City Hunt - New York City (USA)

Of all the big cities in the world that I'd put in my bucket list, New York City (NYC) has been the one that I'd love to see the most. Growing up, Hollywood movies entertain me with their tales of NYC and tons  of self-images of their great country, the USA. Rooting from there, a city hunt to NYC sounds like a just cause. Luckily, the moment to travel to NYC coincided with my family's plan to visit our extended family residing in the USA. Thanks to those years of savings, there is no issue with the budget and the plan is ready to be executed.

Day 1 - Touch Down NYC

We took Etihad Airways for this trip and flew at mid-nite Jakarta time. Boarded the flight, I realised it was half-empty, I literally can take the whole middle seats row for myself. So, after drinking a few glasses of wine, feeling a bit woozy,  I took that whole middle seats row stretching my legs and peacefully shut my eyes.

A few hours later, I heard soft voices waking me up. Time for a proper meal. They offered me a Kosher meal (which has been pre-ordered by my sister). Sadly, this meal did not taste that good. Please do not get me wrong, Kosher meal might be fantastic, it's just so happen the one I had was a miserable one. 

We arrived in Abu Dhabi airport in the morning and my stomach was ferociously rumbling due to the so little amount of food I took beforehand. Was a bit undecisive as to what to eat. Arabic does not seem so appealing to me (after bad experience with Kosher!) and having Chinese food in a Middle-Eastern airport was not  so convincing either. Hence, I dibs in Burger King and boy, was I felt liberated. No, joke!

I boarded again to the next Etihad Flight from Abu Dhabi to NYC. Again, the food is still Kosher. It was another torture for me. Glad, that I recharged my tummy well in Abu Dhabi. I could still sleep well inside the plane. 

After 14 hours flight, I finally saw a glimpse of NYC from above the air. Golly, the flight feels like forever! My legs hurted, there was not enough space from Abu-Dhabi to NYC for my legs to stretch cause the flight was almost full, a striking contrast than the previous flight I had. But all in all, it did not reduce my excitement!

We checked in at a 4 bedroom apartment in Harlem area, 135th street that I booked via booking.com website. Truth be told, the reality of the area with what the review says was a bit different. It was not that quiet especially at night. We heard gun shots for two nights in a row! 😅😅 But, the area is relatively safe.

Our apartment is located in a Spanish Harlem. The good thing about it is there are plenty of good foods in every corner of the street and the bus stop is just right in front of the apartment. Going around is really easy.

corner of our apartment

Everything is expensive in NYC, it's a striking contrast with the rest of the US (I will share in other posts). Of course the most expensive thing in NYC is accommodation. One reason we opted in for Harlem was because of the price. If we opted in for an Upper East side room we will have to pay double!

Only for your information, we paid slightly less than USD 120 a night per room  per night in  Harlem. But,  most room in a 4 or 5 stars hotels in the city costs USD 150 - 200 or it can go even way above, especially in high season.

NYC is also very busy, driving around by a rented car does not seem to be practical. The best way to roam the city is by using public transportation. Try to take the bus as often as possible, because not only you save the cost you'll also be able to  see NYC's many beautiful vistas. As for us, we were spoilt by daily doses of central park views, unique buildings, etc.

inside the bus

happy mummy

Day 2 - Colombus Circus, 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue

I can totally agree with Alicia Keys that NYC is a concrete jungle. It's like being in a place where tall buildings are built as if to hold the sky. The streets are busy, people walk fast, everything is quick, and no small talks. Yes, that is the dynamic on the ground. Newyorkers are not that friendly lot you would hope to meet when you are travelling  - sadly.

It was before 10 o'clock when we arrived in 5th avenue, no shops were open just yet. My brother was in the mood to hit the Apple store to check out what's in offer. So, we decided to start our day by having a brunch in Colombus Circle.

Truth be told, it was not planned. In fact, we missed out one stop that supposed to take us to the Apple Store. So, instead of going back we dropped off at few more stops that led us to Columbus Circus area.

There we found a really cosy and comfortable cafe on the third floor of a building which surprise surprise has  one of the best views of NYC ever. The building also hosts a range of shops and I was so happy that I found amazon bookstore in this building. I bought some books that were not easy to find back home. I also found Jo Malone shop here. Without further ado, I bought three items from Jo Malone. Yeaaaaayyyy!!

choosing what to eat is a serius business

The cafe's range of food and drinks taste very good. Their service is acceptable although I could not say that it was great. The real downside is the food and service came with a whopping bill on the table 😆 and since tipping is a culture, we had to add at least 15% additional to that bill. I suppose impeccable service is not the norm here, lol.

 

excuse the back light

Gazing that view in front of me, that tall buildings, yellow cabs, and the hotel Empire somewhere down the area, I felt like I was inside Serena Van der Woodsen's world (Serena is a character for a famous TV series, Gossip Girl) except there was no Serena, Chuck Bass and Blair Waldorf. 😆😆

To be continued .......