Set a Steps Record, Ate Like Crazy & Found My New NBA Team: My First Solo Trip to NYC

So last night, after a few days in New York City, I returned to Vancouver. It was my first ever time solo traveling on my own dime and I wanted to write a blog post about my experience.

To start off, I want to say it was a great experience for myself. It made me feel a bit more independent and that I can do this on my own.

As I’ve written about a ton in the past, I am an introvert. I like to be on my own. I like to beat to my own drum. I didn’t really have anything planned when I went out there. It was just sort of me saying, “F it,” back in January. I wanted to do something for myself. I wanted to get outside my comfort zone and just do something.

And that’s what this trip was about. It was about getting outside of my comfort zone, doing something on my own, and doing something that I thought I’d be happy I did. And that’s exactly what this was.

Now, I’m going to recap things a bit day by day and what my experience was like. But I also just want to say that New York has instantly become one of my favourite cities I’ve ever been to.

It also felt way safer than I thought it would. I didn’t really feel scared at all, even riding the subway, which is your best friend out there, by the way. It’s so easy to use and wasn’t nearly as intimidating as you might think.

I landed at JFK, which everyone said is the more difficult airport to get to Manhattan from, especially from where I was staying. But it was actually fairly easy for me. And thanks to ChatGPT and Google Maps, planning the trip and getting around New York was way easier than I expected.

The Flight (March 3rd:

I flew there with JetBlue Airways, and honestly, it was one of the best flight experiences I’ve ever had, both there and back.

I didn’t even know this going into the trip, but JetBlue had free Wi-Fi on the plane, which was the first flight I’ve ever been on where I could actually scroll on Google, Safari, Twitter, YouTube, whatever it was, and have real Wi-Fi on the plane. So that was a shock in a good way.

Also, every flight obviously has complimentary snacks and drinks, but what made JetBlue stand out was that once they finished the first food and drink service, they basically said there was a pantry on the flight and that you could just go ahead and grab snacks and drinks whenever you wanted. So that was cool.

They also had live TV, which I haven’t experienced on a plane in God knows how long. On top of that, they had a great selection of movies. I personally just watched what I already had downloaded on Netflix, but they had an updated list of a bunch of movies that came out just last year. So that’s another great option when flying with them.

And it was fairly cheap. I didn’t pay much for the flight there and back, so overall it was a great experience flying with JetBlue.

I will say I did have some trouble finding the USB outlets they promised, but it ended up being fine because I just plugged my phone into my laptop instead.

So overall, it was a great flight experience both there and back.

Day One (March 4th):

I landed at JFK Airport at about 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and I immediately hopped on the trains to get to my hotel in Manhattan. I stayed at Pod Times Square, which was also a great cheap option.

The room was a fairly decent size for just one person. It had a clean bed, a great view of the city, and since it’s located in Times Square, it made everything really easy to get around. Overall, it was a great stay. If you’re on a budget like I was in New York, I’d highly recommend it.

As soon as I got there, I just decided to walk around the city and head over to Times Square. I was meeting up with my brother and his friend that day. Even though this was supposed to be a solo trip for myself, they decided to do a last-minute thing as well and came from Montreal to New York and then back to Montreal. So we met up in New York for just the one day.

That’s when we started doing some touristy stuff. We met up around noon and went to see the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Memorial, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and also went to see the Rockefeller Center.

We basically got a lot of the touristy stuff out of the way, because they had already done some things the day before. But overall, it was a great experience.

We also went to Liberty Bagels. And, what a selection there. I’ll get more into this later in my food section, but wow, some of the bagel selection there was crazy. What really shocked me, though, was the cream cheese selection. You saw things like Oreo cream cheese, maple bacon, birthday cake, peanut butter Nutella, jalapeño cheddar, scallion cream cheese, and even salted caramel cream cheese. Bagel-wise, they had onion, rainbow, red, blue and white bagels, basically any type of bagel you could think of.

So yeah, the bagel culture in New York is definitely real.

For dinner, we went to the famous Joe's Pizza, which was featured in Spider-Man 2, where Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parkerworks as a delivery guy.

If you’re a nerd like myself, because while I do love my sports, people also know I love my nerdy stuff like Spider-Man and Batman movies, this was a pretty cool experience nonetheless.

And on top of that, the pizza was pretty good too.

Day Two (March 5th):

On Day One, I walked nearly 42,000 steps and had been up for almost 20 straight hours, since I didn’t get much sleep on the plane. The flight itself was actually quicker than expected, only about four hours and fifteen minutes, but by the end of the day I was pretty gassed.

So on Day Two, I decided to keep things somewhat easy.

What I did that day was mostly stick around Times Square. We had taken the train so much on Day One that I really just didn’t want to deal with it again on Day Two. Instead, I just did a lot more walking, about 35,000 steps that day.

Food-wise, I stuck with the classic New York staples: bagels, bacon, egg and cheese, and of course pizza.

I also visited Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library. This was also the day I did some shopping. I went into some of the bigger retail stores like the NBA Store, the NHL Store, and the big Nike store.

I also went into the Central Perk Coffeehouse, but didn't get anything because the prices were fairly expensive, but as someone who loves the show Friends, it was a really cool experience for me. It was just cool to sit on the same couch, or at least a replica of the couch that Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Rachel, and Phoebe all sat on for ten years on one of my favourite TV shows of all time.

Overall, compared to my other two full days in New York, this was probably the day where I did the least. But nonetheless, it was still great just taking in the scenery, seeing some of those landmarks, and enjoying the experience. It was a great day overall.

Day Three (March 6th):

And then Day Three, my final full day in New York, was when I did my last of the touristy stuff that I hadn’t gotten to yet.

One thing I definitely recommend if you want to see the Statue of Liberty is to do what I did. I actually got the idea from TikTok, and the best part is that it was completely free. Instead of going to the island itself, I took the Staten Island Ferry and got a great view of the Statue of Liberty from the water.

A lot of people say not to bother going to the actual island because it’s extremely touristy, the lines are really long, and you don’t necessarily get a much better photo. So just riding the ferry worked perfectly. It took about 20 minutes to get from the ferry terminal to the end of the route, and then I just took it back. That gave me two great views of the Statue of Liberty, and I highly recommend doing that.

This was also the day I went into SoHo. I didn’t do anything particularly notable there, but it was nice to get out of Times Square for a bit while still staying in Manhattan. It was just great walking around and seeing some of the cool shops they have there.

I also revisited a couple of places I had already been to earlier in the trip just to get a different vibe. For example, I went back to the Empire State Building. I did look into going up to some of the observation decks around the city, but they were just really expensive.

One thing I did end up doing, though, was taking the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which gave me a great view of the city as well. A lot of people on TikTok recommended it, and it only cost about $3. You get a really nice view of the city, the crowd is fairly small, and for the price it’s definitely worth it, especially if you’re on a budget like I was.

Quickly onto to Saturday, which was my last day in New York, I was only there for a few hours. I had to check out of my hotel by noon, and after that I just walked around Times Square one more time before heading out.

Overall, it was a great final day and a great trip.

So now, let’s get into some of the subsections here.

Food:

I kept it pretty simple. I mostly stuck with the classic New York staples, bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, New York pizza, deli sandwiches, and bagels.

I will say this though: even though New York is pretty easy to get around and the subway is cheap, it is a very expensive food city. That’s honestly where I got taxed the most during the trip.

But with that being said, those New York bagels… man, I loved them.

My diet for pretty much three days was just bagels, bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, bagels with cream cheese, pizza, deli sandwiches, and then the occasional Target run to grab some Greek yogurt and protein bars.

Overall, I loved the food.

I will say though, for the bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, if you’re into those, I actually liked the one I got from a food stand more than the one I had at an actual restaurant. Personally, I like getting a bacon, egg and cheese and then throwing a little bit of cream cheese on there as well.

One of the ones I had came with sun-dried tomato cream cheese from the first bagel shop I went to. I honestly forget the name of the place, but it was fairly expensive. I think I paid around $15 for it. But again, it was really good.

I also went to this place called Los Tacos No. 1 on one of the days, which was recommended by my uncle. It’s a really good taco spot. However, once again, it was fairly expensive. It was about $5.95 for just one small taco.

I got a steak taco and a chicken taco, which still ended up costing me around $13.75 USD. It was recommended to me, so I felt like I had to try it. They were definitely really good tacos, although I might have gone in there with my expectations a little too high. But overall, still really good.

Getting back to the bagels, though, I also went to this place called Broad Nosh Bagels & Deli near my hotel. The bacon, egg, and cheese there was unreal too. But honestly, the coffee might have surprised me even more. I literally just got a simple coffee with milk and two Splenda, and it was still unreal.

Pizza-wise, I didn’t really go anywhere fancy. Besides Joe's Pizza, I mostly stuck with the $1.50-a-slice pizza spots around the city. But again, those were really good as well.

I will say, though, the one sweet treat I did have was the classic black and white cookie. Normally I don’t eat many high-sugar desserts. As everyone knows, I’m pretty regimented with my diet, and honestly I find that sugary desserts can hurt my teeth a lot, so I usually stay away from them.

But I had to try the black and white cookie, especially because Seinfeld basically introduced me to it. And I’ve got to say, it was really good. I forget exactly where I got it from, but it was super soft and had great flavour.

Overall, I’d definitely eat one of those again.

As far as deli sandwiches go, I do wish I had switched it up and tried a couple more places. I really only ended up getting a classic turkey sandwich from one deli.

One thing I definitely regret is not trying a chopped cheese somewhere while I was there. I mostly tried to keep things fairly cheap with the food I was eating because I wanted to save money for souvenirs and other things. But looking back on it, I really wish I had tried one.

I also wish I had gotten at least one more deli sandwich from a different spot, because that’s one of the things I feel like I really missed out on during the trip.

The Walking:

As far as walking goes, I ended up walking nearly 141,000 steps in four days in New York. As someone who usually likes to get at least 12,000 steps a day, let’s just say I very much passed my goal there.

It was just so easy to get around.

I’m definitely planning on going back. I don’t know when yet, but I’d love to go with more people and stay for longer.

But for someone like me who loves walking, I would say I probably set a few all-time step records for myself on this trip.

The Sports Landscape:

Now quickly getting into the sports landscape. If anyone knows me, they know that’s my passion.

Interestingly enough, I actually didn’t go to any games while I was in New York. I thought about going to a Devils vs. Maple Leafs game the day I first got there, but I was just so exhausted that I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

There was also one basketball game I really would have wanted to go to that same day, Oklahoma City Thunder at the New York Knicks, but it was just way too expensive. I’m going to be completely honest about that. I simply couldn’t afford it.

I did, however, check out Yankee Stadium. I will say though, the area around it felt fairly sketchy. I didn’t really expect it to feel like that in the Bronx, so I didn’t stay there very long. I basically just walked around the stadium, checked out the team store to see if there was any cool merch, and then left shortly after because I didn’t feel that comfortable hanging around.

I also checked out Madison Square Garden from the outside. Again, I didn’t go to any games, but I felt like I had to at least take a photo there. It’s “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” as all the signs say, so I had to cross that off my bucket list.

While I was outside MSG, I actually ended up talking to a couple people, including a cop, and we were just chopping it up about the Knicks. I’ve always supported the Knicks from the outside. I’ve always thought it’s good for the NBA when the Knicks are good.

And honestly, this trip kind of solidified it for me.

I’m going to consider myself a New York Knicks fan now.

New York will always be a special place for me now. It was the first place I ever solo traveled to, and it’s a city I’ve always wanted to visit. I love how passionate New York sports fans are.

So, Seattle gets an NBA team again, I’m going to consider myself a Knicks fan. Those short conversations I had with people outside MSG really stuck with me. We were talking about things like how good the Knicks are this year, what their title chances are, whether Karl-Anthony Towns is a soft player or not, and whether Jalen Brunson is good enough to lead a team to a championship.

Those are the kinds of conversations I had with random people in such a short amount of time, and I loved it.

So for now, consider me a Knicks fan from here on out... Until Seattle gets a team back.

Baseball-wise, I ended up picking up a couple pins, one for the Mets and one for the Yankees. I would have loved to buy something like an Aaron Judge T-shirt, but Yankees merchandise in New York is incredibly expensive.

While I don’t really have a favourite baseball team, Aaron Judge is my favourite baseball player. I’d love to see him eventually win a World Series, really cement those pinstripes, and become a true New York legend in his own right.

And that’s honestly another takeaway I had from this trip: Aaron Judge is the king of New York.

Everywhere you turn in the city, there’s an Aaron Judge poster, advertisement, or piece of merchandise. Even in stores that aren’t sports stores, you’ll still see Aaron Judge somewhere.

When people talk about the “King of New York,” from what I saw, it’s Aaron Judge. He’s the face of that city. Even if you’re not a sports fan, it feels like everyone in New York loves Aaron Judge.

Final Thoughts:

To end this piece, I just want to talk about how great of an experience this trip was. New York has already become one of my favourite cities in the world, and I desperately want to go back. I was only there for three full days, which honestly felt a bit too short. I would say I probably needed two extra days to get a full glimpse of the city. Next time, I’d love to spend five full days there.

I will make no mistake, I will be going back. It was so easy to get around, and I just loved walking through the city and soaking in the vibe. I felt super safe, and the subway system was very easy to use. I had a great time eating the food, and somehow, even though my diet for those days was mostly pizza, bagels, turkey sandwiches, protein bars, and yogurt to hit my protein goals, I actually lost weight. I came back weighing 144 pounds, down from 147 pounds when I left. Somehow, despite eating like an absolute lunatic, I lost three pounds. That just goes to show the power of walking and staying active. Walking 141,000 steps in four days is legitimately crazy to me.

Being in a huge city like New York, where the scenery never gets old, made it all the more special. Great vibes, great food, and just an overall incredible experience.

If you’ve never solo traveled before, I’m not going to preach like it’s life-changing for everyone, but I would recommend doing it at least once. If you’re North American, stay somewhere accessible in North America for your first time. Go somewhere walkable and easy to navigate, without a massive culture shock. Everyone I met was super helpful whenever I had questions.

Overall, I’m really happy I did this. I’m proud of myself for doing it, and I can’t wait to plan another adventure. My next trip will be to Japan with my family in May, but until then, I’m excited to consider other solo travel opportunities or trips with friends as we save up and plan where we want to go next.

Great food, great time, great flight, great hotel… and lastly: Go Knicks, baby. Go Knicks.