I'm going to be visiting New York for 2 weeks in March, however, I sort of booked the flights on a very random whim. (I'm from the UK)
I've never been to America before, has anyone got any reccomendations for things to do (ideally local cool stuff, not stuff like rockefeller/empire state etc), is there also other states/cities you can travel to that are worth going to outside of NYC that you can get to by train? I've not booked accomodation yet and honestly I don't mind having to book a short amount of time to stay in NYC then heading out of NYC/out of state for a bit.
Also, I just realised i'm there for St Patricks day, am I going to be killed on sight for being English?
For 2 weeks I wouldn't stray too far from the NE or else you'll waste a lot of your trip traveling.
If it were me I'd detour to see smithsonian and white house in Washington DC and other cool monuments. Along with what other cool museums are there & in NYC
These are great suggestions, thanks!
Honestly onee of my main goals of the trip is to come out of my shell a bit, so ideally i'd wanna meet random people.
Are you traveling solo? I’m the anon who rec’d the comedy clubs, honestly those are pretty great for meeting people if you hang out at the bar or go outside to smoke. Met a ton of cool people by bumming smokes or vice versa. Side note on comedy, if you end up doing that you will want to go online and buy tickets in advance, all the good shows will sell out a few days ahead of time. If you see one that you want to go to and it’s sold out you can go earlier and get on the wait list but it’s a crapshoot. Beyond going to bars/clubs meeting people can be tough, maybe look into some meetup type shit based on hobbies of yours? Never done that but know people who have. Are you young? Maybe look at a hostel for part of your stay strictly to try to meet some people to go do stuff with if you’re going alone. That or an Airbnb that has good reviews where people mention the host being cool. I did that the first time I went to NYC and ended up going out with the host chick every night and had a really good time since she knew the city and took me to a bunch of places I never would’ve known about otherwise. Hope you have a fun trip. Some unsolicited advice: if you end up getting drunk late at night take an Uber back to your place, the subway can get sketchy late, especially if you frick up and end up on the wrong train which is easy to do. Also if you like ramen go to Karakatta and Ramen Ishida, you won’t be disappointed.
>Are you traveling solo?
Yeah, first solo trip ever.
I'll definitely keep all of this stuff in mind, I wasn't sure about doing a hostel as I heard americans have a different view on what Hostels are for compared to most of Europe (i.e its more for homeless people than for travelers)
The airbnbs look quite nice but I was under the impression they were banned/heavily restricted in NYC? That sounds good though!
I'm really looking forward to it but was just worried that 2 weeks might be too much.
You’d have to do some research on hostels, you’re right they won’t be like euro ones but there’s bound to be at least one or two that are decent. Just read about the Airbnb crackdown, hadn’t heard of that. I imagine there are still some good ones but a hotel might be the way to go. 2 weeks is a good amount of time, making a rough itinerary will be beneficial so you don’t get bored of wandering around and if you want to get out of the city for a little bit I’d either go to DC like the other anon said or you could take the metro north train to somewhere upstate but you’ll be pretty limited up there without a car. There’s no shortage of stuff to do in NYC but you’ll have to put some effort in to researching places to check out. Don’t be afraid to go up to queens (flushing is Chinatown 2.0, all the best Chinese food is there) or out to Park Slope in Brooklyn. Go to Da Nonna Rosa for pizza if you make it out there. Greenwood cemetery in park slope is really nice to walk thru as well. Look up the Met Cloisters up above Harlem, that would be a fun day trip. You’re making me miss NYC anon, enjoy it for me. If I think of anything else I’ll drop it in the thread
I've been drunk and taken the subway in Manhattan a few times without much trouble. It's probably fine right? Funnily enough the only time I remember being harassed was when I waited outside a comedy club for 3 minutes for my uber to arrive
The subway is fine for the most part but late night can get sketchy, all fun and games until you’re locked in a subway car with a deranged nig at 2am
I was out after 12am but yeah I can see how the risk is higher
What do you like to do? If you like comedy then the Comedy Cellar (Greenwich village) and/or The Stand (near union square) are a must. Close to the cellar is a great little jazz club called Smalls, the musicians there are almost always top notch and it’s really comfy. Greenwich is just a fun place to wander around in general, lots of interesting shops and restaurants to find. There’s also a Japanese jazz bar near midtown called Tomi that is worth checking out, really good food and drinks, cozy atmosphere and the music is usually solid but you will spend some money. Gotta get there early or you will wait in line. If you just want to hang out and people watch go to Washington square park during the day. Renting a city bike and riding around the city or over one of the bridges into Brooklyn is fun and a good way to cover a lot of ground without having to Uber or take the subway. Download an app like city mapper to help navigate the subway. The Met and Moma museums are both amazing. Central Park is nice to walk/bike around in, same goes for Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Walk around Soho if you’re a fashion gay or just want to see a lot of hot women. East village and lower east side are good for night life and food, that’s where most of the younger crowd is. Same goes for Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn. If you gave more info about what you like to do I could make more specific suggestions.
1 week NYC
2 days Philly
5 days DC
^ My recommendation, use Amtrak
In NYC, have at least one day where you just walk around random neighborhoods (check the cnn dotmap first of course) and take the subway all over town. It's wonderful. I wish I still lived there and could do that.
Don't want to make a new thread. Should I come to USA through Visa Waiver Program as a young man with little money ? I'm mostly interested in hiking, nature and countryside. Could I just hitchike, sleep in tent and occasionally in hostels through whole country, maybe stay with someone through workaway? I like the idea of traveling like a bum
>hitchhike
You can, but it's really not a good idea in the US
>sleep in tent
Best idea - you should look up the major trails (PCT, Appalachian to name a few) and follow those, and you'll never need to spend any money besides food/supplies in town. I'd recommend the northeast US from personal experience for its natural beauty in just about any season, although the northern PCT is highly regarded and the Smoky Mountains are probably the most authentically American hike possible
>hostels
They suck in the US and they're much, much less geared towards normal young people, more any age group of people very down on their luck
>workaway
Second best option, Americans are very nice and probably very receptive to workawayers. A lot harder if you're brown/black, mind you. Also Americans work possibly the hardest of any western culture so you'll wanna put in some serious effort to look good in that regard
I'd honestly recommend taking Amtrak if you have the money for it. Lines like the Empire Builder will bring you across the western two thirds for about $200, and it's usually cheaper than flying or risking a shitty hitchhiking experience
why not a good idea? I imagine because you could get arrested ? I worked plenty hard work, farms, construction etc so it doesnt bother me too much. I'm white and christian. Is it possible to work for something like day wages? like for random people? because where I am from that stuff is unheard of
>I imagine because you could get arrested
No, because you will get killed/murdered/raped/drugged/kidnapped/all of the above.
>Lines like the Empire Builder will bring you across the western two thirds for about $200
I don't recommend anything over 24 hours on amtrak in coach/business class.
I'd spend 4x as much on a roomette, private room, bed, and all meals included, plus you can bring your own alcohol when you've got a private room.
Doing NYC-DC in coach is fine as it's only 4-5 hours, but I wouldn't do the Empire Builder or California Zypher in coach.
>tfw i took 6 overnight trains in a month using the 10 ride in a month pass
You have to be, uh, a special kind of person to tolerate it. God I hate half of the fellow coach passengers (Menonites were cool)
Yea, you fricked up. I could do a single overnight in coach or business, but I'd take a roomette as long as it wasn't absurdly more expensive. And on any trip longer than 24 hours, a roomette at minimum is required to not feel like a zombie by the end.
OP here, just reviving the thread - regarding St Patricks day, do you think it's better to be in NYC for it, or go to Philly/DC for it?
NYC would be better, DC's bar scene is kinda boring with all the uptight glowies and political staffers it's not enjoyable for me to be around them but Boston would be the most Irish-identifying place in the country hands down. And no people won't really care, the distinction between British and Irish is lost on a lot of Americans (there's a Churchill/WWII Britain themed bar where I live, they serve Irish beer mostly) though Americans are far more sympathetic to the Irish cause in the Troubles than the British position.
Top of the Rock is worth it. Do it at night on a weekday and bring bills to exchange for quarters so you can use the binoculars.
The MET is massive and you could burn 4-5 hours in it easily.
Eat bagels with cream cheese and coffee to go for breakfast. Eat fruit at some point during the day so you don’t get scurvy, and buy grab-n-go shit or takeout and eat it at your hotel for dinner. Or use Uber eats. Eating dinner solo is cringe but breakfast and lunch is fine.
If you stay at a hotel, the Moxy brand is geared more towards young people but pretty expensive. Could probably meet a few people there at the bar. Airbnb is in fact ded. Never stayed at one with the host in it so I don’t know how that will be but you could try it.
The ramble is the best part of Central Park imo. Very peaceful and serene. Most tourists stop when they get to Bethesda fountain for some reason.
MoMa is pretty meh but starry night and the melting clocks painting by Dali are in there.
Times Square is shit. North of Times Square is very shit. Most of midtown is shit really imo. Something about the grid.
Gangs of teenagers can actually frick you up. Be careful on the subway. Don’t get into a train where it’s just you and a gang of teenagers. Stick together with normal looking people.
Don’t go to the bronx.
The Rock has the best view especially because you can't see the other landmarks when you're on them.
Do go to the Bronx and walk the Botanical Garden then eat at Enzo's on Arthur Avenue.
Fan of the sosaties at Kaia.
Dim sum at the ballroom at the top of the New World Mall.
Got a massive stock tip eating the herring sampler at Smorgas Chef.
Baked cheese at Çka Ka Qëllue.
Pick a country, from Tibet to Yemen, and the odds are there will be a specialized restaurant for it.
>Eat fruit at some point during the day so you don’t get scurvy, and buy grab-n-go shit or takeout and eat it at your hotel for dinner. Or use Uber eats. Eating dinner solo is cringe but breakfast and lunch is fine.
Peak SighSee NEET behavior. Thanks for the laugh
OP said he is traveling solo. If I hadn't thrown that part in there, we'd get another "Solo travel sucks I hate eating alone" thread in a week.
There's nothing cringe about eating alone. If anything, NYC caters to solo eaters. You really think in a city with so many people anyone gives 2 shits about someone eating alone? Also, ordering Uber Eats is the worst thing you could do. Mutumbo or Enrique will drop your bag multiple times, pick food from the box, and generally not care what happens to your order all the while you pay 2x what its actually worth. Either call the restaurant directly or pick up the food on your own
Visit midtown and times square. It's required. They suck but that's why you need to visit them.
You'll see lots of confused foreign (and domestic) tourists, ooga booga bix nood hustlers and peddlers, giant advertisements for products no one needs, and headquarters of many financial institutions (most of them moved away from actual Wall street). It's basically the most compressed version of American culture.
>ideally local cool stuff, not stuff like rockefeller/empire state etc
yes I can help you. go to brownsville, brooklyn it’s a beautiful neighborhood especially at night. coney island at night too is a sight to behold, especially when taking a scenic walk towards seagate alone. be sure to catch the mesmerizing views on the free staten island ferry trip but DONT immediately get back on the boat to manhattan like all the other dumb tourists, get out of the terminal and explore some of the prettiest neighborhoods in all nyc: stapleton, tompkinsville, st george. you’re welcome
As a brooklyn native this is the best advice in this whole thread
OP here, im staying in an airbnb in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Am I fugged?
Since this thread already exists
I'm a solo traveler (M) from Europe and I want to visit a friend who works in NYC for 2 weeks next spring or late summer.
It will be my first visit to the US.
I can be pretty introverted on solo trips so is it dumb to visit such an extroverted city on your first trip?
NY is whatever you make of it, but expensive no matter what.
Make sure you visit the south bronx, the locals are very friendly and welcoming, if you see a group of black teenagers make sure you say “whats up my homies”. The best part of brooklyn is brownsville, there’s always lots of groups of people out at night so it never gets boring! Everyone is so hospitable and approachable they’ll even offer you weed and they love to share their music with the whole neighborhood through their car speakers. Overall it’s basically utopia, any bad stories you hear are just there to scare the gentrifiers off, enjoy!
Damn, can't wait to share my music with the locals!
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Unless they recognized the meme there's almost no chance they'd even notice the homonym over muh dik.
>Make sure you visit the south bronx, the locals are very friendly and welcoming, if you see a group of black teenagers make sure you say “whats up my homies”.
Lol. This is exactly what my drunken wife once did. These young, black fellas started looking around because their brains couldn't match what they heard with that chubby blonde tourist who just walked by.
Fun times, but wouldn't recommend.
When she was sober she refused to even make me a photo in The Hub. Out of all places we've been (included several absolute shitholes of Africa, Asia and Europe) South Bronx was the place where she was affraid someone would see her phone and rob us. However drinks in NYC usually consist more alcohol.
it’s a gorgeous neighborhood with so much to do. it’s great the real estate israelites started calling it SoBro. really fun place, OP should definitely go there. He should do Harlem and SoBro in one day, that would be so cash so for a first time NY tourist
Stick to the blue areas