New York

Seventh and last post of the Travel Series.

View of the Williamsburg Bridge from Kent St. in Brooklyn.

And then there's New York. Here is where I'll probably always feel at home other than Manila. New York is where I could pop by Grand Central if I have a craving for chicken barbecue with mashed potatoes and milk gravy (Brother Jimmy's BBQ) or a mushroom and blue cheese crepe with a side of greens (Ciao Bella); where, to my left is a bum taking a nap and to my right are struggling model lookalikes dishing on rent and potential part-time jobs at Hérmés and internships at Diane Von Furstenberg.

A colorful store display from last summer.

New York City is where I could go to a deli during lunch hour and get a chopped salad with unlimited toppings, or, maybe get a $5 half-chicken-half-falafel with rice meal from the Halal food truck, and then sit by a bench across the street. NYC is where shops like Michael Kors,  Cole Haan, and Stuart Weitzman are abound, and, ironically, could be steps away from street vendors selling designer-inspired bags, scarves, and hats.

Meals on wheels.

True, every now and then I think that New York is overrated. I get tired of pompous artsy fartsy types who make simple things complicated, or executives who don't read or respond to their own emails. Yet, this city is so diverse and encouraging that maybe one minute I'm in Brooklyn watching a comedy set at The Knitting Factory, and the next minute, I'm going up to a comedian and writer for 30 Rock named Hannibal Burress, asking him advice on where to go for improv classes. Maybe the next week I think about volunteering at the writers room and/or applying in the page program, so I ask a yoga classmate who works at NBC to help forward an application packet to Hannibal…and Tina Fey(!).

Perhaps my packet goes from the mailroom straight to the garbage bin, unnoticed. Or, maybe, whoever ends up reading it wonders, "Is she for real?" (In any case, if you're a 30 Rock or NBC staffer reading this, my answer is yes, I am willing to restart my career from the ground up. Again, just please give me a meal allowance so I don't go seriously broke.)

Maybe on another day, while on a cupcake run in Chelsea, I bump into Food Network exec Bob Tuschman, whom I promptly beg for any job at the station.

Just maybe.

It's the endless promise of something new, bigger, and more exciting that keeps me coming back for more.

Gorgeous apartments (nope, not mine).

One-of-a-kind weddings.

Tiny living spaces (yup, mine).

The New York City Marathon (to watch).

Eggs Norwegian like no other.

Quaint coffeeshops (that sell bite-size cream puffs).

Really, what's not to love? And, if I do get tired of this busy, bustling city, I can go back to any of the places featured in the Travel Series. For now—cue: Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind—"let's hear it
for New York, New York, New York…"

READ the Travel Series starting with...

1. DENVER

2. SILVERTHORNE & BRECKENRIDGE

3. SAN FRANCISCO

4. SONOMA COUNTY

5. NAPA VALLEY

6. CHICAGO

7. NEW YORK