Cities visited: New York Chicago Boston San Francisco Las Vegas Nashville Austin.
A lot of first time visitors like to stay near Times Square, but I have a different favourite for my visits now: Queens. It wasn’t that long ago that Queens wasn’t on anybody’s travel radar but these days it’s thriving. I think this borough is one of the best kept secrets and makes a great base for any visit to New York.
So you’ve decided to plan your first trip to New York… yay! It’s one of my favourite cities and I love the energy there. But it can definitely be overwhelming. So Many People. So. Many. Things. To. Do. After nine visits, I’ve figured out a few things though. Get ready to experience the magic of New York City with my essential guide for first-time visitors. Learn how to beat the crowds, find the best eats, and make the most of your time in the city that never sleeps.
A lot of first time visitors to New York like to stay near Times Square, but I have a different favourite for my visits now: Brooklyn. When you hear the name, what do you think? Hip? Gritty? Trendy? Creative? Brooklyn is all of that and more and makes a great base for any visit to New York.
Discover 101 attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Maine from endless lobster rolls to sailing trips, beautiful hikes to charming small towns.
What better way to spend a hot Texas afternoon than tubing on the San Marcos River near Austin in some of the cleanest water in the state.
If you’re looking for street art in Brooklyn, look no further than the Bushwick Collective – a growing and ever changing collection of world-class street art.
“It’s like bingo…but with chickens,” I implored. “So you, like, wait for the chicken to walk across your card and poop?” my friend asked, obviously grossed out.“ “No, there’s actually only one card and the chicken’s in a cage. You know what,” I mused, “it’s actually more like chicken shit roulette when you think about it.”Ah, Austin…land of the weird.
You’ve done Times Square. You’ve done the Empire State Building. You’ve spent countless hours at the Met. You’ve tromped across the Brooklyn Bridge and now you’re looking for something unique to do in New York. I’ve got you covered. After 8 visits I’ve had most of the experiences you expect from New York – Broadway shows, MoMA, the High Line – but I’ve also managed to uncover a few cool experiences that you won’t find on a typical best of New York list.
If you’re planning a trip to to Austin, TX one of the first things you’re going to need to figure out is where to stay. To help you out, I’ve hand-picked 5 of my favourite hostels and hotels near downtown Austin that each have a unique personality that I love.
In my ongoing quest to show you the full spectrum of travel, I wanted to share another, more recent travel fail of mine. One that saw me miss a river cruise to see bats in favour of a visit to urgent care. The day I got a bit cocky and fell off a Lime in Austin.
Spring is one of my favourite times to visit New York. You skip the summer smog and the winter cold, but knowing what to wear in New York in Spring can be tricky. Using my 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 packing list method, I’ve put together a guide to help you cover all your activities with style.
When I heard that Nomadic Matt was organizing a travel conference I was curious. When I saw the line-up of speakers Matt had put together, I knew I had to go. But I didn’t want that to be my “big fall trip” so where would I head after? Oddly enough, Greece made sense.
Ah, New York. They say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. I just love the energy and the possibility of New York. It’s a city that makes you think that anything is possible. But it can be overwhelming. Especially when you’re trying to plan your very first trip there.
“I’m an Islander. I am an Islander. I’m an Islander. I am an Islander.” Not 90 seconds into the show and I was already wiping my eyes and choking back tears. I wasn’t sad though. Instead it was pride leaking out of my eyes. I was home in the middle of Manhattan.
It’s that time year again. There’s just one more day left in 2016 and I thought I’d take a bit of time to look back on where I’ve been this year. In every year, there are ups and downs so I thought I’d share a few of my memorable ones with you.
Up until this past fall, every time I’d been to New York, I’d stayed in Manhattan. Leading up to my mini-cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas though I decided I wanted to check out the Brooklyn side of things.
Earlier this year brightly coloured bagels started blowing up on the internet. A video by Business Insider showing the labour intensive process of creating these multi-coloured treats went viral. I started seeing them all over Facebook and Instagram. What unicorn magic was this? I must have.
“Are you in Paris?” a family member asked me on Facebook after seeing me post a photo from the Hotel Elysée. I wasn’t. I was in New York. Outside my window, beyond my 14th floor patio, traffic crawled by on East 54th St., but inside my room I could’ve been in the City of Lights.
Before you even get to the reception desk you have an inkling of the great service you’re going to experience during a stay at the Library Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Before you even get to the hotel, in fact.
My first two trips to New York City this year each had their own mishaps. From needing medical attention to the disappointment of a rained out ballgame. I’m hoping that the third time’s the charm and that my visit this week and next will go smoothly. I’m going to be spending a lot more time in Brooklyn and I’m excited to check out this new-to-me neighbourhood.
Though I’d been to New York three times before I’d never yet made it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I knew I was missing out but the place is so big and daunting, I just didn’t know where to start. Thankfully, Walks of New York stepped in to help me out.
