Words & Pictures by Shaun Troke
In the summer of 2016, I took a trip to the Big Apple on my lonesome, and here’s 6 Tips to give you some first-hand advice, covering travel to & from the USA, to avoiding jet-lag, to – most importantly – dining alone when travelling solo…
TIP #1:
Pick-up your US Customs Card at Check-in
If travelling from the UK to the USA, you’re usually given a US Customs Card to fill-in a little before the plane lands in the United States…
This usually leaves everyone scrambling over adjoining passengers to get to their bags, scavenging around for pens, to make sure this form is filled in before entering customs.
Last time, though, I was able to fill-in my Custom Card while on the ground in Manchester Airport, before even boarding the plane! The airline staff gave me the form upon check-in, therefore avoiding pen-hunting stresses thirty-thousand feet up!
I’m not sure if all airlines offer this (I travelled United Airlines that time), but there’s never any harm in asking, if this tip makes sense to you (I know that I’ll be asking ground staff from now on).
TIP #2:
Dining Alone
If you’re also someone who doesn’t enjoy walking into a restaurant, uttering those embarrassing words, ‘table for one, please!’, then here’s a tip for how you can Dine Alone With Dignity…
My instincts, for some reason, led me to a Whole Foods (America’s Healthiest Grocery Store!) in the Columbus Circle, to a help-yourself deli cart.
Not only did the carts host a variety of foods, but there’s even a dessert cart, too! You scoop-up & box-up what you want, and it’s weighed by the pound, at $9.99 per pound.
For the solo traveller, THIS is the way to do it! For those of you on less of a budget, there is also the Food Emporium’s that offer the same kinda take-out method, at a cheaper price (see TIP #3)
The total price for my box of food from Whole Foods was slightly over $15.00…so, think what you like about the quantity of my own consumption!
But, I can assure you that there was nothing nicer than eating all of this natural, organic food – pieces of chicken, pasta, mac n cheese, rice, garlic mashed potato, pulled pork, fried fish, naan bread, chicken wings….
All piled into one box, while sitting in Central Park as the sun set…
And, I didn’t even need a reservation!
TIP #3:
The Food Emporium
The Food Emporium is somewhere I’m pleased to have discovered.
Its range of food & groceries are very impressive, much like Whole Foods…and, also like Whole Foods, The Food Emporium offers a take-out service, where you scoop food into a container, and, your food is priced upon weight (I love this, I really do!).
My birthday lunch that year was courtesy of The Food Emporium, as was a birthday dinner of sushi, the latter enjoyed from behind a hotel window, as a lightning storm struck the city outside.
It was another hotel’s Concierge who’d made me aware of The Food Emporium, but not for food reasons…
Aside from being a grocery store that serves quality food (and, believe me, they have a LOT to choose from!), The Food Emporium store in Hell’s Kitchen also houses a Coinstar machine, too.
You know what’s it’s like:
You get to the end of the your holiday, weighed down by all those loose foreign coins in your pockets, just because you don’t understand how the currency works…
Well, Coinstar is a machine that exchanges coin shrapnel for dollar bills!
Tip #4:
Purchase a Metro card
One of the most logistical things to do when in New York City is to invest in a Metro card. Why was this logical?
It’s all heat related…
Firstly, if you’ve many things to see that are great distances from each other on a hot day, using the Metro will save you time, and avoidance of heat exhaustion…
Secondly, not only can you get around more comfortably in all types of weather, but, without one, you can’t visit places like Roosevelt Island
Tip #5:
Walk on the Shady Side
If you’re insistent on NOT purchasing a Metro card, then another method to battle the summer heat in NYC is to always walk on the side of the road that traps the most shade.
Sometimes this is hard to do when the midday sun is directly above you…
But, for most of the time, you can usually stay sheltered from the sun (and, make sure you stay hydrated with water, too!)
TIP #6:
Stay in the GMT zone.
On previous trips to this metropolis, it’s always taken a few days to get over the jet-lag upon returning to the UK…
So, every night on my last trip, I climbed into bed at around 9pm/10pm, and then, every morning I’d wake up between 5am & 7am – this way, when you return to the UK, it’s easier to slip back into your usual time zone.
This Tip may not suit heavy drinkers & party animals, however, if you’re looking to get a full days worth of sight-seeing during your visit to this vibrant city, then an early bedtime will give you that!
Have a great time…and, Happy Travels!
Read Shaun’s original NYC Blog by clicking HERE!