Author Archives: Sthefany Gomez

36 Hours: Manhattan-Below 59th St (Under fifty-nine dollars)

Time to dwell on new adventures and seek the greatest deals.Bringing you a taste of the globe, all found one train ride away- The city that never sleeps welcomes you.

Ever stayed a night in a fast pace city? If not, you should try it and New York City is that perfect city to experiment with . There is nothing compared to it. Diversity is at every corner, making this average-sized city into a huge melting pot. All five of the boroughs in this city, have a lot to offer. Want to grab some authentic Colombian food? Head to Queens. Want to feel closer to a rural area? Take the ferry to Staten Island. But if you fly over to New York City, Manhattan is the hot spot for visitors. It’s always been the one borough which intrigues travelers from all over the globe to visit. Offering visitors a feeling of the fast pace city while incorporating more cultures and subtlety educating travelers about our history is what makes New York City iconic.

Tuesday-

 

  • Worms to Catch- 6:00AM ($20)

 

After having a good night’s rest from your flight the previous day, waking up early will be your main priority. In the Big Apple, the saying “ The early bird catches the worm” is true. A morning in Manhattan isn’t as unpleasant as the cinematic dramas make it seem. On the corner of Spring St and Sullivan Avenue a bakery called Dominique Ansel Bakery is located. This small shop , is home to the world famous Cronut.  The Bakery is owned by French Pastry Chef Dominique Ansel who serves creative & beautiful French treats (Treats and the cronut start at $6 each ). The line for cronuts from the Bakery starts around 7AM, but the shop does not open until 8 A.M. Weekdays don’t get as hectic as a weekend would, so even by 9 A.M. you’ll still be able to find cronut if you miss your alarm clock. Around the corner of the Bakery, the Vesuvio Playground is located. Making it a great place to sit and enjoy your breakfast from the bakery and play a game of tag with your loved one while you’re at it.

  1. SoHo Art – 10AM

There are many areas where young and old artist express themselves. Fortunately, without having to travel all the way to Brooklyn to see that type of art, you are located near the start of SoHo. Art is not only encouraged but expressed in every form possible. Go window shopping around the area and you might see a designer or two walking around. Birchbox, a cosmetic store, is a pocket-friendly store. Offering a promotional deal, for you to build your own cosmetic box for only $15. This is great for all those who are into quality cosmetics but don’t want to pay the quality cosmetic price. Don’t be scared to walk into a store, just don’t use up all your money there because after an hour you’ll have to jump on the A/C/E train and head over to 42nd st.

  1. Flashing Lights – 11:30AM

What is a visit to New York without stopping on the number one travel spot where the infamous Red stairs are located. Take a moment and sit on them, they are located on 48th st and Broadway. With the beautiful view of the morning sun shining through, you’ll be able to see the famous New Year’s Ball, that is patiently waiting for December 31st to come around. Lucky, Times Square still is not as full as it usually is around this time. Foot traffic in this area gets heavy around 1 P.M but you won’t stick around that long because it’s almost lunch time and you can feel that tummy rumbling.

  1. Where to go, What to lunch?- 12:30 PM ($8-$20)

Move along the crowded but don’t follow them. Make your way onto 9th Avenue, otherwise known as the food avenue. Starting from 43rd st and 9th ave up until 56th st and 9th ave you will find all different types of foods. Cuisines such as American, Italian, Korean, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, and Thai foods are laid out in front of you but you’re in NYC and how can you go without having a slice of pizza. Two Boots in Hell’s Kitchen, although a franchise can satisfy that craving. This cheesy spot is not only creative with its aura but with its pizza too. Starting at $8 per slice, this pizza shop is totally worth the money and the scenery for those funky Instagram pictures. Not feeling like 9th Avenue is the place for you, head down to Gotham West Market located on 44th st and 11th avenue. This market is home to artisan vendors such as Corner Slice, UMA taqueria, Choza, Indie Fresh, Genuine, Ivan Ramen, The Cannibal, El Colmado, and Ample Hills Creamery. Each one of these pop-ups contain interesting options for those foodies out there to try. Prices here range from $10- $20 per meal.

  1. Catch the Train – 2pm

A way to see the real new york is not by taking a yellow cab from site to site. Rather it is to grab a ride with their very interesting MTA Subway system. Head on over to the Grand Central station and grab the 6 train. Many stations have hidden unique areas of interest, you can catch almost any train and find something interesting on it, like our famous show time people. Seeing interesting New Yorker fashion and hidden art between stations like on the cross between Dekalb ave and Canal St is the norm here. The art you’ll see was created by Billy Brand, whom took a closed train station and made an exhibit called “Masstransiscope”. Or if you catch the 6 train and take it all the way downtown to the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of the most artistic abandon City Hall train station in NYC. This station holds a lot of cultural tourism in the sense that it provides a flashback to NYC advance train system. Not only that but this station holds a past many others can’t compare to. This station has tarred skylights, in order to have been protected from the outrage of World War II. The architecture of this station is truthfully amazing and breathtaking. There is huge amounts of attention to detail that craft this station into the most artistic one of all time. And you’ll get to see it all while sitting on the 6 train as it re-routes to go uptown.

  1. Pit Stop- 3:40 P.M

Walk into your hotel suite, and throw yourself onto the bed. Take a moment and relax indoors. Being out all day can be heavy and you want to have enough energy for the nightlife that’s for sure. Catch a movie indoors or look through all your pictures and upload them onto social media. Start to get ready because the nightlife will start as soon as the sun begins to set. Make dinner reservations to TAO- Downtown, near Chelsea market and get ready to hit the night.

  1. TAO & Games – 7PM

TAO: Downtown is a very modern hip restaurant with a great night-life scenery. Dishes here are perfectly executed and the restaurant can get filled rather quickly for its dinner service. It is mostly popular for its thematic buddha which is portrayed throughout the restaurant. It’s art on the walls, unlike the sculptures found in the front of the restaurant were created by Graffiti artist HUSH who collaborated with TAO to design the art in the Ink room along with the art in the Hush room. The food does not lag behind its upscale scenery, dishes such as Dim Sum, Sushi, Noodles and rice, and tempuras are the most mouth watering foods you can find in chelsea. After treating yourself to a great diner experience at a this Pan-Asian restaurant, get back on the train and head to St. Mark’s Place. Getting off at Astor Place and walking just two blocks to the Barcade for a night of American Craft Beer and vintage video games. Yes, I said vintage video games. This barcade is a spin off to the original bar located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The clientele for this bar is mostly young college students, considering the fact that NYU is nearby, so the night will definitely feel young.

Wednesday

  1. New Museum – 11:30 A.M ($18pp)

After a fun night out, there is still much more to enjoy. A home is for free expressions not for first impressions, and being able to express yourself is what NYC encourages. NYC would not be as expressive and talented if they did not accept those with new ideas. The possibilities are endless, and that is exactly what the New Museum is based off on. Giving the opportunity to up-coming artist to display their art professionally. Take your camera because the exhibits here are at times photo-capturing worthy. Currently, the exhibition “Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest” is most popular and you can take an artsy picture in that room. This museum was categorized as one of the seven architectural wonders by the Conde Nast Traveler back in 2008, and still pulls both young and old crowded into its four floors filled with exhibits from artists of all over the world.

  1. Lunch -2 P.M. ($20-$30)

The New Museum offers a good menu at their cafe found indoors, however Little Italy is just a block away.  Walk around in Little Italy, and find your way onto II Piccolo Bufalo. This Modern home like restaurant is a hidden secret in Little Italy. The food options are large but the food itself takes you back home to Italy, even if you’ve never been there! The Restaurant does offer brick oven pizza, and great service for sure. Sometimes groups of Italian people just go in to celebrate an event and you can hear their classic accent, setting the mood. New York City embraces every ethnicity because it is the backbone of who they are. Little Italy is an escape from your regular burger and fries, and gives you options that you would find in italy such as cannolis which are sold on almost every block.  Caffe Palermo, right across the street from Piccolo, provides you with your traditional Italian desserts along with American styled cheesecakes. After you’ve stuffed your face, there no time to waste you have to visit shops to take souvenirs back home.

  1. StarStruck- 5 PM

The hipster wave hit New York City hard in 2014 and to this day it is still trending, making thrift stores very popular. Many small shops have taken advantage and became too expensive for the average shopper. Stores around popular areas tend to not have a huge variety for local fashionistas, but this one thrift store located on 47th Greenwich ave is a small shop with more than 1,000 options of clothing, shoes, scarves, jackets, and dresses. Zagat rated as a place to visit, I say it’s the one place you can go off and blow all your money.  However finding original prints and vintage stuff isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea. Another great place you can go to shop till you drop, is 14th st Union Square. Old standing bookstores like The Strand is what brings youngsters and old timers to Union Square. Like comic books? Forbidden Planet is right next to The Strand, take a walk around the shop. Not only will you find comic books but you’ll find collectibles and toys for anyone.

Lodging:

For those of you that are looking for a more economically friendly and satisfying stay The Marriott East Side Hotel provides you with great quality for a low price. Offering beautiful panoramic views of the city, this hotel is found on 525 Lexington Ave, 49th St. Luxury furnished atmosphere along with being just a walking distance away from shopping outlets and Times Square, this hotel starts at $165 per night. (https://goo.gl/KPHp6B)

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References:

Wells, P. (2014, February 11). Go West to Sample the World. Retrieved December 1, 2016, from

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/12/dining/restaurant-review-gotham-west-mark et-in-hells-kitchen.html

Weller, Chris. “The 25 Most High-tech Cities in the World.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 12 July 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-high-tech-cities-in-the-world-2016-6/#25-washington-dc-1

Young, M. (2014, August 27) The Top 10 Secrets of the NYC Subway. Web 01 Dec 2016

http://untappedcities.com/2010/09/26/touring-the-old-city-hall-station/

 Young, M. (2014, August 27) The Top 10 Secrets of the NYC Subway. Web 01 Dec 2016 http://untappedcities.com/2014/08/27/top-10-secrets-of-the-nyc-subway/7/

Explore the wonders of New York! (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from

http://www.nyctourist.com/new-museum-of-contemporary-art

Caffe Palermo, New York City – Little Italy – Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews – TripAdvisor. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d527499-Reviews-Caffe_Palermo-New_York_City_New_York.html

Barcade® | 148 West 24th Street, New York, New York 10011 | 212-390-8455. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from

http://barcadenewyork.com/

Explore the wonders of New York! (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from

http://www.nyctourist.com/new-museum-of-contemporary-art

TAO Downtown. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from  

http://ny.eater.com/venue/tao-downtown

Sthefany Gomez- 9/11 memorial

“The way people came together in New York affected me greatly,” – Michael Arad. 9/11 will forever be the day in which this beautiful city comes together and takes a moment to remember the lives of those who were in the towers. Michael Arad, an architect, is the mastermind behind the beautiful and peaceful memorial we now use to remember all the lost lives from the towers. Although, that day was full of tragedies all New Yorkers became stronger. We united and worked through this trauma. Now this area, which is appreciated by not only new yorkers but by people from around the globe, is the best way to show everyone just how strong we were after the attacks. Our strength is what attracts guest to see how we are doing, not all sad things are bad things.
Source: Gonzales, S. (2012, November 28). YaleNews | Architect for 9/11 memorial tells the story of … Retrieved October 19, 2016, from http://news.yale.edu/2012/11/28/architect-911-memorial-tells-story-its-creation

The Carlyle Visit- Sthefany Gomez

What did you like/ dislike about our visit to The Carlyle?

Walking to the Carlyle Hotel I could already feel the luxury of the neighborhood. The grand lobby with nothing but professionals in sight was a truly delightful experience. With the art pasted on the wall I could already tell that I would love every minute of the visit. Which I was not wrong about. Sitting and listening to everyone’s story inspired me to move forward in my career in Hospitality. Moving up and down the stairs, going into suits, and the dining area sure painted a picture of how a hotel with such a hard working teams can be the best and stay the best for countless years.

One thing that influenced your desire to work in this industry?

A hotel that thrives on teamwork, looks after every worker, give opportunities for professional growth, and whoms ideals are to make sure every guest is satisfied is my perfect type of hotel to work in.That is exactly what the Carlyle is focused on, which is what influenced me make my decision to work in this industry. As Justine talked about all the opportunities the company provided and how well the executive branch cooperated with every worker a spark ignited in me saying “This is what you want”. Experiences is what is needed and as much as I want to jump right into the stop, the speakers made it clear that failure will come along with success

A look into the Brooklyn waterfront

The story that the East River tide hides, is a rich one. Walt Whitman, a poet, wrote a piece on the amount of tourism downtown Brooklyn received back when it was a docking station. When warehouses and industrial factories were the only thing around and the people traffic was not as much as it is now. Being able to stand on the promenade today, reading about the history this place holds is eye opening. The Brooklyn Bridge water front is definitely an area that has gone through so much progression and become an integral part of Brooklyn. Making it a community, family, disability, and ecological friendly area was the idea they had to compromise both the people that already lived there and the people who wanted more tourism to come about.Reusing parts of old warehouses to make beautiful hidden theaters and peaceful benches is a way they kept the foundation of the area alive. Having natural habitats help the ecosystem, by protecting the land from natural disasters such as Sandy; but it’s also a great place to escape this hectic city for just a second. The city that never sleeps is growing every minute and the building owners that now call the waterfront home won’t discuss otherwise.Gentrification is apart of the touristic blow up of this area. Take it as you see it, but not all gentrification is bad. In this case, It allowed much more diversity not only in people but in food (smorgasburg), attractions (Jane’s Carousel), and even neighborhoods (new condos). All in all, this area is full of cultural tourism no matter where you turn. Learning all of the history has given me insight to how tourism can work efficiently in a young area.

Sthefany’s electronic profile

Learning the Food and Hospitality industry as if it was the back of my hand is a goal I set for myself 5 years ago. My high school which was focused on Culinary and Pastry arts, gave me the chance to work for great industry leaders such as Danny Meyer and Daniel Boulud.  Learning the technique that every dish we created required and the communication skills needed to help guest while dinning at a place has helped me so much. I started working in a kitchen at the age of 15 and since then I have not stopped. Going from casual dinning (Dos Caminos) to fine dinning (The Modern) and back to casual dinning (Union Fare) has helped me immensely. I am a very good leader and I know some day I will be better than I am now. My career goal is to ultimately become a general Manager for a Fine dinning establishment. I know I have a long way up but I’m working on it as much as I can now to make sure I have a solid running ground in the future.