New York & Chicago
New York & Chicago
Lisbon to New York
The flight from Lisbon to New York was a bit tough because I had a long layover in Ireland. I arrived in Dublin at 1 am and had to wait for my connecting flight until 11 am! I found a bench and slept a few hours since I wasn't too tired before boarding. What surprised me at Dublin airport was a system called "Preclearance", where you finish immigration procedures before entering the US. I wasn't sure why Ireland has this system (it seems Canada and Dubai have preclearance too), but passengers flying to the US go to an exclusive area only for US flights and pass through immigration there — this means you don't need to go through any procedures at the US airport.
Exploring New York on foot
Portugal-NY has a much smaller time difference than Asia-NY, but I still had bad jet lag and couldn't focus on sightseeing in the first 2 days. The first place I visited in NYC was Central Park. My hostel was located only 5 minutes from Central Park, so I walked around and then went straight to the MET museum (they're right next to each other). The park was much larger than I imagined — I thought it would be impossible to walk from corner to corner. NYC is one of the busiest cities in the world, but this place was quiet and slow, which made me forget I was in NYC. I saw many people going for walks and jogging. By the way, NYC wasn't as hot as Europe.
The next day, I walked around the southern area called Downtown — Manhattan is divided into Uptown, Midtown, and Downtown. Downtown has the World Trade Center, Wall Street, Chinatown, etc. First, I got off the subway around the World Trade Center and planned to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum; however, it wasn't free (I thought it was), so I skipped going inside and looked around the monuments outside. The names of the victims are inscribed on the stone — many police officers also lost their lives in this tragic attack.
Then I walked straight to Wall Street, the center of finance. The buildings around Wall Street seemed kind of old, and I saw construction going on everywhere. Honestly, I had expected the street to be more organized and clean, but it wasn't. I wasn't the only tourist — many other people were visiting this place too.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), on Wall Street, is the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It traces back to 1792, when 24 brokers signed the "Buttonwood Agreement" under a tree on Wall Street. Its iconic neoclassical facade was completed in 1903, and the daily opening and closing bells are broadcast worldwide. Nicknamed "The Big Board", it's been closed to public tours since 9/11, but the facade and the nearby Charging Bull statue remain among NYC's most photographed sights.
I also headed to Brooklyn, a borough southeast of Manhattan across the East River. There's a big park there, and I tried to see the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, this spot was too far from the statue and I could barely see it lol. I found out there are free ferry services around this area, and I regret not trying it (saving it for next time!). Still, the view was very nice.
On the last day, I explored Midtown and walked around Times Square in the evening. The sunset that day was amazing, and the twilight in NYC was majestic. I can say I was so lucky — one of the best twilights I've ever experienced, an unforgettable memory!
Times Square was literally chaos. I went there on Friday night, and it was so packed that I left after just 10 minutes... this place is a neon jungle, and it made my eyes so tired lol. I wondered how much it costs to run an ad here.
The Empire State Building is also an icon of Midtown. I didn't go up, but you can visit the observation deck and see the skyscrapers of NYC.
The Empire State Building, in Midtown Manhattan, is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper completed in 1931 during the Great Depression, built in just 13 months. At 381 meters (443 m with antenna), it was the tallest building in the world for nearly 40 years until the World Trade Center surpassed it in 1970. Its observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors offer some of the most iconic views of NYC, and its spire is famously lit in different colors to mark holidays and events. Immortalized in countless films — most famously King Kong — it remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world.
Food in NYC
You can't skip hamburgers in the US. It's been about 8 years since my last visit, and I was craving an American hamburger (I heard later that NYC has good bagels too...). Even though hamburgers are very pricey, the ones in NYC are giant and left me so satisfied. The one below was relatively cheap, and the burger was so tender.
However, the best hamburger in my mind is still "Culver's", a chain in the American Midwest (they don't have a store in NYC, but there are some around Chicago). I had the chance to go again this time, and it reminded me of my childhood trips to the US.
I also wanted to try Vietnamese food in NYC when I walked around Chinatown. There are around 10-15 Vietnamese restaurants in the Chinatown area. It seems Vietnamese food is booming right now here — every place I saw was packed. I decided to go to the Banh Mi restaurant below, and it was a great find. I was so glad the auntie understood my poor Vietnamese — the Banh Mi was so good, even though it was adapted a bit for American tastes.
Visit my aunt's family
After staying 4 days in NYC, I headed to visit my aunt's family near Chicago. I used to visit them (my cousins) almost every year when I was little, and the last time was in 2018. I only stayed for 2 nights, but I saw old friends and played with my cousin in the yard. I also got to celebrate her 13th birthday with them and had a great time. Thanks for having me!
I stayed less than a week, but I had really good moments! (This article also ended up longer than usual.)
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