My New York Top 5

I was reading Bianca’s blog the other day and was inspired by her Hong Kong Top 10. I thought of making my list too!

I’ve been in New York “physically” for 4 months and a half now, but as I am writing this, I feel like I “am not” really here. YET. From the moment I step foot in the land of Starbucks and pizza, I have been working for 60 hours a week. NO FAIL. I work in an audit firm, no surprise there. And I came in at around winter time. Even if I have free time on weekends, there’s really nowhere I’d rather be than in my bed, sipping hot cocoa and watching Pinoy t.v. shows online. Awww… how I miss Philippine television…. even the commercials. Haha.

Come spring time… Well, spring is supposed to start on March 22. But it looks like we have an extended winter here. It snowed on the first day of spring and last Saturday was still technically winter – 30 degrees F and wind is 25 mph! Can you imagine me in my ballet flats and cotton trench queuing up for more than an hour outside the DMV office (read as LTO in Pinas)? I can’t believe I survived such terrible ordeal. That was, by far, the worst winter experience I’ve ever had. But that story deserves another blog post. Haha.

So really and truly, I haven’t experienced “life” in this concrete-jungle-where-dreams-are-made-of place they call New York. But I do have a few favorites I’d like to share with you guys (as of today…).

1. Central Park – Who doesn’t love Central Park? For me, Central Park is like a heavenly spa in the middle of the toxicity that is New York City. Last Sunday, our firm sponsored a Run for Japan event at the park and I was so ecstatic. I think I was the first one to sign up. :) I invited the other Pinoys in the office to join as well. I’m not really a runner nor sporty for that matter, but the thought of helping Japan in my own little way plus the chance of exploring the park is just SO worth it. At first I was worried cos the course is a complete loop around the park which is like 6 miles or almost 10 kilometers (oh no! haha), but the organizer said it’s not gonna be a straight run or a race, like we could walk or run at our own pace. So I was relieved but still convinced that I’m gonna be the first one to quit. Haha.

To cut the story short, my friends and I were 30 minutes late (boo traffic), took a shortcut, had multiple stopovers for camwhoring, and ended up the first ones to finish the course. LOL. But I really enjoyed it that I’m thinking of making it a Sunday thing. I still have to convince my friends to join me, though – of course, I need someone to take my photos running/walking is no fun if you’re alone. Central Park is too gorgeous for loners! Everything is just so beautiful – the cherry blossoms, the lake, the greens!, the horse drawn carriages (Princess Sarah ang Munting Prinsesa lang ang peg), the castle and statues, the kids eating ice cream, the hot men on bicycles, still the hot men on bicycles, and oh, the hot men on bicycles. Haha. Seriously, I can imagine myself laying out a picnic blanket under a tree, reading a book while drinking milkshake or eating ice cream in the summer. Oh, I cannot wait for you real spring and summer!!

I have so many gorgeous photos of the park but I don't want this blog to look like a photo album, so here are some of my favorites:








2. Shopping Returns – The other thing I love about America, in general, is the convenience of returning items you bought. Last week, I gifted myself with retail therapy for being the hardworking girl that I’ve been for the past 4 months. And being the impulsive shopper that I am, I ended up buying unnecessary stuff. The minute I walked out of the shop, I realized that either I didn’t need this thing or I didn’t really look good in/with this thing. So the following weekend, I ended up returning everything I bought (my bank account is smiling!), including the make-up and sunnies which I already used for 4 days. No qualms, no hassle at all! Of course, I told them I already used the make-up but the saleslady just said “OK” in a very perky way. I love America!! Haha. (My friend told me that they would use those used make-ups as samplers.) Wouldn’t it be great if we have this kind of system in Pinas? Yes, you can still return items in Pinas but it will be such a hassle – the saleslady will consult the supervisor, the supervisor will consult the manager, the manager will eventually reject the return and you will go home with a frown on your face.

3. Weather Forecast – A co-worker once said, “I don’t like having www.weatherchannel.com as my fashion consultant every morning.” Haha. But this is very, very true! The first thing I do when I wake up is check the weatherchannel app on my phone. If you don’t dress and wear the appropriate shoes, then your day will totally suck. One time I wore ballet flats and skirt sans stockings and ended up soaked in the rain – because I ignored the 40% precipitation forecast. And like I mentioned earlier, I ended up literally freezing outside the DMV office for more than an hour because I ignored the 25mph wind forecast (and also because I didn’t know that we have to queue up outside the office in the friggin cold!). The weather forecast is just amazingly accurate. My note to self – Don’t take any chances, BELIEVE in the weatherchannel.

4. Subway – New York may not have the cleanest subway stations in the world but I still love it purely for accessibility. New York is the only state in America where people don’t actually need cars because public transportation systems are very accessible. All I need is a 30-day Metrocard, PATH card (for Jersey City) and a HopStop app on my phone and I’m good to go. I wish I could install a HopStop chip in my brain, though. :)


the cleanest subway station I've ever seen - PATH station at the World Trade Center (partly because it's the newest I guess after 9/11)

5. Free newspaper – The first person to greet me in the morning is the newspaper guy at the subway station – yelling “Metro! Metro!” or “A.M. New York! Free coupons at Macy’s!”. Haha. Yes, the tabloids here are free!! I asked my friend how these newspaper companies generate revenues, aside from ads, if they hand out the papers for free, and he said it’s purely from ads. He further said that they conduct some surveys which the advertisers use as their basis on which tabloid they’re going to place their ads on. Amazing isn’t it? Huge savings for morning paper readers - how much are these in Pinas nowadays?


I hope my list will become longer and longer as I discover more of NYC (and Jersey City) this year. I am excited for the warmer months and the fall foliage!! :)