Welome to New York

On our second day in the Empire City, some relatives came to see me and my mom. They took us to Battery Park, which is at the southern tip of Manhattan, where we could see the Statue of Liberty from a distance. We then had lunch at my cousin's all time fave - Chipotle! Personally not a big fan of the Mexican cuisine, but that was an exception! 

Then made our way to the famous 843 acre Central Park. It was filled with people having picnics, biking and walking around, and there were even some who were sunbathing! A very relaxed place, indeed! 

After the 3 km walk from Central Park to Dylan's Candy Bar (owned by Dylan Lauren, son of designer Ralph Lauren), we refuelled our energies by getting some sweets! From jelly beans to M&Ms to chocolate fondues, it was definitely my happy place!! Less than a block away was Serendipity 3, a dessert place. It was featured in the film "Serendipity" back in 2001, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. It's so popular that you have to wait an hour and a half to get a table!

Exhausted from all the walking, the sugar rush, and maybe a bit of shopping on our way back, we were back at the hotel by 7 in the evening. Planned to head out again after an hour or two, however we were fast asleep by 8! Tiring, but a great day, nonetheless!

Bright Lights, Big City

After a 15 hour flight from Hong Kong, I found myself in NYC! Was I excited!? I could hardly wait to explore the city!! I last visited the Big Apple when I was eight years old, so coming here ten years later gave me a completely different take on it!

We stayed at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel on 34th and 8th - right at the heart of Manhattan. The bright lights of Times Square was just a couple of blocks away! Also known as the "Center of the Universe", it was amazing how alive it still was when we got there close to midnight. The streets were packed with tourists and locals just taking in what it had to offer. "Artists" dressed as famous movie characters from Captain America to Elmo, women with nothing on but body paint luring tourists for a photo in exchange for a few dollars, electronic billboards and skyscrapers, famous retail stores, Broadway theatres, restaurants and food trucks - name it and Times Square definitely has it!

Indeed, by the looks of my first night here, New York is definitely a city that never sleeps!