So... Welcome back! I will be talking about the 4 days we spent in NYC just the first 2 days for part 1 cos I'm taking tooooo long to complete the post. The time we spent in New York were primarily focused on the Manhattan borough, with just a bit in Brooklyn. As I've said, there's just so, so, so much to do and 4 days is definitely not enough if you plan to cover Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island (essentially the 4 other boroughs that makes up NYC). 

Before the word vomit begins... Here's a short continuation from the previous prep post (click if you haven't read it)! 

A great time to visit would be in the late spring/early summer months (June - Sep), where temperature ranges between 28 - 18°C in NY and varying between 28 - 16°C in LA and 23 - 14°C in SF. You get about 13 - 15hrs of daylight every day (sun rises at approx 0530hrs and sets at approx 2030hrs) and by getting up and out of the house early (probably 9am?), you can definitely make full use of the loooong day time to see and do more.

If I get another chance to do this again, I'd definitely stay for the 4th July fireworks and celebration. What's more American than Independence Day? #kidding

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Lastly, look out for the gold stars ('★') in the post for extras on how to save money! All prices are in USD unless otherwise stated.

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Overview of what we did in NYC...

(Click to enlarge)

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 Day One – NYC 

Imagine being in for transit the last 48hrs and suddenly when you land... BAM! It's 7am (again) and the day ahead is waiting for you to conquer it. Not the best way to combat jet lag or adjust your body to the new, foreign land eh? But... A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Making our way over to the apartment couldn't be easier. 

 We stayed at Greg & Olivia's apartment in the Lower East Side (LES). It is located on the second floor and there are no lifts, but it is still rather easily accessible for two Asian girls with 23kg luggages. Our host respects our privacy and never makes us feel uncomfortable. You can speak to them if you happen to bump into them in the apartment but it is also alright if you don't. Check-in was fuss free and everything else is well taken care of. We were out most of the time, so we only used the apartment at night. 

 Conveniently located within 5 mins walk from East Broadway station (F line) or 10 mins from Delancey St/Essex St station (J/Z line), you'll be able to get around to the main attractions on the Manhattan island with ease. Almost directly connected to JFK airport, it's about 23 stops (or approx 45mins) to Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av station, where you can switch to the AirTrain JFK. 

It is also just a stop away from York St (Brooklyn) on the F line so you have the option of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, explore Brooklyn Heights and the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park (stellar view of the Manhattan skyline) then take the metro back! 

Starving, starving and just really starving after settling down at the apartment, we made a dash for Two Hands Cafe, which was about 10 mins walk away. Sunday can almost be spelt as Brunchday these days, so you can already imagine how packed it was when we arrived at about 2pm. After an hour or so (in the sun), we got seated and guess what? My choice - Ham & Cheese Croissant was already sold out. I don't take avocados, so...


we share a Bacon & Egg Sambo, $7. It was okay. Not fantastic, especially delicious or unique... Maybe because the popular dishes are already snagged up and/or have avocado in it. Or perhaps it was the long wait, or my tastebuds being funky after such a long journey without rest. I probably wouldn't come back here, sorry!

Two Hands is located at 164 Mott Street, New York. Menu here. Opening hours 8am - 6pm every day.


Doesn't this place look like a corner in Hong Kong? Walking along these streets remind me of the times when I was there, with the cold noodles in one hand and milk tea in another. We passed by many other stalls selling fresh produce and it immediately transported me back to the streets of Jordan and how I found Wellcome near our Airbnb apartment... All that instant noodle hoarding. Hahaha!! That's one thing I (or rather the auntie in me) do no matter which country I am in - RAID THE SUPERMARKET! FIND ALL THE INSTANT NOODLES!

... And then. Wandered around Little Italy and found ourselves in the heart of SoHo by accident. What a beautiful accident, because we took a shortcut (more like the deviate from Google Maps' route cos look we have a badass over here #LULZ) and found...
The Apartment by The Line!

Okay we didn't really "chance upon" this place since the entrance is so obscure/minimal/hipster, you have to already know this place to know which lift to take to which level that opens up to this glorious heaven.

This space is possibly every self-respecting instagrammer's dream insta-home where you can do everything and nothing at the same time. Everything because every corner is so ~styled~ you can casually throw a stone and it would land artistically in the spot you want it to, and nothing because you don't want to do something, mess up that space and having to recreate that look. We've all #beenthere #donethat and are wise enough to know that there's no way to get the lamp to tilt the same angle again.

Okay now for real. A unit occupying the whole of level 3, this is a unique concept store in the style of an apartment (as the name suggests). Almost* every single thing you see in there is for sale and they provide a host of many complimentary home styling, wardrobe and personal shopper service, with an appointment.

*Almost, not all because I touched something I liked (it's the only thing without a price tag, life 1 : me 0) but my pride and cheap wallet forbade me from asking. It must've went like...
Sofa with rare polar bear fur rug: $X,XXX
King-sized bed with cashmere bedlinen: $XX,XXX
Random bag on the floor: $X,XXX
Asian tripping, stumbling, flipping, fumbling for price tag: priceless

Jokes aside, be a shameless tourist in this case and just snap away (respectfully)! Come in the day, where the Apartment should be basked in ample natural light. If you're lucky (or not, I don't know), there will be someone else in there with you and you won't feel like the only one doing this. All the Manolos and Jimmy Choos... And my broken, ratchet Nikes.


I can only imagine how decadently luxurious it must be to be unwinding in this tub, with water or not, while looking out of the windows and waiting for someone to make eye contact + for them to realise they're looking at you looking at them from a bathtub.

HAHA. Also, this is my lock screen wallpaper because #whynot #randomroominspo #inspireeveryday #theluxelife #fakeittillyoumakeit

The Apartment by The Line is located at 76 Greene St. Opens 11am - 6pm Tue to Sat, 12pm - 5pm on Sun. Closed on Mon.


 So we got back on track and detoured to Dean & Deluca to grab some fancy foodstuff. Guess who we saw at the entrance holding the door for his fellow Asian shoppers... Edison Chen!!!!! What a polite, cultured young man who bothered holding the door for 2 ratchet asians digging for coins that fell into her bag. Maybe it's that neon green running tee that is impossible to not notice, maybe it's that unmistakable charm but damn I muttered a weak 'Thanks', eyes on the floor and walked out.

Urgh ok I've hit the daily limit of fangirling so anyway just look at all the takeout options there. That jumbo shrimp ($9 tho)!!! Quinoa and greens that I can't pronounce! Oriental Chow Mein salad!!! Oh god why don't we have these here. :(

After regaining consciousness (LOL), we went on ahead to shop in SoHo and the nearby streets. Cue lots and lots of H&M, Forever 21, Old Navy, & Other Stories and so much more! 


Should I buy this overlay dress from & Other Stories?? It's on sale!!! I wanted to think about it over sleep but I forgot about it the next day. HAHA #thenidontneedit

We took the metro back to our apartment. Oh the horrendous wait of close to 40mins for the freaking J line, cos we went for the Bowery -> Essex St route. Save some time by opting for the F line, Broadway-Lafayette St Subway and alight 3 stops later at East Broadway station. Blame it on the jet lag!


... All the healthier options earlier on but we had to go for Pizza. HAHAHHA #selfcontradictingasians

★ I love this pizza place so much! Inexpensive, filling and most importantly - delicious! At just $3.50 (or so) a slice, it definitely beats instant ramen dinner anytime. Yum! Tastes better than it looks, for sure. Comfort food at its best. 


Clinton's Square Pizza is located at 201 Clinton Street. Opening hours 11:00 - 20:00 so grab your pizza on the way out/back home?

Also no pics of the store front so I had to grab it from Google maps. If you're staying at Greg & Olivia's, it's less than 5 mins walk from the apartment.

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Day Two – NYC

Since brunch was pretty zzz the day before, we were determined to give it another try HAHA. 

Mandatory to start the day with an OOTD because this wall is right outside the apartment.

Brunch this round is at Egg Shop! It's quite empty because it's 11am on Monday and who hangs out for brunch on Mondays other than tourists... Hahaha I don't know. I had this burger thing and Cee had the most amazing breakfast bowl. #muchragratsthere

After banging my head on the wall a few times I finally recalled the name of the dishes I had. Burger pictured is the Eggshop B.E.C ($10) and THE amazing eggs benny Cee had is the Benedict ($12). 

I like how my burger came with jalapeño slices (see the green thing peeking out below the egg?), giving me the ~kick~ I needed. I don't usually eat flowy yolk (yeah I don't do avo and watery eggs, missing the point of this whole brunch thing) but coupled with perfectly done bacon (not too hard, not too soft) + some jalapeños, this 'broke yolk' is goooood! 

From Cee's IG here @ardaisy_

Yup, THE delicious bowl. I can almost taste it just by looking at the photo, damn. Benedict's highlight is the fried English muffin cubes beneath the eggs... Whatever oil it is fried in or sauce it is drizzled in, it is ACE. 10/10 would recommend anyone to go try this out if you're in NYC! Order the Benedict, it won't disappoint. 

Eggshop is located at 151 Elizabeth St, New York. The menu is available here.

Passed by Maman NYC as Cee wanted to grab a Matcha Latte. 


Beautiful, quaint interior. I guess it would make a great dinner spot. They serve up French and American treats - reminded me of the generous chocolate chip cookie that I didn't get (as I was still full from brunch)! :(

Maman NYC is located at 239 Centre St.




More #OOTD and a bad attempt at the #strideby. I have to work on maintaining a 'normal' expression as I'm walking, instead of looking like everyone owes me a million bucks... Hahaha.


What a beautiful, baroque style (?) building. This was the New York Police Department, if I'm not wrong? It is located at 240 Center St if you're interested to take a look!


Then... We passed by this entire row of cool & cheap shopping spots in Manhattan - other than your usual sale rack at H&M or F21. See that geotag above? It is located between Canal St and Prince St metro stations - the kind of workout you I can put up with. Plus, it's not available in Singapore (or outside NYC, for that matter). I present to you possibly the best find in the area... Necessary Clothing!

★ Necessary Clothing carries your usual fast fashion items - clothes, accessories and shoes. I love the shoe section - inexpensive and would look totally awesome in photos. Check them out here! I got myself a couple of ribbed cropped tees and off shoulder tops for just $4.99 each! What a steal!

Necessary Clothing is located at 442 and 443 Broadway. Is this Manhattan's best kept shopping secret???

Back on track (at last!) and making our way over to One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial via the metro. Take the J/Z line from Canal St -> Fulton St.

Follow the crowd because likely everyone is heading to the same place, haha!

 Very reflective and futuristic One World Trade Center.


 What is this thing called again???

** The is the World Trade Center Transit Station that just opened! What a futuristic and strange alien rib cage looking structure!

Even pano can't show you how big the pool is.

It was PACKED at the museum and queues to get in were as good as... Endless. So we skipped that and hung out at the memorial (park/open space where the pools were). The pools were where the towers stood... It's so huge... And I don't have words to describe how I felt when I was there. Looking at names of the victims and just being there where the towers stood, where the ruins were, where lives were lost and where the world learnt a very important, but costly lesson. It's quite overwhelming, I don't know why, but we left shortly. 

P.S. The Survivor Tree was full of prayer ribbons for the victims in the Orlando nightclub shooting. 

On the way to Brooklyn Bridge, we detoured once again and found popular discount retailer (where the red star is), Century 21! 

★ You kinda know it's a pretty neat place to shop at when it's so packed, right? Century 21 is the place you should go to especially if outlet shopping is inaccessible/unavailable to you. Offering many designer and luxury brands at discounted prices, there's definitely something for you. 

I got myself a Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel for only $150 (before tax). It is not even an outlet style and is still retailing in stores. A black pebbled leather coach wristlet is only $35 (before tax). 


The Minkoff bag that replaced my SLP Duffle 6 as the travel bag. Unbelievably cheap and still chic. You can tell how satisfied I am with this buy, haha!

Century 21 is located all over NYC and USA. The store we went to is located at 22 Cortlandt St.

New York City Hall at the entrance of Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan side. So... We're finally crossing the Bridge!!!

★ Take a free walking tour of the Brooklyn Bridge and nearby area by following the guide here. You shouldn't have to pay too much to walk... It should be the other way round right?? Anyway, you will NOT get lost if you follow road signage and google maps, so fret not! A guide would probably be helpful, but absolutely not compulsory or necessary (for us).


And it begins! So many people, so time to stand in the middle for a shot so you gotta snap really quick. Sections of the pedestrian walkway would occasionally be *emptier*, making it perfect for a solo shot! 

Take note though, cyclists are heartless (SOBS!) so watch out for speeding cyclists cos you snooze, you lose.


Sup? A rare quiet moment on the bridge.




Manhattan Bridge to the left.


More (faceless) pictures of me...


... And my ridiculously pissed-looking side profile. HAHAHAHAHHAHA

Fun facts about the Brooklyn Bridge:

- It measures approx 1,825m one way.

- There are 5,434 cables wounded together on each of the 4 suspension cables that hold up the bridge. 
- The bridge weighs 14,680 tons. That's 221,957 of me at any one time!

- The best time to cross the bridge would be at sunset, where you can see both Brooklyn and Manhattan light up as the sky darkens. In the day, you can even see the Statue of Liberty from the bridge!

Not so fun facts:

- Despite being only 1.8km one way, it took us a good 40minutes from one end to the other, with only occasional short stops along the way. 

- You can see the Park from the bridge, but it takes you approx 30mins walk from the moment you get off. 

- We clocked in a good 30,000 steps (!!!) from a whole day of walking – imagine how strong our calves are. See below for the route we took, which led us to the final stop of Pier 5!


All that crazy walking round and round and round the area. How many metro stations did we pass?!

POV at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, after walking all the way there and realising Luke's Lobster closes at 5pm... 4 hrs ago...

Dead. 

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Finally done with part 1!!! This already took me 4 working nights to complete... How am I going to finish the entire trip. Hahahahahahaha anyway I'm working on part 2 now (for reals!!) so thanks for reading and keep your eyes ~peeled~ for part 2! yay part 2 is up now, click here to read it!