Tourist Attractions not to miss when in NYC!

3 June 2016

Hi everyone! Happy Saturday! I have been MIA on this these past few days because of work and all. But I'm back! Well yesterday, since me and Stephen both did not work, we decided to hit of course NYC to see what there was to do! We love going there because every time we go, we always see something we previously have not seen before. Also, we have been very motivated to make steps since it is calculated by our Fitbits so city walking deff kept us moving.

Places we visited: 

・The Ainsworth 

・Mr. Throwback 

・Metropolis Apparel

・10 Below

Stephen too busy on his cellphone!

The Ainsworth

Since we arrived there by lunchtime, we decided to stop by a restaurant called The Ainsworth. 

Previously before coming here, we stumbled upon a video on Facebook of a delicious unique Mac and Cheese burger, which is offered in this location. We knew we had to have it! Since the lunch menu runs from 11am to 4pm, we got an amazing deal. For 16$, we received a starter, one entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage. The starter and the entrée were served in smaller portions, but it was delicious and got both of us full for the rest of the day. 

35 minute walk from Grand Central!

Me:

Starter: Chicken Avocado Cobb Salad

*(quinoa, corn, tomatoes, grilled scallions, hard-boiled egg, roasted shallot vinaigrette)

Entrée: Mac & Cheese Burger served with fries

*(panko-crusted mac and cheese, beef patty, scoop of mac and cheese)

Drink: Lemonade

Looked and Tasted Amazing!

*: descriptions from their website

Stephen: 

Starter: Kale Caesar Salad

*(chopped romaine and kale, shaved parmesan, creamy caesar dressing, seasoned garlic croutons)

Entrée: Mac & Cheese Burger served with fries

*(panko-crusted mac and cheese, beef patty, scoop of mac and cheese)

Drink: Lemonade

We both really enjoyed our experience and was so inexpensive!

*: descriptions from their website

"One of the best burgers I have ever ate and I'm not a burger person" 

                             Next stop: Mr. Throwback
Stephen has been really interested in vintage shirts recently and we decided to stop by this location. 

It is basically a thrift shop that has a lot of old school t-shirts, jackets, jerseys, and hats. They also had a small location for some wrestling figures, old baseball cards, games and movies. It was a very small location, but it was very cool! Stephen bought a Road Dogg "Doggy Style" vintage WWF shirt that dated back to 1998. 

Following Stop: Metropolis Apparel

This location was much larger and had a vast collection of old jerseys, t-shirts, jeans, foot-wear, and jackets. Even though we did not buy anything, we thought it was a very cool location.

We stopped by a lot of stores in SOHO, but

 our final destination was 10 Below!

10 Below serves Thai-inspired ice cream rolls.

When we arrived there, there was quite a long line, but it went pretty quickly. We were to choose from the numbers 1-8 (below) of the ice cream flavor we would like and have to give our name. They write it in a cup and when our name is called, we get to see a cool show of our ice cream. 

One size, unlimited toppings, cool show = $7.

 

Left (Me): #2 Monkey Business w/ strawberries, whipped cream, caramel, and granola

Right (Stephen): #4 Cookie Monster w/ strawberries, nilla wafers, graham crackers, and a chocolate drizzle

My outfit:

Cashmere Sweater (similar to this one)

Floral Top (most similar to this one but in a different color)

Leggings

Thong Sandals (here) but also (here)

Overall, for the day I did:

Steps: 26, 361
Distance walked: 11 miles
Calories burnt: 2573

Fitbit Charge HR is being sold here for 21 dollars off regular price!

Hope you all have a fine rest of the day!

Highlights from my 19th birthday!

21 May 2016

Happy Wednesday everyone! I just turned 19 years old this past Saturday and I had such a fun day. 

Just wanted to share with all of you the places I visited, the things I saw, and the food I ate. 

Places I visited: 

• Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) in Astoria, Queens

• Sweet Spot in Astoria, Queens, New York

• Black Tap in New York, New York

Museum of the Moving Image! 

 

 

      First Picture: Listening to old movie soundtracks! 

Second Picture: Usher's uniform, Radio City Musical, 1949

We were able to sit down and watch an old cartoon show! 

(Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk)

Outfits previously worn by actors!

 

The flower dress was used by Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. 

To the side of the dress, there is a body suit he also used for the role.

                 

When we pay at the entrance, the person gives you four coins to use in the arcade center. The arcade center contains many old games, 1960's - 1990's. 

 

First Picture: We were to twist a handle and be able to see flip animations!
Second picture: Vintage cameras!

My favorite exhibits from the Museum!

So for a specific movie, an alien ages from childhood to adulthood in the matter of a couple of seconds. To create this scene, they used over 100 models to create such a short scene!

First Picture: A Nightmare on Elm Street! 

Second Picture: For the movie The Exorcist (1973), the main character Regan is possessed. One of the most memorable scenes from the movie is Regan being able to spin her head a full 360 degrees. To create this scene, they created a replica of Regan, and her robotic head was able to move its eyes and mouth and spin completely.


This is one of the coolest museums I have ever visited. There is plenty of interactive opportunities, from making your own stop motion animation movie, sound booth station where you can use your voice to alter existing movies, and an arcade center where you can play old games.
TIPS:
• Free admission Fridays 4-8pm
• Reduced price if you bring your student id (18+)

Sweet Spot in Astoria, Queens, New York
After leaving the Museum, me and Stephen went to lunch!

Truffle Mac n’ Cheese

Delicious appetizer for two!

Skirt Steak Tacos

Kept me full for most of the day! 

The service was really nice and quick! 

Would recommend to anyone wanting a quick bite.

Black Tap in New York, New York (SOHO)

The hype is real! 

This location is mainly known for their unique looking shakes and their burgers. The wait is long, so be aware. When we got to NYC, we decided to take the walk to pre-burn the calories we were about to eat. It was more than thirty blocks away.

As we approached the location, we saw a good line circling the location. We were prepared to wait since we have read their reviews on other websites. We waited an hour and a half, but we would have deff waited another hour if we came in a larger group. 

TIP: Go in a small group! (2-3 people) Larger groups had to wait an extensive amount of time.

Left picture (Me): SWEET N’ SALTY ($15)

Right picture (Stephen): THE COOKIE ($15)

The waiter told us to quickly choose what we wanted because the kitchen was backed up. The faster we ordered, the faster it will arrive. We both got The Texan Burger ($17). 

Was it worth the wait? Yes it was. 

Will you come back? Possibly, but glad we can say we tried it! 

Puerto Rico Summer 2015

28 July 2015 - 1 August 2015

So Stephen and I went to our first trip together to Puerto Rico in the summer of 2015!

We had an amazing time so here are some highlights of the trip!

Day 1:  

Our arrival to the Embassy Suites Hotel & Casino
San Juan! We had to wait almost three hours for
an available suite, even though they knew
we were coming. BOO!!! 

Our first stop was Castillo San Felipe del Morro. 

It was named in the honor of King Philip II of Spain.

Our faces look like that
because of the crazy wind

    

  

 

 

Birth place of the Piña Colada (1963)
Barrachina Restaurant, Old San Juan

Day 2: 

Morivivi plant
When you touch it, it curls up and dies! 

             

As we were heading back to the Hotel, the taxi driver wanted to show us around this really nice beach. Bad decision! The wheel got stuck in the sand, we were stranded there for hours and now it's just a funny experience.

Later that night...

We went out for Stephen's mother's birthday to a really nice restaurant. 

(Review on the restaurants we visited will be on another post) 

Day 3: 

We began our day by going to Casa Bacardi, 

Bacardi Rum Factory. 

      

Replica of their first distillery.
 No pictures were allowed, oops!

We took the historical tour which was $12.

∙We got a drink of our choice and got to keep the cup (18+ to drink)

∙We went on a trolley ride from where we first arrived to the visitor's center

∙We watched a short film and we learned: 

- How they make their products

- Their history and the story of who began it 

- Their accomplishments and their hardships

∙We went into a replica of their first distillery and a mini one room museum.

∙Then we went to a room where they had unique flavors of 

Bacardi that is only found in Puerto Rico

∙The gift shop

Later that day....

We went to the Castillo San Cristóbal

I barely took any pictures :( but it was a really nice Fort.

It is full of history and there is so many hidden rooms and tunnels we get to see. 

It was inexpensive, $5 for the entrance for both Castillo San Cristóbal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro. 

The view from the top of the castle!

Day 4: 

We headed to the The Mall of San Juan. 

Just a regular mall so I don't have pictures of us inside. Although what I actually found astonishing was the prices of items there are the same as what they're here! 

Then...

We headed to Playa Isla Verde (Green Island Beach) 

& next, the pool in the hotel! 

We headed back home the 5th day around 3:00 AM. 

One thing we both realized: 

We hate plane rides!