New York City

Flushing, Queens: The NYC neighborhood that you must visit

June 27, 2019 by Karen 1 Comment

Last Updated on June 28, 2019

One of my favorite neighborhoods in New York City has to be Flushing, Queens. This incredibly diverse neighborhood is at the heart of Queens’ Chinese community, a favorite place of the late Anthony Bourdain, and an incredibly historic place. This guide to Flushing, Queens will include the best things to do in Flushing, Queens, where to eat in Flushing (an incomplete list, but a start!), and a brief history of Flushing’s Dutch/English past. I could not be prouder to be from Queens!

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14 insider tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty by a New Yorker

June 14, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on June 14, 2019

One of the most majestic places to visit in New York is the Statue of Liberty. This iconic American sight is the symbol of New York and even as a New Yorker, I had to revisit Lady Liberty on my recent trip. I’ve included some insider tips for avoiding lines when visiting the Statue of Liberty, tips for getting reasonable tickets for the Statue of Liberty (including climbing the crown), and general travel tips for visiting the Statue of Liberty for the first time.

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A guide to the best Jewish food on the Lower East Side by a New Yorker

June 12, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on June 13, 2019

As someone who grew up in New York City, one could even say that bagels run in my blood. Although New York is rapidly changing, especially Manhattan, the Lower East Side still has many of the best places to sample Jewish food in New York. This guide to the Lower East Side is set up as a self-guided walking tour of the best Jewish bakeries and restaurants in the LES (if not Manhattan).

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Junior’s Cheesecake: The authentic cheesecake that you must try in NYC

June 11, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on June 11, 2019

Is there anything as iconic as New York cheesecake? If you’re visiting New York City, I highly recommend visiting Junior’s Cheesecake in Downtown Brooklyn. This Brooklyn diner serving up cheesecake, hearty sandwiches, coffee, and egg creams is famous the world over. I include some tips for visiting Junior’s for the first time–and a bit of history of the New York cheesecake.

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The best way to get from JFK Airport to Manhattan step-by-step

June 9, 2019 by Karen 1 Comment

Last Updated on June 9, 2019

As a native New Yorker, I encourage people to take the Airtrain and LIRR trains when arriving into JFK. This guide will walk you through how to get from JFK Airport in Queens to Manhattan step-by-step with photos as there are a few steps involved. This is the best and fastest way to get to Manhattan from JFK airport as you avoid traffic that you’d hit if you took a cab.

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Century 21: The New York discount department store you’ll want to visit

June 6, 2019 by Karen 2 Comments

Last Updated on June 6, 2019

One of the major perks of visiting New York City has to be shopping. Especially if you’re visiting from abroad, it can be tough to buy reputable brands of good quality. This post is about a New York City-based department store that you might not have heard of that specializes in designer brands at a significant discount called Century 21 Stores. This post discusses this discount department store and some tips for visiting!

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A food guide to Arthur Avenue: New York’s real Little Italy in the Bronx

June 1, 2019 by Karen 4 Comments

Last Updated on June 2, 2019

It’s funny how long it can take to visit places that are right on your doorstep. My dad and I ventured to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx recently. This charming slice of Italy is one of the last bastions of true Italian culture in New York at its finest (far better than Little Italy in Manhattan!) and one of the only places where I’d argue that you’d hear Italian spoken on the streets of New York City.

We spent a day going shop-to-shop chatting with the owners and collecting ingredient-by-ingredient for the best pasta that I’ve had on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. I hope this guide to this Little Italy in the Bronx inspires you to visit. I include practical information to visit Arthur Avenue without a food tour, where to buy the best Italian ingredients along Arthur Avenue, and most importantly where to eat in Arthur Avenue. I’ve formatted this as a DIY food tour of Arthur Avenue. Buon Appetito!

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The Unisphere: The story behind the most famous attraction in Queens

January 16, 2019 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on January 16, 2019

As a born-and-raised New Yorker, I can tell you that the Unisphere is a point of pride for many New Yorkers. This post will discuss the history of the Unisphere along with some insider tips for your visit to this famous Queens attraction.

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New York in Miniature: Why you must see the Panorama of New York City

December 21, 2018 by Karen Leave a Comment

Last Updated on December 24, 2018

Ever since I was a child, the Panorama of New York City has been one of my favorite spots of New York. This accurate scaled-down miniature version of New York City housed in the Queens Museum of Art is one of my favorite secret spots to bring visitors to. Keep reading for more information about this amazing version of New York in miniature!

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Tipping in the USA: Tipping etiquette in the United States by an American

December 3, 2018 by Karen 10 Comments

Last Updated on December 5, 2018

As someone who has worked in the service industry, I believe that tipping in the United States is important. The United States does not have universal high wages. Although your perceptions of the United States may be different, if you’re traveling in the United States, you generally need to tip. Keep reading for tipping etiquette in the United States!

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