NU Hotel Brooklyn

As I stayed last time in Manhattan I was looking forward something special with a certain kind of NYC vibe for my recent stay in New York. After some research on the web I thought Brooklyn might be a good option and indeed it is! I felt in love with the area and the hotel from the very first moment. The hotel is easy to reach from LGA by taxi for about 30USD- from JFK you could easily take the MTA. The subway is within walking distance- just 5 minutes and it will take another 3 minutes to downtown Manhattan!
Check In was a swift- Justin even recommend a diner across the street, called New St.Claires (its worth a visit) and helped me out with a dental set. Staff at all was very friendly and kindly helped with every request. The whole property is a boutique hotel- which is well done for people who know how something like that should look like!
We stayed in a Standard Queen room on the third floor- very quiet with a view to the backyard. Bed was very comfy as the whole ambience of the room. Wifi was included in the room rate as well as the continental breakfast in the morning which is a very good start as the coffee, freshly baked pastries, juice and fresh fruits are delicious! If i wanna a huge buffet breakfast- I would choose a Shangri La e.g.!
If they keep the quality on this level I will return for sure!

New York City

There is no place like NYC on this planet. One could easily say that they would never travel to North America as they might think it is boring. Indeed most places within the States or Canada aren’t interesting at all, but NYC is not America- NYC is an Urban Agglomeration of the World. If you aren’t able to move there you should at least came by to get an impression of the very special lifestyle. Skip the stuff what is recommended in your guidebook. Just stroll down the different parts and you might be able to realize what’ s all about!



Places to stay:
NYC is not cheap at all, but due to economic crises and the weak dollar you will find a places which suits to your budget.
For good offers check out Travelzoo or bid for a room on Priceline. I am not a fan of chain hotels and New York is a good place to look for something different than a Mariott or Hilton.
If you are on a shoestring but would like to have a little bit more comfort try Pod Hotel in Manhattan. This venue offers rooms with and without private bathrooms. Boutique Hotels are very famous in NYC and prices are sometimes out of the world, but there are options if you are willing to stay for example in Brooklyn. Sure you have to travel to Manhattan, but depending on the area you like to go it might takes just a few more minutes. Try Nu Hotel on Smith Street. This is a very new design oriented hotel in a very hip area.
Getting around:
There are three main airports- JFK, EWR and LGA. If you can choose I would strictly recommend to use La Guardia as this is the smallest airport of the three, located in Queens. Flying in and out is amazing as you have a very nice view on the city. There is a bus service connecting to the MTA, but its worth to think about a taxis to your hotel. A taxi to Nu Hotel in Brooklyn will cost about 30 bucks all in and if your traveling together with somebody its a bargain for the 25 minutes ride.
Organizing travel during your stay is pretty easy as you should use public transport! A ride on the subway will set you back 2 bucks. You have to buy a Metro Card at the vending machines within the stations. Buy a 20USD card which is worth 23USD- you need to walk a lot anyway as a first timer. Keep in mind that you can use the Metro Card also for two people.

Stay tuned- Will be continued!

Flight Tracker

Last weekend a very good friend of mine from Singapore came over and he used the ultra longhaul by Singapore Airlines to New York. As I used to fly by myself a couple of times with SIA I would strictly recommend to spend a few extra bucks on their service. My friend was really enthusiastic about the service received. The world famous Singapore Girl in the typical Sarung makes the difference. It would be a pleasure if one of the girls slop a Singapore Sling over my trousers just for "the" sorry on her lips. The Kosher meals provided are produced by the kosher caterer Hermolis and are not bad!

Flight Tracker

As you might recognized the global travel market and especially the airline industry is rapidly changing. For my next trip from NYC I planned to use the ultra longhaul direct service to Bangkok using Thai Airways. But fuck it- they canceled this service due to high oil prices. Thai Airways introduced a Premium Economy worth the extra Bucks compared to regular Economy Class if you don't wanna fly Business Class. So I thought it is a very good idea to use their service on a regular base on my way to Asia. My other favorite options Singapore Airlines offers a all business class direct service from NYC to Singapore using the well known new business class cabin, but indeed seat availability is restricted. Other options would be flying through Europe or using ANA via Tokyo. Any other ideas?

Stay tuned for more reports on global travel market!

Oh, gosh! I’m so happy to live in New York!

Nestled among meatpacking plants and hard-core gay bars, Florent was an anomalously egalitarian enclave beloved in equal measure by celebrities on the A list and hedonists on the edge, and a prism through which certain aspects of the city’s evolution could be seen with unusual clarity. There is a menu of French stalwarts and American interlopers that were available virtually round the clock: onion soup, mussels, pâté, steak frites, hamburgers, cheeseburgers. And he created an institution that became both a timeline and a time capsule of downtown life. Anyway- On June 29 Florent will close. Its rent was to rise to more than $30,000 a month. It started with paying $1,350. The neighborhood, the city and the people who felt it belonged to them were different then.

Have a look to the special movie, linked in the title and stay tuned for more melancholy stories worldwide