DAY 1

I arrived to my hotel (Hotel Broadway - 230 W. 101st St.) around 1 AM. I was exhausted after my 24 hour travel (cheap tickets) and was ready for bed. I had a private room arranged. If you go to the hotel's website, it looks very fancy schmancy and big. Well, it's close, but not fancy. They have one elevator for the entire hotel, the hallways are tiny and the room ... it's nice, no cockroaches or beds, but it's way smaller than on the pictures. My room was a wide as the bed was long. That is New York. The view was very New Yorky and I loved it.

I woke up 9 hours later excited to go to the city. My friends from PA came so we decided to meet for lunch. Before that, I had to get a new phone and my friend would help. My first ride on the subway awaited and I was nervous like a first grader going to school the first day. So I smoked my last European cigarette (bye bye blue Viceroys) and got in. I almost threw-up. And probably a few people did because it smelled like vomit. The station was dirty and a few wrappers were flying around. "How can this be?" I thought to myself. I'm in station located in the Upper East Side! It's supposed to made out of silver at least, no? Well hellll noooo. I got on the train. A friend of mine advised me to look normal, chill and cool, like I belong here. So I did. But I was slowly and cooly turning my head around so I could find a map. And when I did, I was lost.

As you can see, it is a jingle-jangle of lines, colors, numbers and letters. There is no "ukoncete prosim vystup a nastup" announcement as in Prague. Basically, the conductor yells out the station or mumbles it, doors burst open, people get in and get out, there's a beeeeep and the doors slam open. And hold on, the subways are fast. No laissez-faire "I-have-all-the-time-in-my-life". It's get to your place and get the fuck out.

I got out on Times Square, but took the 40th St. exit. The first thing I saw was a synagogue. "Yesss, I'm safe" I thought to myself. The city was surprisingly quiet and not packed. It was a Sunday, so maybe that's why. I met my friends and we walked around 5th and 6th Ave. between 34th and Madison Square Park. Seeing the Empire State Building was amazing and intimidating at the same time. It just stands there but it's so powerful. I instantly fell in love with it.

We also saw the Flatiron from across the street. It's just like in the pictures - elegant. Very posh and fits the street perfectly.

 

We decided to eat at a steakhouse. Mind you, I didn't have a proper American steak for 5 years and I needed one bad. It's not that there are no steaks in Prague, there are, but the taste just isn't the same. We chose an Irish pub/restaurant close to Hotel Pennsylvania on 33rd St. called "Stout NYC". It was a typical Irish pub and the food was amazing. I ordered a classic - New York Strip w/mashed potatoes and veggies. Food orgasm on the spot. Price? Not bad - 29 $ for the whole shabang. 

I've noticed one thing. And it's maybe because New York is called the Big Apple - almost every New Yorker has an iPhone. So guess what, I got one too. And it's beautiful and I love it.