The Big Apple at A Slow Pace – 5 Days in New York City

I’ve been to New York City several times in life. From Chinatown buses with my family (remember those?) to Ultras On Tour day trips to see the Montreal Impact face the New York Red Bulls, suffice to say that Manhattan didn’t have many secrets left for me. One thing that I still needed to explore was the food scene. And since I hadn’t visited much of the other boroughs during my previous visits, my partner and I decided to kill two birds with one stone. Read on to see where we ate, shopped, and walked around during our 5-day visit.

How to Get Around in New York City

If you like ease and convenience, there’s really only one way to get around in New York City: using public transportation. Ride-sharing services are expensive and the lack of parking – and parking fees – makes renting a car a very dumb idea. You can grab a MetroCard and preload it at the airport or – if you have a credit card – you can use OMNY.

OMNY is New York’s contactless payment system. You don’t need to sign up for anything or download an app. As long as you have a contactless credit card, smartphone, or wearable device, you can tap and go. Debit cards are accepted too but I don’t recommend using your debit card abroad.

With OMNY, you’ll pay the same base fare — $2.90 USD — and you’ll still get free transfers. Plus, you get free rides after 12 fares within 7 days if you use the same device or contactless card. We were dubious about this fare capping situation but it did indeed stop charging me after a couple of days.

Where to Stay in New York City

NYC is one of the most expensive cities when it comes to accommodations. There are very few affordable options in Manhattan and prices in Brooklyn have exploded in the past few years. Airbnbs have been almost fully eradicated with only private rooms now available on the platform.

For this trip, we made a mix of both, staying two nights at an Airbnb in Astoria/Queens, two nights at a Hilton in lower Manhattan, and our final night at a Marriott near LaGuardia airport due to an early flight the next day.

Communication

Remember back in the day when I used to buy SIMs when I landed at my destination? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Well, that’s ancient history now. My go-to these days is to load an eSIM on my phone. For this trip, I bought a 3 GB eSIM from Airalo for $11 USD.

New York City Itinerary

Day 1: Montreal – New York: Breakfast that lasts all day in Queens

We woke very early on Day 1 to catch our flight to New York. So early in fact that we had to take an Uber to the airport as the night bus schedule didn’t work for us. Despite highway closures, we got to the airport right when TSA were opening their doors to start the day. I always hate traveling to the US as they – and England – are the only countries to require travelers to remove their shoes through security. Our lane also didn’t have the new scanners so electronics and liquids had to get out of the bag. It wasn’t a huge deal, just a slight annoyance.

The CBP process went by quickly as we had submitted our form via the MPC app and bypassed most of the line.

Next we had to speak to the gate agent to get our seating assignment. Although we had checked in as soon as it opened, we were not given seats and since I had booked Basic Economy tickets, I was not allowed to select seats. It ended up being a blessing in disguise as we got upgraded to Comfort+ seats which means slightly bigger chair and slightly more leg room than Basic Economy.

The flight was short and uneventful and – in true Delta fashion – we arrived 15 minutes early. It was my first time going through the renovated Delta terminal at LGA and I gotta admit, it looks good. Everything is airy and shiny, and also bigger, which means we had a lot walking to do as soon as we got off the plane.

After refilling my partner’s MetroCard, we got on the FREE Q70 bus which goes to Queens, Manhattan, and Long Island. From the bus, we transferred to the subway at Roosevelt Av/74 St and got off a few blocks away from our Airbnb.

It was too early to check in but the host graciously let us leave our bags in the apartment as she was there when we arrived.

From the Airbnb, we went hunting for breakfast. We didn’t have to go very far since we had spotted a small Mexican restaurant called Cafe Xochimilco on our way to the apartment. My partner ordered the Salsa Verde Chilaquiles while I had the Azteca Desayuno with a strawberry-banana milkshake. Both dishes were excellent and very filling.

After breakfast, we just wanted to kill time until check-in. We took the subway to Manhattan, stepped into Grand Central Station for the first time (in my life), walked through Bryant Park, and stopped by Times Square to see if we could score cheap tickets for a Broadway play. Unfortunately, the line was already hours long when we got there and it was rainy so we went back to the subway and went all the way to Harlem to go to Footlocker.

You’re probably thinking there are Footlockers all over Manhattan, why go all the way to Harlem? Well, the Footlocker on 181st is the only Footlocker in New York that carries Future is Color‘s collections. I was excited when I saw hoodies and t-shirts from two of the collections when I stepped onto the second floor of the store. But the excitement turned into disappointment when I found out that they had nothing below Medium. And Medium was already super oversized on my body.

We went back to Queens empty-handed but not for long. Using the money allocated to Future is Color, we bought 5 books at a cute little bookshop before returning to our Airbnb. We wanted to buy more but since we were traveling with personal items only, we would not have the space to bring back more books.

Back at the Airbnb, our room was clean and the bed sheets freshly laundered. We settled in for a nap before our evening activities.

I had planned a jazz evening at Café Erzulie in Brooklyn. Inspired by Erzulie, the Haitian Voodoo spirit of love, beauty, and dance; Café Erzulie is a flower and coffee shop by day, event venue and cocktail bar by night. They serve Haitian-inspired food such as griot, acra, and pâtés.

We ordered the aforementioned acra, and pâtés (4 spinach, 1 cod), as well as their pumpkin corn soup. On the waitress’ recommendation, we also ordered 2 Freda’s Hot Toddy, a hot drink consisting of rhum, apple cider, lemon, guava, and passionfruit.

The drinks were amazing! The food – a bit less so. The pâtés were great but the rest left a lot to be desired. We had asked the waitress’ recommendations and she had suggested the pâtés and their chicken wings. The lesson here is to go with the waitress’ suggestions, she’ll know what’s up.

Day 2: Koreatown with the fam

The following day we had breakfast at Cafe Xochimilco once again. This time we both opted for egg ham/bacon cheese sandwiches. I took a bagel, my partner had a croissant. I also had their green smoothie, one of the best smoothies I’ve ever had in my life! We opted for a light breakfast as we were planning to eat lunch with my cousins who were in town for a couple of days.

We thus made our way to Greeley Square Park in Manhattan where we sunbathed while waiting for my cousins who were coming down from the Upper East Side. Once we met up, we walked to where we had lunch at bb.q Chicken and caught up. The food wasn’t that special but it was nice to spend time with family members I hadn’t seen in over a decade. We discussed K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean beauty products. As you can see, there was a theme 😂.

We extended our time together by grabbing ice cream at the nearest Venchi location. Although the ice cream wasn’t bad, it wasn’t up to the standards we were looking for. I picked two flavors that I was already familiar with and – to be honest – I’ve had better elsewhere. You better step your game up Venchi!

Our original plan after meeting with the fam was to go to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for killer views of Manhattan. Unfortunately, all the time slots were sold out all the way to the Monday night (it was Friday at that point) so we consoled ourselves with another round of shopping – this time at MUJI.

MUJI is a Japanese retailer which sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods. Their design philosophy is minimalist and emphasizes recycling and reducing waste.

There, we bought some clothes then went to the Library right around the corner. We were still trying to capture some views but the library’s terrace closed right when we showed up. Upon leaving, a table of unfinished puzzles caught our eyes and I stayed glued to one puzzle until closing time (my partner gave up on the puzzle and went to read a book instead).

For dinner, we went to Don Antonio, the home of the best Neapolitan pizza, as suggested by a friend. You can’t go to New York without grabbing a slice after all. And it was a really great pizza! We were more than full afterwards (each customer gets a 11″ or 12″ pizza) but it was worth it! A great conclusion to a day that had some disappointments.

Day 3: Staten Island Ferry to see Lady Liberty

On Day 3, it was time to say goodbye to our lovely Airbnb in Queens and move down to Lower Manhattan. Once again, we stopped for breakfast at Cafe Xochimilco for our sandwiches and smoothies before taking the subway straight down to the Financial district.

Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived at the Hilton Garden Inn so we left our bags at reception and walked to the Whitehall-South Ferry terminal which was literally two minutes away. There, we boarded the Staten Island Ferry to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

Taking the Staten Island Ferry is THE cheapest way to see the Statue of Liberty. Why? Because it’s free. However, don’t think you’ll be the only one with that idea. We showed up at the terminal and there was already a massive crowd around the doors, waiting for the next ferry. Once the doors opened, it was an organized rush to the right side of the ferry to get the best spot for pictures. By the time we got on, the balcony on the second deck was already full so I had to settle for a spot by the windows on the second deck, squished in front of a group of Spanish-speaking tourists.

We weren’t taking the ferry just for the Statue of Liberty. We wanted to check out a restaurant on our list that was in Staten Island but when we arrived at the St. George Terminal, we were still feeling full from our breakfast. So we got off the ferry, went to the other side of the terminal and got on the ferry again.

This time though, I was prepared for the crowd and knew exactly where I needed to go. As soon as the doors opened, I guided my partner to the top deck (which is the third floor) where we found the perfect spot outside. This gave us another opportunity to capture Lady Liberty without the brownish hue of the windows.

So what can I say after this whole experience? First, don’t go mid-day on a weekend like we did. The ferry was very crowded and if you moved after getting to a good spot, you would lose your place. The third deck is the best place to be but it’s not open all the time so try to go all the way up the stairs as soon as you board. If you have someone with you, even better. One of you gets a spot outside, another one locks down a seat by the windows. The outside air was chilly when we went so it was nice to have a good place to sit down after we passed the Statue of Liberty.

Back in lower Manhattan, our room at the Hilton Garden Inn was ready so we picked up our bags at reception and officially checked in. We were given a room on the 15th floor with a view of the bay. The room was small but it had the necessary amenities. Still, I felt like we had mostly paid for the view. Also, what’s up with hotels not giving shower caps anymore?

We left the hotel and returned to Koreatown for some ice cream, this time at Bear Donut. Bear Donut is mostly a donut place but they do have some soft serve. Their seasonal flavor was lavender and it was DE-LI-CI-OUS. The Lucky Charms and the marshmallow bunny were a bit over the top in terms of sugar content but it was really good.

Our next stop was the High Line but the weather took a turn for the worse and we were getting hungry so we exited the subway at Hudson Yards and started looking for a place that wasn’t too expensive.

We stumbled upon Jun-Men Ramen Bar, a small and sleek restaurant serving Japanese and Korean plates. My partner ordered the Veggie Ramen while I had the Jun-Men Fried Rice. Although the Fried Rice is listed in the appetizer section, it was actually a massive bowl and made a complete meal by itself.

For dessert, we walked to the nearest Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop to discover new flavors. I ordered the Honeycomb Ripple Fudge while my partner ordered the Planet Earth. The Honeycomb was out of this world, one of the best ice creams that I’ve ever had! Planet Earth was just okay, it tasted like a kid’s cake – not really my kind of flavor. The crown for best ice cream in NYC finally found a contender.

Day 4: Brooklyn – the land of Giants

The next morning we took the subway into Brooklyn for the main event of this trip: the “Giants” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. “Giants” is the first major exhibition of power couple Swizz Beatz (did you know his real name is Kasseem Dean?) and Alicia Keys. Gordon Parks. Esther Mahlangu. Kehinde Wiley. These are only a sample of the Dean’s portfolio of works by Black diasporic artists. There were paintings, photographs, sculptures, and a nice soundtrack in the background as we walked through the exhibit.

It was honestly better than I expected. The collection and the size of the works displayed were very impressive and covered culture, politics, gender, queerness. It was a large spectrum that didn’t rely solely on Black trauma, which is always nice to see.

From Brooklyn Museum, we walked to Cafe Rue Dix for lunch where I had a glass of ginger juice and Fatayas. My partner ordered their Carrot Ginger Soup and the Cafe Touba. Everything was excellent and filling. We were tempted to order their dessert but remembered that we were still on our “Best Ice Cream in New York City”™️ mission. We took the bus for a short ride to SkyIce Thai Food & Ice Cream. I ordered the ginger ice cream while my partner tried the Thai ice tea flavor. Both were ok. If you want to check out that place, I would suggest to get their actual Thai ice tea rather than the ice cream as it seemed to be what everyone ordered while we were there.

Since we were in Brooklyn and the weather was pretty good, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to walk the Brooklyn bridge on our way back to Manhattan. But first, we stopped at Washington Street in Dumbo to take the iconic picture of the Empire State Building between the pillars of the Manhattan Bridge. The street was very crowded so I would recommend going early in the morning if you don’t want to feel overwhelmed.

The Brooklyn Bridge was also quite crowded but it was a pleasant walk. You have to be very patient to take Instagram-worthy shots when the bridge is that busy. We snapped a few pics and kept it moving to our next food stop.

Back in Manhattan, we headed to Chinatown to grab noodles at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. Now, I don’t care where you stay in New York City, but YOU MUST ABSOLUTELY GO THERE and order their Peanut Butter Wheat Noodle. At only $3, this is the best bang for your buck that you can have in the city.

We couldn’t go back to the hotel without another ice cream dose, so on we went to The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory a few blocks from Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. There, I ordered their almond cookie ice cream. It came pretty close to dethroning Van Leeuwen’s Honeycomb Ripple Fudge but the fact that I had to break up the cookie at the bottom of my cup took away a few points.

Day 5: Chinatown – The Sequel

On our last full day in the Big Apple, we took it easy. We started the day by grabbing breakfast at a food truck called DJ’s Breakfast Spot after waking up too late for the hotel’s free breakfast. I strongly recommend. If I was staying in lower Manhattan longer, I would probably go there every day for breakfast. Great sandwiches, cheap prices.

Then, we grabbed ice cream at another Van Leeuwen location. I strayed from the Honeycomb Ripple Fudge, ordering one scoop of Honeycomp and one scoop of Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb. That was a mistake. The peanut butter taste was way too strong and overpowered the rest of the ingredients. I was disappointed.

Next, it was back to Brooklyn for my partner’s nail appointment at Marche Rue Dix, the sister store of Care Rue Dix. Since the weather was rainy, I decided to stick around and wait for them.

We grabbed a late lunch at RAS Brooklyn, a Black-owned vegan restaurant serving plant-based Ethiopian cuisine. I had the Arada Bowl with a Piña Faux-lada (basically a piña colada without alcohol) while my partner ordered the Langano Bowl. Both were amazing but we had one problem.

We were supposed to meet one of my partner’s friends for dinner but because we had our lunch so late and the portions were big, we were FULL. Like we were waddling through Brooklyn and Chinatown – where we had arranged to meet – it was not a good look.

We secured a table at Nom Wah Tea Parlor, another budget-friendly place, but we couldn’t eat. We first ordered jasmin tea to help our digestion but as the waiters circled our table, we had to order something. I settled for a roast pork bun while my partner’s friend got turnip cakes and spring rolls.

The pork bun was delicious but I couldn’t finish it. I had to leave space for our final ice cream spot. But first, we went back to Shu Jiao Fu Zhou to get more noodles to go. They would become our breakfast on the following day. Around the corner from Shu Jiao Fu Zhou is Soft Swerve which was voted one of the best soft serve ice creams in NYC so we had to try it out.

I had a swirl of vanilla and ube (Filipino sweet potato) and it was EX-QUI-SITE! One of the best soft serve I’ve ever had. My partner had a Ube and Black Sesame combo, not as great as mine but still pretty good. Definitely make sure to stop there when visiting New York City.

That was the conclusion of our extended weekend in NYC. We walked out, we ate a lot, we laughed a lot. From Soft Swerve, we went back to our hotel in Lower Manhattan to pick up our bags and commuted all the way to Queens to stay at the Fairfield Inn by LaGuardia Airport before our early morning flight. I had originally booked the Springhill Suites LaGuardia where I had previously stayed before my Galapagos trip. But our reservation got moved to the Fairfield. It’s not the same level of accommodation but it did the job for one night.

Final Thoughts

Like I previously mentioned, this wasn’t my first trip to New York City so we avoided most of the mainstream tourist activities. The two that we ended up doing were free and the third one was sold out. I had several more restaurants and ice cream spots on my list so there’s definitely a repeat trip coming in the future. This is the first time that I’ve planned a trip around food and the experience was interesting. Did we go overboard? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes. I wouldn’t do the same thing for a first time visit at a new location but it’s a good approach for a destination you’re already familiar with.

If you’d like a quick guide of all the places listed in this post, you can purchase my Notion board here. You can add your own activities in the Iitnerary section to flesh out your trip.

New York City Trip Breakdown

TOTAL: $3,101.32 CAD