New York is definitely a journey of ups and down. I only was able to spend four days there but the time I did spend was quite fun and informing.

For this travel guide I am going to share some of the places, restaurants I visited and my experience.

First Expressions

When we first landed in New York, I started to tear up because I had always heard about this place, saw it in movies. Since I was a little girl, I just always wanted to visit. It was my dream city.

I landed at the LaGuardia Airport, it was smaller than our airport at home or the one in Atlanta but it was fine. The Uber driver had a New York accent and was very kind in helping put the luggage in the car.

The Uber drive from LaGuardia to Manhattan was no joke, I have never been in a Uber for over 20 minutes. I was able to get a mini tour of the surrounding areas.

Once I made it to Manhattan I started to feel tingly inside because I started seeing those tall buildings, subway stations and people everywhere.

The subway..

I am from Michigan we don’t have subways or trains to take us across the town. The only forms of public transportation we have are city buses and the QLine which doesn’t travel throughout the entire state.

Not going to lie, I was kind of scared about the subway because I heard so many negatives things about it. Plus recently in the news, there has been so many different stories out about people being pushed, stabbings and more. I know I am from Detroit but..I just didn’t know what to expect.

Luckily though, the subway was right across from my hotel (Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Midtown Manhattan/Penn Station)

The best spot for a hotel because not only was it close to the subway but Times Square was about a ten minute walk.

My group and I got a little turned around in the Penn Station but we asked for some help. After getting the metro cards, it was time to hit the train. Not going to lie, it was really fast paced and confusing.  To this day, I still don’t get the whole ordeal, it definitely gave trial and error. Not to mention, I almost got lost and almost ended up in the Bronx.. or maybe Queens.

I notice some trains were newer than others but one thing I liked was how diverse they were. We had businessmen from Wall Street, students, homeless people, influencers and just so many more. It was a shock to see so many people use it.

The rides were fast, then some were slow. Can’t lie though, it was dirty and I definitely would dread being on it during cold or flu season. I couldn’t imagine neither how it was during the hard hitting parts of the pandemic.

I rate the subway a 6/10 only because I feel it was quite dirty and I did find in neighbors that weren’t “well to do” or “tourist locations” they were kind of sketchy.

Shopping

The shopping was amazing, I would be very poor in New York because the amount of shopping they have that is in proximity is crazy to me.

H&M is my go to spot and I was only able to go the location in Times Square. It was three floors of pure chaos but it was worth it. I saw a lot of in store inclusive items that made me scream. Sadly, my suitcase was already full with items so it definitely was going to be hard to add any more items. Next time I am going to bring an extra suitcase so I can shop more.

Zara was expensive and not worth it. The only Zara store in Michigan is located at Somerset Mall in Troy.  I haven’t been to that one but I will say the one in New York was not hitting on much. My only issue with the New York location is the fact they put clothes back on the shelf that had makeup or deodorant stains. I know many stores do that but I am sorry, charging $50 and up for a dress that has brown foundation on it sounds crazy to me.

I may be a shopaholic but I am not a dummy, I am not buying a $50 dress with Fenty shade 42 on it.

On another note SoHo had the cleanest Forever 21 I had ever saw. When I say this store was spotless, I mean it was spotless. It also was empty so… YEAH.

Can’t forget I also got to visit the Hype Beast headquarters aka Supreme. It was definitely what I thought it was going to be. A bunch of artsy, skater men in oversized clothes. They were nice though and very helpful in finding items if you needed help.

I rate shopping in NYC an 10/10, because it was just an amazing experience. Definitely have to go back to visit the H&M with the home department.

Restaurants

Not too much to say about the food in New York because I didn’t eat a lot. I had your basic breakfasts, pizza, tacos and stuff like that. If you are interested in some good chicken and waffles check out, “CHICKEN N WAFFLES” on 9th Ave.

I also suggest Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Grill, it’s a cute date night or girls night out experience. The drinks are a little strong, I ordered a “Berry Bubbly” and a “Paloma”. The scene was very pretty and definitely just a place to vibe out. Can’t forget to mention how good the music was too.

How can I forgot, the BIG THIN SLICE PIZZA. New York pizza is something you just got to TRY. NY Pizza Suprema was a great pizza spot.

Fashion

One thing about New York, the fashion girlies and guys are going to DRESS. I could rant all day and night about the looks I saw. Only could imagine how it would be during New York Fashion Week.

I was so impressed, from the oversized layered looks to the bold statement looks. Subway fashion? Yes, please.

Times Square

It is everything you dream of, it’s big, colorful and it’s just beautiful. I think everyone needs to visit Times Square once in their life. On a Wednesday night, it still had that big magical effect, which let me know just how impactful it is.

You have to visit the M&M and Hershey stores, they are just an experience within themselves.

One thing I did notice though was how big the shopping doors were! They were so huge and not to mention, super heavy. I literally struggled.

Overall I rate Times Square 10/10… Forgot to mention, they had the best tasting Olive Garden. The view, the food, the service, a chefs kiss. I love you Olive Garden Times Square.

Extractions

The 9/11 Memorial Park hit my emotions, seldom feelings came over me when I went there. You can feel that feeling that something tragic happened there. I believe everyone should go and pay their respects, it’s history.

Plus everyone should see that gigantic skyscraper, the One World Trade Center. It was so big and just breath taking.

The 9/11 Mall was nice as well, it’s in the shape of a dove. It looks small from the outside but it’s about three stories. Shout out out to the Walgreens for having some tights.. I had a fashion crisis and really needed to change my tights.

I wasn’t able to get inside of the 9/11 Museum because I should have purchased my tickets beforehand. When I return, I will be going. I suggest purchasing your tickets beforehand, that line is long.

The Statue of Liberty is a MUST, she’s a beaut. The ferry ride and just all felt like I was in a dream. It was so beautiful but I am not going to lie walking up to the pedestal was not.

Look, I was dressed to impress which means in my book something I wore was uncomfortable. I walked 215 steps in a knee boot with a block heel. Let’s talk calf muscles…

It was worth it, but would I do it again? Maybe…

I definitely suggest everyone should attend a live taping of a daytime or nighttime talk show. I was able to go to a Wendy Williams live taping and it was definitely an experience. She wasn’t there but the guest host was Michael Rapaport. If anyone is interested in a detailed post about how experience was definitely comment below.

Washington Square Park was also an experience that was so unique. A park with live music, skaters and random men attempting to sell drugs to you. That’s Washington Square Park in a nutshell.

I suggest everyone to check it out and see what the entertainment of the day will be.

The Brooklyn Museum was my only hiccup because they’re supposed to close ay 6:00 p.m. but were kicking us out at 5:20. Make it make sense. Overall from what I was able to see, it was okay but not something I would go back to.

These are not even the half of the things New York has to offer, it’s so many more. Overall I rate these all together a 10/10.

Questionable things..

Where were the gas stations, car dealerships, or auto repair shop. Not sure if it’s because I am from the motor city but I definitely was curious as to why I never saw a gas station and I traveled to about four different neighborhoods.

Something else that made me raise a brow was how the cities were so overpopulated. We were walking in crowds a lot of the times. I don’t see how people work in that capacity.

People were very off into their own thing, they didn’t care about what others had going on, they were very much minding their own business. This didn’t bother me at all because I am okay with people not being overly friendly.

Another thing I wondered about was New York’s homeless population. Obviously it’s a tourist location and I am sure that’s bringing in a lot of money. My thing is why isn’t that money being used to fund housing or helping these individuals.

“Clutching my pearls” is what I call having to hold my bag closed to me wherever I walk. That got on my nerve or having to hold my phone super close to me. It’s just so many people, you have no choice but to have  your bags that close.

I also understood why nobody drives, the walkers don’t obey the traffic lights. It was pure chaos, can’t lie.

Overall.. New York was an experience

I definitely am going to go back to New York, because I have a lot of unfinished business. More shopping, tourist attractions and foods to try.

Everyone should go to New York, it’s a scene right out of one of your favorite movies.

Oh and last thing.. bring your biggest coat. She’s a cold place.

If you enjoy these travel guides with Chan, check out my edition on Atlanta.