What are the things (WE) miss in NY??

1) pizza...
It's the best pizza I've ever had.. tasty, big slices, thin-crust and it has a lot of toppings!! Since we got home from our trip, Darwin and I are always looking for NY style pizza in the valley.. We tried Greco's and Fratelli's but it's nothing compared to the authentic NY pizza.

2) hustle n bustle of people
Oh, everyone's in a hurry.. I don't really like walking but it's a MUST here..You need to walk fast so you'd reach your destination or get to the subway on time. You'll also identify which are the tourists because they walk really slow, looking up to see how great the architecture is.. and I'm one of them.. "slow walkers" (if there's such a term.. hehehe) That's why in SATC they say.. "Let's walk".. Here in LA you can't do that!!! In New York one mile is equivalent to 20 blocks but here in LA that's only 5 blocks. You do the math.. =)

It's also OK to cross ped xing even it says DO NOT WALK


3) They make the coffee for you
I ordered regular coffee and the guy asked me.. "With milk and sugar??" I said... yeah?!?! I'm not used to it.. usually I do it on my own if I have regular coffee.. But in NYC, they actually make it for you..

4) food vendors
We had our quick breakfast at the street on our first day coz we have to meet our itinerary or else we'll be late on our City tour. I think food must be accessible everywhere since New Yorkers are busy and time is very precious for them that they'll eat at the street if they have to.

5) lights
Oh. Las Vegas is nothing compared to NY because of its colorful lights.. We took the Holiday Lights tour and we saw all the wonderful light display in 5th ave, the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree, Grand Central's Laser light show and Time Square.

6) winter wear
Scarf, beanie and gloves are a necessity.. I love matching my scarf and beanie with my outfit but I stopped and wonder, will I ever use these when I go back to LA? Jerson even asked us.. are people in LA wear scarf.. and we said.. ".. for porma!!!" hehehe.. and it's true

7) Subway
The subway is the quickest way to get around The City. We tried it on our first day after we had our Statue of Liberty ferry ride at Battery Park. We bought $2.00 one ride Metrocard and asked the staff for direction to Time Square.. She gave us letters and numbers which we didn't understand. It can be a little confusing at first coz there are several different lines and plenty of interchanges.

We then bought the 'unlimited ride' Metrocard weekly pass ($21) that same night on our way to Serendipity. We used hopstop.com for directions and the site was very helpful. After that, we always use the subway and skip the bus tour..

Things to remember: Always have a subway map to plan everything ahead. The most important thing to know is if you are going uptown or downtown. Once you know that, at least you're in the right direction.

I really love it.. instead of walking.. take the subway!!! you never need to have tired feet again!!


8) H&M stores
Oh, almost everything is on sale and the quality is good too.. We don't have H&M in LA so this is something you'd see in NY only.

9) central heaters
I just love it everytime we go back to our hotel.. Centralized heaters.. just what I need after walking outside...

10) tennis shoes
Oh, if you want to walk and see the wonderful places in Manhattan, use your most comfortable shoes.. If you want to look fabulous and use your stylish boots, only use it for a short walk or if you'll gonna watch a play or stand at Time Square for the countdown.. (oh, I only used my knee-high-3inch-boots on New Year's Eve and on our way back to LA)

11) electronic stores
It's all over the place.. they sell mostly cameras and laptops.. my Sony T11 that you'd rarely see in electronic stores here in LA is available here... The price is expensive though compared to Fry's (my fave techie store here in LA)..

12) broadway shows
Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Movin' Out.. you name it!!! It's all here.. Of course, it's Broadway!!! We took a chance to get a discounted ticket at TKTS booth in Time Square. We want to see Wonderful Town at Al Hirschfeld Theatre but they are not selling discounted tickets there for that musical. We're not sure if we still want to see it or just watch something else.. but when we personally met Brooke Shield after her show and I let her sign my playbill that I only picked on the floor, I got so star struck. We bought tickets the next day ($101 each) and watched Wonderful Town. It's a good musical and highly recommended.

13) Delis for breakfast
Oh, we have bacon and eggs, bagel with cream cheese and coffee every morning. There's 2 delis that's right beside our hotel but my favorite is the one with a lot of seats. It's nice to stay there and plan what to do next for the day.

14) skyscrapers
The Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, apartments at upper west side, modern buildings.. i just love looking up and taking pictures of the great building architectures in Manhattan.

15) Pastrami
If you want to try the BEST pastrami... go to Carnegie Deli at 55th and 7th Ave. It's one of the "101 Things to Do Before You Die".. hmmm

(from Darwin)
i miss u in NY
miss ko na naka-akay ka lagi sa kin..coz' its cold..
miss ko na lagi mo dala subway sched
miss ko na lagi ka naka smile bout anything and everything
di ko miss yung bagal mo maglakad hehehehe