New York, New York

So, this weekend, Sunday specifically, I did something that I've been meaning to for a very long time: head up to New York City and visit my cousin, and also just to hang out in the city for awhile. It seems to be the perfect time, as my uncle and pseudo-aunt were visiting over this last weekend. So the scene was set about a week ago, and I bought tickets for the Bolt Bus.

Speaking of the Bolt Bus, if you ever need a ride from New York to Philadelphia, Boston, or DC, use that service. It was effortless as it gets to hop on the bus and ride the hour and a half it takes to get from Philly to New York and back. I didn't bring my laptop, but for those that are going for more than a daytrip, they have wireless access on the bus itself, along with power outlets so you can juice up your gadgets on the road. Plenty of leg room (way more than your usual airplane seat) and cheap cost ($24.50 round trip!) just serve to sweeten the pot.

Anyway, I headed over to the Cherry Hill, NJ mall at about eight in the morning to catch the bus at 8:20. It left on time, and surprisingly, I set foot at the Penn Station area of Manhattan at around 9:45. It took about forty-five minutes to find my way to the Marcel - the hotel my relatives were staying at - and despite a little rain I made it without being too worse for wear.

After that, we headed to the subway and took it over to Brooklyn, where Nick biked over to grab us. His apartment was quite amazing, given that it had a lot of "city charm" and looked like the kind of place one would see in a movie. He's perched up on the fourth floor with two roommates that work with him, and the place even provides some rooftop views. I'll have to think about spending weekends up there with friends of mine from down here. We also enjoyed some great Spanish food - I ordered some strange fusion of tortillas, beans, and scrambled eggs. It was absolutely lovely.

We crossed over the Williamsburg Bridge, which was quite a hike, heading back into Manhattan and saying goodbye to Nick. The apex of said bridge offered quite the fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline. I took a few pictures, but I'll have to post them later, thanks to the fact that I'm a caveman when it comes to extracting pictures from my phone.

After checking out the World Trade Center site, I parted ways with Dik and Mary and headed back to Penn Station. I had ambition of seeing a movie - I had hoped Moon, which Scott had recommended - but there really wasn't much time. I ended up just walking around and looking at things, people watching, et cetera. By quarter-to-nine I was back on the bus, and I was home by eleven.

It was daunting to think that I was in New York City for a good portion of the day, between waking up and going to sleep in my bed. It was a fantastic day, and I'm excited to head up there with a friend at some point. Seeing Nick was a good reason to go up there alone, but it was nice to work out the logistics of the Bolt Bus.