Travel Tips: The Cheapest Way to Get Around New York!!

As a first time visitor to New York City (and the USA), I knew already that I need all the help that I could get.

Just like the time that I traveled Europe, I did my research and of compared packages upon packages (the hardest was Paris). In places heavily trafficked with tourists, discount passes for famous attractions will surely be available (and for sure New York has something to offer)

As I browsed the internet, It was not hard to see different travel packages..the real work was choosing which one. There were two discount passes that stood out, the New York City Pass and the New York Pass. After carefully comparing them and considering the span of our stay (we are staying only for 4 days), we have decided to get the New York City Pass!..and we are all happy we did.

Basically, the New York City pass saves you almost 40% on admission to six of the most famous attractions in the City. The Empire State, MET, MOMA and Statue of Liberty to name a few. Check out their full list and rate in their website.

These are basically the sites that we wanted to see in our short stay in the Big Apple. If you have seen my old blogs, I have posted stories and photos of these attractions.

I love that it is valid for 9 days, meaning we can take our time planning which attraction to go to and not rush and run just to get our money’s worth (which is the case of the New York Pass).

For those who are planning on a short stay in New York, I highly recommend getting The New York City Pass, not only that you will save a lot from entrance fees, but you will save a lot of time by skipping (the never ending) lines.

Have stress free holiday!!! ^^

Travel and Photography Blog: New York City Photo Walk

Embarking on a quest to see New York City away from all the lights..away from all the hustles and bustles of the big city,since we arrived, I made sure to get up early in the morning and have a stroll around the neighborhood.

As I walked around, I saw a very different NYC, even the smoke coming out from the sewers gave a very peaceful vibe (ok I am stretching it a bit).

Before the manic Monday crowd arrived, I prepared my camera, my journal (and some props) and took a long photo walk project in one of the most celebrated cities around the world.

Here are some of the mix photos I took, from architectural to just simply random street stuff.

Hope you will like it!



What I’ve been carrying around for the whole trip. Surat Journal, camera, map (and at times, a newspaper for a prop).





View from the front of our hotel.



Our hotel. Hotel Pennsylvania.



The Empire State Building is just at the back of our hotel…perfect location!















The Flatiron building. I’ve seen this in a lot of movies and TV shows, so when I accidentally saw it while i was walking downtown, I was jumping for joy.











A sneak peek of the Chrysler Building. When I saw this view, I immediately tried to locate it in my map and told myself, now I know where my next stop will be.



On my way of navigating towards the Chrysler, I passed by the Grand Central Station..Yipeeee!!!











I really love the industrial and old feel of a New York flat (someday I will live in one). The signature look of the fire escapes is one of my inspiration (theme) in one of our architectural projects.











As I finished my morning stroll New Yorkers are starting to fill-up the empty streets and bringing back the NYC that we all know.

Travel Blog: NY See

Globetrotters like me will definitely not going to argue that New York City is one of the ultimate destinations in our bucket lists. The thought of going to NYC makes all my funny bones move in such a way synchronized to every beat of my heart. 

Getting a US visa was a leap of faith, as normally it was very difficult for us Filipinos to get one. That is why, when i got approved, the road to the land of milk and honey was just a cleartrip.com away. 

….and my first stop is NYC.

This will start a series of travel blogs that I will be posting about my short adventure in the US of A. 

NEW YORK CITY!

FRIENDS, How I Met Your Mother, Gossip GIrl, The Avengers…a place specifically chosen by Aliens, foreign invaders and even uber large destructive creatures as a starting point to destroy the earth…. needless to say, this is the PLACE to be (or not to be if you are thinking of the end of the world).

This isn’t called the BEST CITY IN THE WORLD for nothing.

I arrived along with three of my friends from Dubai to NYC via JFK on a fine friday morning (I must say, it was the longest day of my life—seemed like our plane was running after the sun and it refuses to set).

We had a cab from JFK and our cab driver was very happy to help us around, he gave us a small introduction of the city, showed us parts of Queens, Soho and gave us a full alert of the view over Manhattan Bridge.

Our hotel location was awesome. Just across Madison Square Garden and walking distance to almost all main sites. Apart from the location, the amenities and service was not really that great , well, who are we to complain? We just want a place to sleep (we didn’t have any actually).

Welcome to the concrete jungle ( whew, i’ve been wanting to say that). It really is a jungle. I cant believe that our first day was welcomed with different kinds of street noises. I remember telling my friends, I cant take the noise!!! Maybe it comes with the age but at times it became very annoying (to be honest).

Our first evening we looked for a place to eat, after getting a kebab to munch a little we walked further downtown and found a small chinese restaurant to satisfy our friend’s craving for rice, hey, we had a long flight so let’s give her rice.

After a satisfied belly, we went for a bit of a shopping ( I got a pair of brown Toms and a shirt and board shorts from Old Navy). As we continue on walking, we realized the crowd became thicker and thicker..no wonder——*TADA* —->TIme Square. 

The sea of people moving in different directions, big and bright lights…street noises just enveloped this place..not mentioning the craziness on the side. This embodies New York. The multi cultural environment placed in a big square where people are living and moving in a chaotic yet harmonious way (I will have a separate blog for this).

New York City, as what the Statue of Liberty symbolizes is freedom. That is why people love it so much. In New York you can be who you want to be, just like the city lights, just like the towering sky scrapers it’s is up to you how you want to leave your mark in this concrete jungle.

As our day was ending, I was excited to explore the city. observe people, see the architectural masterpieces… I want to see the strip down New York, the New York that people are not seeing in the movies or television…..and YES I SAW IT ( wait for it in my future blog).