| OUT & ABOUT: NYC ON A BUDGET
The NYC trip was more than a month ago, I know. But I haven't really gotten around writing something, or anything, about it for the longest time. Life happens all at once.
My sister and I decided to visit NYC for the first time. It took gazillion bits of courage and little moolah. We were there for 5 days -- we got there Monday morning and left mid-day Friday. I really didn't think visiting NYC could be affordable. All our expenses combined, we probably spent less than $1000, that is including E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. We really did our research before the trip, call us savvy traveler or what? c",)
DAY 1
~ Being the blessing that the trip was, my sister and I decided to visit the St. Patrick's Cathedral first. It was a gesture that meant to show thanksgiving for getting there safely.
 
~ We really didn't plan on our first day itinerary, except for St. Patrick's, so we just decided to walk around and savour our first day in New York.
Chinatown
Flat Iron Building
DAY 2 ~ Our second day was the beginning of productive days, that is, we had an itinerary and actually saw places.
Busy, busy 35th street. Well, most of Manhattan looks pretty much like this. =)
My sister and I at "the crossroads of the world"
(we asked some fellow tourists to take our picture; in return, we took theirs, too. lol)
The Rockefeller Center
 
New York Public Library
this is the part where my sister started gushing about Carrie Bradshaw's what-could've-been wedding...
  
The Grand Central Terminal
there is something truly enchanting about this place. I just can't point it out.
~ We did A LOT of walking, as in A LOT. We walked all day as we couldn't figure out their subway system. We ended up with tired (but very, very happy) feet. Honestly though, walking isn't a problem as there were so much to see and much more to experience.
DAY 3
~ Third day consisted of seeing NYC landmarks. If yesterday was a lot of walking, then this day was a lot MORE. Haha. It was hardcore. I didn't think we'll survive, but hey, we always underestimate our capabilities, don't we? 
I <3 Manhattan already.
By Ground Zero
 
1st photo: Japanese Peace cranes and a hand-written bookmark that states, "All your dreams are on their way"
2nd photo: One of the pews in St. Paul's chapel, "I Believe in you"
 
Financial District
 
The Statue of Liberty; Liberty Island
  
Atop the Empire State
the view was priceless -- it was worth every penny and every second spent waiting in line.
~ There's something really special about this trip. Aside from the fact that we have seen the landmarks of the city, we were also able to experience the culture that is unique to NYC. Before we left Brampton, my sister and I can't stop talking about places to see and things to do, but after the our third day we realized that seeing wasn't the highlight, it was experiencing that made everything unforgettable. And for that same reason, I was real glad that we decided to do this trip on our own instead of going with the whole guided tour thinga-majigs.
DAY 4 ~ SHOPPING! No, we did not go to the upscale shopping centres, we opted for Chinatown instead. They do their dealing there different, very different (I won't even try to go into details). It was nothing like I've seen before. Since we were already in Chinatown, we decided to walk to Manhattan bridge. I wanted to "cross" the Brooklyn bridge but we didn't have time to do so. 
View of the Brooklyn bridge from the Manhattan bridge
~ We also strolled along fashion district and found some fancy accessories for a buck. You can't go wrong with that! 5th ave also wasn't a bad bet for finding good deals. Aside from finding my grad dress, this is what we found... 
amidst 5th ave chaos... ~ And then, we did some more walking back to the fashion district. And passed by Madison Square Garden.
NYC is swarmed by yellow taxis which, btw, are very inexpensive way to get around town.
DAY 5
~ It was time to pack up and kiss NY goodbye. It was one of the best vacation everrr. I would love to go back ... soon times, I hope.
p/s: New Yorkers aren't rude. They're just in a rush. And in a very fast-paced environment, you can't expect locals to be extra friendly and carry out long-ass conversation.
p/p/s: NYC can be affordable, you just have to spend money wisely. Do your research before the trip -- as in, A LOT of research and planning. :)
MORE PICTURES HERE. |
