Staying in Queens, New York

Queens is Little Manila in New York and is home to 85,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. My first week in New York, I stayed in Brooklyn and later on had decided to transfer in Queens. I bumped with a "kababayan" and thanks to Tita Julie, for she had led me to finding a place where I could stay safely. The apartment was owned by a Filipino couple at Elmhurst, and the room was nice and clean. You can find a coffee shop just a few steps outside, and a 5 minute walk to subway if you want to go in Manhattan. More Asian cuisines are available for as low as $4.50 a meal and supermarkets too. A lot of Asians are dominated by Chinese, Indians and Filipinos. If I like to go to a Filipino restaurant, it's only 20 minute walk from Broadway to Roosevelt avenue. From 64th to 69th street along Roosevelt avenue, you can find some restaurants like Jolibee, Red Ribbon Bakeshop, etc. At long last, I know exactly where to go the next time around and got some network of friends.

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How to Live in New York

Broadway

It’s been so good that I was back in New York again with a big smile on my face and glance what life is like to be in the Big Apple for the third time. And to someone who belongs to a middle-middle class like me, it is a pre-order in the universe and a continuation of my journey to explore possibility of staying for good in New York soon. Now the plan has become more tangible as I started to live like a real New Yorker; I walk fast surviving the gritty, mean streets of New York, I speak a New Yorker’s twang, I live in a small apartment, I bitch someone in the neighborhood and I have to live with it as everything was filtered through that prism.

I was embraced with the city's countless yellow cabs, glittering lights, skyscrapers and people who are always in a hurry. I don't really feel that I am alone as there are so many things that can be done during day time. You may not be needing a car as all means of transportation are in the city - subway, taxis and buses. A city that doesn't sleep where you can walk around along the avenues. And talk about shopping, H&M, Best Buys, Victoria Secrets, Macy's, Armani Exchange, Gucci,etc; and talk about fine dining, coffee shops and bars, too - a lot. If you like the city life, New York City could be one of the place you are looking for.

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