(03OCT24) Allow me to cue in Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York”~
Here’s a little throwback when I toured California and Las Vegas in 2016. My entry for this has forever stayed in the drafts because unfortunately, all my blog content for it got corrupted. I only got to save some of my personal pictures which are on my Facebook.
This first part of “My NY Times” is about my basic flight and accommodation tips, how we navigated the big apple and the events we went during my birthday week. Brace yourselves for this special fangirl entry!
FLIGHT
I went on a premium economy flight with British Airways via Gatwick Airport. Luckily, my onward flight to New York wasn’t full so I had both the aisle and window seat for myself. On the other hand, my outward flight was filled up so it was my first time to sit in the middle and I dislike it (I find it uncomfortable). I would rate their in-flight services as a 3/5 as the meals were fine (I appreciate how they serve it with either tea or wine which is very Bri-ish!) but the downside was that there’s no specific lavatory at the P.E area. Nevertheless, it was a smooth and swift flight—I didn’t feel that 8hr flight at all!
ACCOMMODATION
Selecting my accommodation here has been the toughest especially when you consider both the proximity of attractions and safety. I even had a last-minute change of my hotel 2 days before my flight! So pro-tip: It’s best to identify which area/landmark you’d like to stay close to and it’s also helpful to read reviews of the facility. Majority of what I read was to stay within Manhattan and since I wanted to be nearby Times Square, I ended up staying at Citizen M NY Times Square.
I enjoyed my stay here so much as their service was great---they have a colorful chic interior, the staff were very accommodating and they have a rooftop bar overlooking the lively, vibrant square.
Just like in any other Citizen M branch, their rooms can much of a minimalist but it is pretty tech-y with its tablet controls. Location-wise, this is near a subway station, a stones’ throw away from Times Square and literally, it’s in the heart of Broadway Ave.
GETTING AROUND NYC
In a glance, New York can be overwhelming especially when you try to navigate things on your own. Like in terms of walking, I find it weird to feel that an 11-minute walk can take longer because they seem to have a wider block compared in Europe (?!) Though, I have to admit that when I first walked around the city, I got easily distracted when I passed by several landmarks.
Especially for someone who is fond of American entertainment—I don’t know how many times I went in awe about it. Here’s a snippet but I’ll talk more about these on my next blog entry!
Thus, I recommend that touring NYC is better on foot to skip the traffic and to find hidden gems. Although, there are still instances that you would need to use public transport like when you go uptown, midtown, or downtown.
I was curious to ride the subway even if I heard bad reviews of it—which I have to 100% agree. It has its reasonable efficiency but it can be confusing and non-tourist friendly. Though, if you are good in navigating the London Underground, then you’ll have less of a problem to ride this. You can pay through contactless card or buy single journey tickets. The complicated part is: 1) when the train has abrupt diversion/cancellation, 2) they don’t announce which stop you are in and 3) the trouble when you boarded the wrong train (this is the most annoying since not all stops have transfer lanes). So friendly tip: take note of the subway’s end-to-end line by matching it with Google Maps. Chances are, you won’t actually get lost but you might end up riding the whole of the Empire State.
THE HEART OF TV SHOWS & EVENTS
It felt like a gift that we stumbled to several events during my birthday week. Although, it seems that there’s always something going around the city whether it’s from a TV show or a pop-up event. You just need patience to queue.
One of the first events that we coincidentally went was this pop-up event from Maison Valentino near the Flat Iron district. It was raging hot that time but girls can’t miss some free signatured make-up samples! There were 3 snake lines for free doughnuts, the make-up and the photobooth stall.
On the other hand, it was such a dream that I got to the Rockefeller Plaza/Madison Square Garden. Like damn, I only got to see this on TV before and now~ 🥹💝
Basically, it’s free to be part of a TV show audience; you can register online in advanced for an invite but if you didn’t make it to the cut, you can still queue at the venue for stand-by tickets. However, the entry will still depend if the show is full or not.
So we did our entertainment agenda on 8th October in which we watched Coldplay’s mini concert from “The Today Show” then a morning taping of “The Kelly Clarkson Show”. We joined the queue at 5am for “The Today Show” and I can’t believe that it was already one heck of a very long line! I mean…I was assuming that given it was a weekday (Tuesday) that time so the queue would’ve been tolerable but nope! People might have camped-out on the streets, slept in car like the crazy possibilities are endless.😂 And this queue multiplied throughout the hours and filled-up the whole Madison Square. Apparently, we ended up at the back of the stage—and I watched it while seating on the barricade.
This was my view while I hung myself on the barricade. It was a mad and crazy experience for a mini concert show! I saw Chris Martin (mostly his back) from afar. Yet, I’m still happy that I finally got to see them perform live(and it’s FREE!). They were promoting their new album, “Moon Music” by then. We didn’t finish the whole show anymore since knowing TTS, there are other segments and interviews in between Coldplay’s performance which we can’t see unless we’re standing near the studio. So we moved on to our next set: be part of a live show at NBC Studios!
Again, this felt really surreal for me—to be in the place where Saturday Night Live and other popular talk shows were filmed! I registered for SNL, Jimmy Fallon Show and the Kelly Clarkson Show beforehand but I had no luck to score an exclusive pass. The recording happens on different days as well so on that day (Tuesday) was Kelly Clarkson’s. She has two tapings in a day which I queued for both; luckily, we managed to be part of her morning taping—and that brought me to tears.
For those who didn’t know, KClarkson has been my all-time idol during my teenage years. I grew up listening to her music and pretty much until now, even if I have other favorites, she still remains on top of my list. 💝I definitely hoped for a chance to meet her on set but to see her in person (for the 2nd time since her Manila concert in 2010) already means a lot. 🥰
There were several security checks before you enter the main studio. The show’s waiting room is amazing with a gallery of Kelly’s previous guests and her songs playing on the background. You cannot relate if you’re not a fan. Hahah.
Then once we entered the recording studio, there’s another briefing before the tape rolled. At this point, it was prohibited to take pictures or videos at the set. Nevertheless, this experience is a memory stored only in my vision—until I watch it on TV! We weren’t seen but we were part of the clapping and yapping of that episode.
This was the Oct 18, 2024 episode where Anna Kendrick was the main guest as she promoted “Woman of the Hour”, the reporters of NBC Dateline and a live performance by Gavin DeGraw.
Then after that, we were given a 10% discount at the NBC shop! This applies to whatever show that you get to be a part of. There are a lot of good collectibles at the shop especially the SNL ones. I would loved to be part of an audience again and I hope to do this when I return. ☺️
And that wraps up the first part of my NYC content. Here’s some bits of how I celebrated my birthday strolling around Times Square and I’m really grateful on how this turned out.
Y'all will hear more about Times Square on my next entry 😉 Thank you again to everyone who greeted me last October!♡
‘til then
