One of my absolute favorite places to visit in the whole world is actually a city right here in my own country. I’m talking about New York City.
I try to make it out to the city a few times a year to visit a friend of mine who is a hair stylist by day and a DJ by night. Whenever I head out to the city we find ourselves all over the place, doing all sorts of unique stuff with interesting new people like eating amazing meals, drinking in some very fresh lounges, relaxing on the beach, meeting pretty girls, visiting the only 3D printer retailer in the US (MakerBot) andpretty much anything else that we feel like. Whatever New York throws at me, I need a few basic things to survive the urban metropolis without any snags and have the time of my life.
1. An ID is needed to get into any bars or clubs as well as getting me beyond the other side of airport security. you will obviously need this. Without an ID in New York you might run into some problems and not have an enjoyable trip.
2. A Credit Card is one of the handiest things that I bring to the city cause as society adopts more and more technology, it’s becoming more and more normal to have “Credit Only” lines and electronic kiosks that sell things like Metro Cards. I have def skipped a few lines with the simple use of a credit card.
3. Cash is King. It’s 2 in the morning and you want a taco from a street vendor. He doesn’t take plastic. You can’t miss out on this amazing 2AM street meat banquet so you instantly bust out some cash and feast on your fresh Mexicano delight. It’s always handy to have cash for tips at restaurants, bars, lounges, cabs, doormen and a number of other places. I try to keep about $100 on me. 3-$20, 2-$10, 2-$5 and 10 singles. It’s not always exact but having a small collection of bills ensures that you’re not caught up with the right change. I know it seems unlikely but It’s happened to me a few times.
4. A NYC Metro Card gets you onto any Subway train and bus in the city. I have flown into Newark NJ and LaGuardia NYC and I have had to take a bus from both to get into the city or to get to the nearest Subway station. Depending on where you’re headed, you’ll need to take the M60 bus into the city from LGA. The MetroCard covers the bus fare and all Subway fares for as long as your card lasts. I usually opt for the 7 day pass for $29 since I’m only in the city for short trips.
5. An iPhone is my life link to society. I can do just about anything with my iPhone, call and text friends (especially when we get separated), find a place to eat, find a place for drinks, take pics and videos, browse the web and social media sites, there’s an app for just about everything. I have used my iPhone to do all sorts of amazing things from translating foreign languages to using screen captures of Google maps to find hostels in Europe. The iPhone is hands down one of the greatest pieces of technology that I own and allows me to get so much more out of my time abroad.
6. A Health Insurance Card is one of the best things in the world if you happen to eat some Lebanese food you didn’t know that you’re allergic to and you need to go to a random Hospital in Brooklyn off of the Jefferson stop at 2AM.
If you give me these 6 items and drop me anywhere in New York City, I have no bounds.
