The Sunnydaze Diaries

Over Labor Day weekend, Barry and I were able to take a trip to the Big Apple! I had only been there for a day when I was 13, and Barry was a toddler on his only trip, so we really counted this as the first time for both of us. I’ve spent time in other large cities, like Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Houston, but New York is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The contrast of old and modern, the history and the industry, the sheer number of buildings and people and cars…

With the enormity of the city, the history, culture, shopping, and tourist sites, you could easily spend a month there and not see everything you want to. So many people have asked me, “Oh, did you see (this)? Did you go (there)?” And often my answer is no, because we only had 5 days! 4 1/2 really, because the last day we had to head home after breakfast. But we tried to pick a little of the best of everything – activities and events that were important to us and lots of fun!

Here are a few things we learned along the way:

Transportation

1. If you are picking up a rideshare from the airport to get to your hotel, make sure you do it through the app on your phone. The guy standing near baggage claim holding up an Ipad with the Uber logo does NOT work for Uber. He will happily steer you to a car outside where his buddy who may or may not speak English will hopefully drive you where you need to go. Yeah, this was a rookie mistake on our part. But hey – we didn’t get kidnapped so there’s that…
2. I do NOT suggest renting a car. The traffic is as crazy as you see in the movies. Lanes are merely a suggestion, five cars will squeeze into the space of three, and everyone’s honking. Pedestrians mostly cross with the lights but not always. Pretty stressful! So add some money into your budget for rideshares and the subway, and bring your walking shoes.
3. Don’t be afraid to take the subway – it was not as bad as we thought it would be. One of the trains was a little smelly, but only one! Rides are $2.90 each and you just tap your debit/credit card. Or you can buy a metro card which will give you unlimited rides for 7 days for $34. I did notice several people having difficulty getting the metro cards to work going through the turnstiles. We ended up just paying by the trip. The MTA app gave info on scheduling, which trains to take, and how to get to the stations.