
• Warm clothes. Depending on what time of year you are traveling, NY weather can be a bit brutal. Be prepared to check the weather ahead of time and be prepared to layer. It’s easier to take layers off than to not have enough clothes on and freeze to death.
• Headphones: There will be a lot of Ubering and walking, if you like music pop one headphone in one ear and listen to your favorites to distract you from your aching feet from walking. I also like to use mine on the flight.
• Cash: Some eateries and shops only take cash. Avoid paying ATM fees and get enough cash out from your bank before traveling.
• Fanny pack or small backpack: Traveling and sight seeing is much easier when your hands are free. Be sure to keep an eye on your backpack as much as possible. It is common to be pickpocketed there. I personally travelled with my best friend and had her walk behind me so that we would always have a set of eyes on our belongings. She wore a fanny pack so that her belongings were in sight.
How to save in New York
• Take the subway: This is probably the cheapest way of travel depending on your destination. Just be sure to know which stop you need to get off at.
• Uber Pool: Tends to be cheaper than Ubering alone. Essentially a carpool and it may take a little longer to get your destination but nevertheless the cheapest option. My friend and I wore this out!!!
• Eat cheap: Look for places that advertise low prices. My friend and I went to one higher end restaurant the entire trip and that was just because they had what we both wanted, she wanted sushi and I wanted Ramen.
• Walk: Get out and explore. If you are staying in NYC and not the outskirts then you are most likely going to be in walking distance to most things. We stayed at Pod 39 and saved so much money just by walking places.
Must see attractions in NYC
• Rosè Mansion: A wine tasting experience that has photo ops everywhere! Each room takes you to a different era in time. This was my favorite stop my entire trip to NYC.
Grand Central Terminal. Subway terminal that has so much to see. You will experience live performances and great visuals.
• Chinatown: This is the hub to shop ’til you drop! You can get all your knockoffs here lol. I won’t go into much detail on that but you definitely can rack up on all of your souvenirs and goodies here and very affordably.
•Times Square: There is almost always and act going on here. Check out the official Times Square page for specific dates and times. You never know, you may stumble across something you really may want to see.
• 191st Street Tunnel: I personally did not get to see this but it was on my bucket list. Unfortunately the traffic was too bad and it would have taken us too long to get there and we would have missed our flight back home!
Hotels
We stayed at Pod 39 which was in NYC and was in great proximity to the attractions we wanted to see….. Not to mention that the hotel was pretty dope by itself. I was drawn in to this hotel because of its visuals. If you follow me on Instagram, you know fairly well about my colorventures (Follow me to see what that even means). The hotel has all of the things that I love: graffiti, a hippie-styled lounge, a rooftop bar, dope visuals. The rooftop bar was perfect because you could see the beautiful New York skyline and of course there was no cover because we stayed in the hotel. We took the elevator to the top floor , showed our room key, and wa-la free entry no questions asked.
What to know before you travel
• Prepare to walk a lot
• Make yourself a bucket list of what you want to do while you are there. This is one reason why my friend and I came back home being dog tired……I may or may not have loaded us down with things to do…..but ultimately we were both grateful because we were able to get a fuller picture or New York. We could have gone down there and just winged it….wung it?….went with the flow…but we more than likely would have came back home and discovered things we wanted to do and missed our opportunities. We also may have slept our time away and HELLOOOO!!! We can sleep at home! Not saying that you shouldn’t sleep but definitely try to get a good experience while you are there that you cannot otherwise have in your current home state.
What Not to do in New York
• Take your eyes off of your belongings
• Reveal that you are not from there
• Look like a tourist. While you are looking up at the skyline, you just my be getting pickpocketed at the same time. Also you always have to be aware of sex trafficking and people taking advantage of your lack of knowledge of the location.
• Don’t try to be cute: there is a lot of walking. Almost anywhere in New York that you go to you have to walk. Whether it is walking to a more convenient location for your Uber to pick you up at or just walking to your venue, prepare to be on the move. I would advise you don’t wear heels as much as possible unless your transportation is dropping you off right in front of the venue. One alternative is to wear walking shoes and bring heels with you in a bag (my friend and I did this. This was a must when we went to Rosè Mansion).
Transportation Options
• Subway
• Uber
• Lyft
• Taxi
• Bus
• Shuttle
Night Life
We went to two rooftop parties…. In one night lol. Anywho… One was at our hotel and the other was at Hudson’s Terrace. Hudson’s Terrace was more our speed but the one at our hotel was definitely nicer visually. Hudson’s was enclosed and the hotel was open. My suggestion for Nightlife is to plan ahead. I personally love using www.eventbrite.com to see what is going on and where. I was able to get is onto 4 guest lists (I love to be over prepared, don’t judge me) for free. The restrictions are usually that you have to get there by a certain time. We ended up getting on the DJ’s VIP list with bottle service and a booth. It…. Was…..LITTTT!!! The initial person’s guest lists we were on was unfortunately not even at the club when we got there so we ended up having to pay a cover but the doorman worked a deal where we would be a part of another girls birthday party booth. This party was by far one of my favorite highlights of the trip. They really knew how to deck us out and party!!
