NYC through my eyes

Its been quite some time since I did a travel post. And I've done a fair bit of traveling for the past few months for work and otherwise. New York City has somehow become my go to place over the last few years. Its pace and texture is so different. Since I'm a metropolitan person, the big city life appeals to me. I've lived in every one of the boroughs. But my favorite would have to be in Brooklyn and the Far Rockaways.
I like the quiet of Mount Vernon and the wide spectrum of people you see in Queens but being by the seaside is truly amazing. You hear the ocean, see it from your window and it fills you with peace. So much so, that my (WIP) 'Rockaway Quietus' was inspired by the place.
Central Park West
If you want to navigate New York as a first time tourist, you need two things - a phone with GPS and a metrocard.
The first- a GPS phone, because NYC is very easy to navigate using google maps or transit apps. Its pretty much down to the tee. Streets, restaurants, distance and even shortest routes. Its almost exact. You won't get lost. The transit app, tells you which subway line to take and where to get off etc.
The other thing is a metro card. The public system, buses and subways are one of the best in the world. At least, as far as I've come across. I'm sure Dubai, Seoul and the EU have better public transit.
Empire State Building Lobby
Go to the booth or the vending machine, a single metrocard is 1$ and then you can get an unlimited ride card or just keeping adding value or time. Its very simple. Most credit cards work. As long as you pay the basic fare, you can use the metrocard and travel througout NY without fuss. No need of cabs or cars, its pretty neat.

I've clicked loads of snaps(over 300), in the summer, winter, autumn. I'm just sharing a few, I honestly wish I could share all of them.
Little Italy
The first I would suggest anyone is a walking tour. In fact, its become my top event on a checklist when I go to a new place. Sign up for a walking tour. Don't go into something too specific. Just a general one, to give you the breadth of the city. Walking tours also include subway rides, so you learn how to travel, how to use the maps, how to change lines, what's uptown and downtown. I did a walking tour and I knew exactly what I wanted to see after and where I wanted to spend more time.
Like I knew I didn't want to go to ground zero. I also knew that I had to come back to Times Square on my own or Grand Central.In that sense walking tours can provide you with options, what to see or ignore.
Brooklyn Bridge


I've shared pictures of the epic Brooklyn Bridge, the green of Central Park West and Little Italy being really little as it gets engulfed by Chinatown. I wish I could post more snaps of Grand Central and Lady Liberty and Times Square, maybe in another post.

At the risk of sounding like a travel writer, I have to say, travelling to NYC is pretty easy. It may seem daunting at first, but with the glut of tourists, its surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it.

Song on my Playlist: Faith Hill - It matters to me