Visiting NYC soon!
Mar. 6th, 2016 12:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schneefinkI have relatives in New York and New Jersey (my grandfather's cousins, iirc, but we're still in frequent contact.) They visited us in Vienna several years ago and ever since then have repeatedly invited LB and me to visit them. There never seemed to be a good opportunity, unfortunately.
Until now! I'm going to visit them soon :D
I've never been to North America before, I'm excited. I have barely any plans yet, now I know what I'll do in the next few weeks. I'd like to go relatively soon, before I get a job/job search intensifies; we signed up for a family relay at the Vienna City Marathon on April 10th, but possibly immediately afterwards.
I'll definitely spend several days in NYC, visit New Jersey, possibly Boston, and other than that I don't know. One of my great-aunts has a granddaughter she'd like me to meet, but she's studying in Vancouver so that might be tricky. I'll have to check how expensive intercontinental flights are; my parents are paying for my flight to NA as a graduation gift so I can afford more travel than I could otherwise. My parents also told me a lot about the gorgeous national parks, maybe I could include at least one. I'd love to go to at least one hockey game, but the regular season will have already ended so maybe an Islanders playoff game? (And of course I'll try the Hamilton lottery but odds aren't good.)
I would also love to meet up with people I know in the area :) Until teleportation is invented it's an unfortunately rare opportunity. Let me know if you're interested!
Until now! I'm going to visit them soon :D
I've never been to North America before, I'm excited. I have barely any plans yet, now I know what I'll do in the next few weeks. I'd like to go relatively soon, before I get a job/job search intensifies; we signed up for a family relay at the Vienna City Marathon on April 10th, but possibly immediately afterwards.
I'll definitely spend several days in NYC, visit New Jersey, possibly Boston, and other than that I don't know. One of my great-aunts has a granddaughter she'd like me to meet, but she's studying in Vancouver so that might be tricky. I'll have to check how expensive intercontinental flights are; my parents are paying for my flight to NA as a graduation gift so I can afford more travel than I could otherwise. My parents also told me a lot about the gorgeous national parks, maybe I could include at least one. I'd love to go to at least one hockey game, but the regular season will have already ended so maybe an Islanders playoff game? (And of course I'll try the Hamilton lottery but odds aren't good.)
I would also love to meet up with people I know in the area :) Until teleportation is invented it's an unfortunately rare opportunity. Let me know if you're interested!
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Date: 2016-03-06 01:08 pm (UTC)As you're on a Hamilton kick, you should look into visiting some of the preserved places where Hamilton or Burr lived and worked - I know there are a few that are open to the public, and I'd definitely check them out if we were staying in NYC more than two days. (We're basically JUST going for Hamilton.)
By April, #Ham4Ham should be back to its live version, so you will have a chance to join the huge crowds outside of the theater and get a glimpse of LMM and is guests! Which is exciting! If you hardcore want tickets, I've heard if you're the first 5-10 in line to the cancellation line you have a chance... but people do things like camp out all day, so I'm not sure it would be worth it. (I mean, it would if you were guaranteed a ticket, but if you're not...?)
Other NYC stuff off the top of my head: the museum of Native American History was amazing, Ellis Island is a MUST (it's a fantastic museum; really well done, really gripping), going to the top of the Empire State Building... a visit to Chinatown, trying a bunch of interesting international food, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York City Library, a walk around Central Park... there is a LOT to do. ♥
Some notes from someone who's gone to the US regularly since 1996 (!) - MAKE SURE YOUR PAPERWORK IS IN ORDER. You need to do something called an ESTA before you can even get on your flight. The official site is here. There are a LOT of fake/"we'll do it for you" sites where you end up paying through the nose, so be careful. The official site charges $14-something, and you have to pay by credit or debit card. True story: I once did my ESTA, got my number, and arrived at the airport to find it had disappeared from the system. (I still had the bank statement from the US gov to show they'd charged for it, so I KNOW I wasn't making it up.) In my case, there was enough time to go do the application on Skuld's phone, and I got the immediate approval and could board my flight, but yeah. When you do it, do it so that you have a receipt saved and everything.
Make sure you check exactly how much luggage you're allowed, and how much carry-on, and what you're allowed in those. (Both of these things can be nasty surprises on international flights - I lost a jar of marmalade a friend had made my parents as a gift because I only had carry-on, and no checked luggage to put it in.) With the security theater, getting to your US-bound flight can be a lot more complicated than it should be. (There can be random baggage searches of US bound passengers even before/after security.) Get to the airport EARLY, and get through security is quickly as you can, because really - better safe than sorry.
You can get around most of NYC/New Jersey by train, which is great. It takes time, but it's definitely doable by public transport. There are even trains from NYC to Boston - and buses, too, but buses are low-budget transport in the US, and are infamous for being trafficked by coaches that catch on fire (no really) and drivers that are on meth. It's a thing people in the US just accept, because there Car is King, and if you're on a bus you're some sort of poor person, and a lot of the US hates poor people and are happy for them to die in a fire. I've done the Grayhound thing, and it's totally doable, but beware that it's NOT up to the safety/comfort standards of international buses in Europe! (Also, I'd honestly say it's not worth the trip up if it's your first time in the US? I personally would recommend doing the most of NYC - of which there is a LOT - and if you want to travel, go somewhere really different, like Vancouver. Boston is lovely, but it's still the East Coast, and doesn't have destinations that are absolutely worth the cost and time and effort of leaving NYC just to see them. The exception would be if you do some kind of open-jaw flight and leave from there - that's what we're doing! - or if you have friends to visit.)
A cross-continental US/Canada flight would take about six hours. It would normally come to about €350-400, but you might be able to find some better deals on low-budget airlines. It might also depend on your travel dates and day of the week.
The East Coast is pretty, but doesn't have any of the more spectacular national parks. One of the issues with the US in general, which holds true for national parks too, is that it's difficult to get anywhere without driving. If you're under 25 years, it's a LOT more expensive to rent a car - and depending on the company, they might need a translation or international license along with your EU license. (Also, on the topic of EU licenses - they do NOT recognize these as valid IDs. For anything you need ID for, bring your passport.) The big National Parks are one of those destinations that people do a separate trip for - so maybe save that until next time? Another note is that the nice national parks are HUGE and gorgeous and full of wild nature, so you kind of want a buddy along? Because you shouldn't go hiking alone (weather, wildlife - including bears - and vast wilderness to get lost in...).
On the East Coats there are scenic spots like Martha's Vinyard and Cape Cod that you could get to from Boston or NYC, if you want some non-urban scenary.
I love the US, and have spent a lot of time there, and I know you'll have so much fun! But do be aware that the US is very different - for example, read up on tipping culture, and expect to carry around a bunch of $1 bills to hand to anyone doing anything for you. Remember that prices will be listed EXCLUSIVE sales tax, in a lot of places, so if you only have a little cash on you you might be in for an unpleasant surprise when they ring up the total. OH - and do some research before you leave so you can find a bank that offers a credit card you can use without penalty charges abroad! This is a HUGE thing - you don't want to travel with too much cash, but a lot of banks will charge you a fee or percentage per transaction if you're abroad, and that can end up taking a chunk out of your travel budget. (This is one of the main reasons we're with our current bank!) You might be able to open a second bank account if you don't want to switch - I can't really advise you on the situation in Austria, but there will be a lot of good information online if you search for it.)
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Date: 2016-03-06 03:21 pm (UTC)I wouldn't do Boston if you're only going to be in the US for a limited time. Having been to college there, there is not as much to do in terms of tourism, and it's a similar enough vibe not to make the trip really worth the trouble. I'd do something like fly somewhere completely different: Florida, California, or the Rocky Mountain West.
As an Austrian, I don't think you'd find any of the national parks on the East Coast as nice as or impressive as what you have at home. ("Mountains" in east coast parlance are more just rolling hills by any other standards...) If you're planning to hit up a National Park, I would bring a buddy. You don't want to be hiking by yourself in Yosemite, for example, without the proper gear and without someone more experienced with you. Grand Canyon is touristy enough, but you'll still need to drive from place to place within the park. Remember that America is huuuuuuge and most of our National Parks are GIANT. Grand Canyon National Park is almost 5000 square kilometers. That's 10 times the area of Vienna. They are all extremely difficult and inconvenient without your own form of transportation. Driving a car in the US is easy compared to Europe (automatic transmissions and all), the culture surrounding driving is a lot different. Be prepared for a lot of aggressive drivers, and you have to be comfortable on the freeway and changing lanes frequently.
If I were you, I'd save the National Parks for another trip, or at least make a significant chunk of your trip the National Parks? You'll want at least 5-6 days in each to really cover all the sights.
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Date: 2016-03-06 09:02 pm (UTC)I mentioned Boston because my parents said they enjoyed it there, but you're right that going somewhere not as similar might be more interesting. I'll see how much time I have.
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Date: 2016-03-06 08:58 pm (UTC)I'd love to see a live version of #Ham4Ham, even if I can't get a ticket to the show. Not sure about related historical places, from what I've heard NYC has a ton of great museums I'd like to check out but there's a limit to how many museums I can go to without getting tired. The Library is also a good idea. I've barely started looking around where I should go yet.
I know that I can go to NA again some other time to see more, or specifically for shows or games or national parks, but this is my first time over there so my first instinct is that I want to see everything ;) It's probably smart to concentrate mostly on NYC this time. I'll see.
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Date: 2016-03-06 01:57 pm (UTC)-J
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Date: 2016-03-06 09:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-06 02:42 pm (UTC)While
The train is definitely more comfortable than the bus, but be aware that the US's standard for timeliness of trains is . . . low. You're generally okay as long as you stick to the Northeast Corridor (Boston-DC, as noted above), but once you leave that stretch of track freight trains take priority over passenger trains, which means you may end up spending quite a while sitting on the side of the tracks while freight trains trundle by.
I love the National Parks of the East Coast--Shenandoah is one of my favorite places in the world, the Great Smokey Mountains are pretty beautiful themselves, and Mammoth Caves are breathtaking--but they are very difficult to access without a car, as noted above. You can find guided group hikes that leave from the city in the morning, drive you out a couple hours in a bus to a park, and then drive you back at night--they can be expensive, but possibly worth it as a tourist if you want nature and don't have access to a vehicle. If you want corporately organized ones, check out outdoor equipment stores like REI; otherwise, search Meetup.com for the local area.
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Date: 2016-03-06 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-06 10:17 pm (UTC)If you just want to gaze at the White House from outside the fence, you can do that any time. And there's generally one day each April when the gardens are open to the general public, although the 2016 garden tour hasn't been announced yet.
The big touristy thing in DC at this time of year is the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which encompasses various concerts, movies, and street festivals over a several week period.
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Date: 2016-03-06 10:51 pm (UTC)The festival looks pretty, thanks for the info!
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Date: 2016-03-07 05:06 pm (UTC)There is a park with various statues outside, yeah. Some of them are remarkably homoerotic.
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Date: 2016-03-08 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2016-03-06 02:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-06 10:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-06 04:27 pm (UTC)(Hopefully the Hamilton lottery will work out. Small chance, but somebody has to win, right?)
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Date: 2016-03-06 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-06 07:24 pm (UTC)no subject
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