We planned to spend our first few days soaking up impressions before starting work by staying in New York. We found accommodation via Airbnb from a young professional (as they call themselves) named Devin.

We knew the address where we needed to go, but not how to get there. As soon as we left the airport, our eyes were darting around in a panic, and our brains were trying to figure out where the bus stops were and where the exit was in general. According to the plan, we were supposed to find a bus, get on it, and go straight to our destination. But after circling the airport a few times, we decided we couldn't handle it ourselves and went to question the nearest police officers. A black lady tried her best to explain what to do, but our brains treacherously refused to process information in English. And then there was that New York accent. We just looked at her and nodded sadly. She realized it was all useless and, with a sigh, pointed to the nearest yellow car – a taxi. It cost us more, of course, but at least we managed to get there without any incidents.

Our accommodation was right in the center of Manhattan. How much do you think it cost us? Considering that hotels were asking for at least $100-200 per night?

So, drumroll... 30 bucks. Just a mere 30 dollars a night in the center of Manhattan. By New York prices, it was incredibly cheap, and I still think we were very lucky.

It didn't look great, of course :)

Enjoy your stay

As you can see, the conditions were far from elite options with all the amenities, and it might seem like we stayed in some dump. But judge for yourselves: what does a pair of students from poor Belarus need who want to see New York and not spend all their money before starting work? We would return here tired at the end of the day, collapse onto this wonderful mattress and sofa, and in the morning take a shower and dissolve back into the concrete labyrinth.

Cons:

not very comfortable, might shock refined lovers of beauty.

Pros:

VERY cheap, convenient location (heart of New York, a few steps from the Empire State Building, very close to the Port Authority bus terminal, Times Square), has everything necessary: bed, shower, kitchen.

During the time we were in New York, the accommodation did its job perfectly. If we had to live in a hotel, we would have had nothing to eat in the first week after arriving :) By the way, Devin generously allowed us to stay another night for free, which made our lives much easier. After all, we had to head to the bus terminal not far from here in the middle of the night, and thanks to Devin, we managed to rest and sleep before the trip instead of wandering around the city for almost a day. And we didn't have to carry our things with us. Thank you, Devin!

Upon arriving in New York, our #1 priority became finding a mobile operator. Without the internet, we were helpless, and despite the abundance of Wi-Fi spots, it was inconvenient to drag ourselves to some Starbucks just to Google something or reply to a VK message.

Not far from our place, we found an AT&T store. We went inside and looked around. Inside, a couple of consultants were talking to each other. After an incomprehensible dialogue in Spanish, one of the employees approached us and asked in English how he could help. It didn't get any clearer, but we explained on our fingers that we needed a SIM card. He talked about tariffs and conditions, but we didn't understand a thing. "Sorry, could you repeat that once again?" I mumbled. But after repeated explanations, we still didn't understand anything. I felt awkward, and making a face while trying to force a smile, I started asking questions myself. Fortunately, there was a paper with tariffs lying nearby, which saved the situation :) Having oriented myself in the tariffs, I instantly pointed my finger at "this one", my companion decided not to complicate the situation and asked for the same thing.

And now we are leaving the store with internet on our phones. At that moment, I thought that if things continued like this, I would only be good for a dishwasher at work, and that's not even a fact. And where is my vaunted Advanced level that I spent a whole year improving?! Well, at least there is time to enjoy the giant skyscrapers a little.

It was high time to explore New York inside and out. We walked around the city all day (we didn't want to go and be confused in the subway), visited various places, and were inspired by the atmosphere of a city that was always in motion.

First thing, walking past Madame Tussauds, we went inside without hesitation and took photos with all the sculptures we could find. By the end of our photo session, the phone and camera let out a dissatisfied beep and refused to cooperate with us. We had to return home for a while and feed the insatiable devices. We were able to get back into the city by evening.

Tip: take a portable charger with you, it is very likely that you will need it. And more than once!

Somewhere on the street

After walking around Times Square, Broadway, Central Park, and its surroundings, we decided to aim higher and moved towards the nearest attraction – the Empire State Building. By this time it had already gotten dark, and the view of the city should have been incredible! We waited in a small line, quickly looked through all the hanging stands, and impatiently entered the elevator. When we finally reached the very top and saw what we had come here for, time seemed to stop. It felt like I couldn't feel any happier. Everything around me stopped being of interest, and I just got stuck there for an hour.

Stunning

Tip: if you want to visit the Empire State Building, take a jacket with you. There is a fairly strong wind at the top, and it might be chilly.

The next day we went for a walk along the water to look at the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. On the way, we popped into the business district, looked at the notorious Wall Street bull, and the 9/11 memorial.

The bull is happy to see you

9/11 Memorial

Somewhere on the outskirts of the business district

In the business district, there were always people in a hurry, although considering you are in New York, that is not surprising. Some tried to eat right on the go. Not very convenient, right?

But by the water, it's not as noisy and crowded. When you calmly wander from pier to pier, time goes slower, and you can relax and take a little break from the intense running around in the city center.

In the distance, Brooklyn was visible. Before going to the bridge, we wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the necessary pier, they had all closed :) No more trips were planned for that day. But we weren't upset; we still had the opportunity to see it at the end of the summer.

View of Brooklyn from the pier

By the time we reached the bridge, it had already started to get dark. So fast? The day seemed to have just begun... Nothing to be done. Or maybe it's even more beautiful there in the evening? On the way, we met some cheerful police officers, and it was impossible to just walk past and not take a photo! I started bothering them without a guilty conscience and asking for it, to which they replied that if they charged a dollar for it, they would have already become millionaires :) But they didn't refuse. In general, police officers in America are different. They are more positive, always happy to help, and also take their work very seriously. Being in the line of sight of a police officer, you always feel completely safe.

This will do

In the dark, it was very inconvenient to take photos; everything was constantly either blurry or overexposed. On the 10th try, I decided not to torture the poor police officers anymore and went on with a photo for memory.

By late evening, we ended up in Brooklyn. But here's the problem: how to get back? Walk back for several hours across the bridge and dark streets? And where exactly do we live? Among a bunch of squares on the map, it was difficult to find the place where we were supposed to go.

We couldn't figure it out on our own again, and when we couldn't even find a pedestrian crossing, we decided to ask anyone. While I was thinking about who to ask, my friend was already talking to a black couple. Despite our initial distrust, they turned out to be great guys! They dropped their business and volunteered to walk us to the subway, and also showed us how to buy tickets. Tired and hungry, I was very grateful to them for this, because without them we would have had to trudge to our house for who knows how long, and that's if we were lucky enough to avoid problems.

While they were walking us, we managed to chat a little. They were also 19-20 years old, they were studying in New York, and they looked 5 years older than us. By the way, according to my observations, Americans of the same age look much older than a Russian person. What do they eat there? :)

By night, we got home and just collapsed to sleep. We were very tired, and in a few hours, we had to get up and go to the bus. God, it's so good that Devin allowed us to stay another night! In those moments, I was ready to give anything for a couple of hours of good sleep.

Around 3 a.m., the alarm clock buzzed nastily, which meant the need to quickly pack up and go to the bus. Leaving the keys, money for the night, and gratitude in the form of a magnet for Devin, we headed with our suitcases straight to the Port Authority.

Tip: take more magnets and souvenirs with you for your American friends. It's unlikely you'll have extras, but it's very likely you might run out. I regretted that I only took a couple of pieces with me and was torn between the choice of who to give them to. The chocolates that I also took and wanted to give as a gift got crushed, melted, and looked... not great. I had to eat them myself. Brought them for nothing.

Taking a look at New York, I got on the bus and said goodbye to this concrete labyrinth. See you soon! In the meantime, I need to rest so that the next day I can calmly move into my new accommodation and meet my employer.