New York City 2023
Canon T6i + Canon 18-55 mm lens. Adobe Lightroom Classic.
I was in New York City, New York, mainly just Manhattan, from March 23rd to 25th, 2023 for about 2 and a half days and 2 nights. I stayed at the Edge Hotel in Washington Heights, which is just a 7-minute walk from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The main reason for my trip was to visit and tour the Mailman School to help me make a decision about where I would be going for graduate school, but that did not mean that I could not have fun as well! Unfortunately, I also could not take many camera pictures but that is okay!
3/23: I landed at the LaGuardia Airport in Queens and took a Lyft to Manhattan. I could not check into my room because I was early so I asked them to hold on to my suitcase and left to go find lunch. I stumbled upon a cute little ramen restaurant called Ramen Ku-Raku and ordered the Tokyo Ramen with chashu pork. It was very comforting. Afterward, I learned how to use the NYC subway system and reached the Columbia University main campus. After some heartfelt exploration, I came to the Mailman School to look around. I was finally able to check into my hotel after that and then rested for a bit. After the much-needed break, I took the subway to Central Park where I walked around and explored a bit. My friend Wu was also visiting for her school as well and so we met up for dinner at Melba’s Restaurant for some southern food. I got the signature Chicken and Eggnog Waffles, which consisted of chicken wings, strawberry butter, and maple syrup. It was so filling too! Finally, after dinner, we scurried over to Times Square for some fantastic photos and then called it a night.
3/24: I started out the day with some breakfast/brunch at Wahi Diner. I ordered a mushroom omelet that came with potatoes and toast. It was so delicious and I met some of my online Discord friends in our MPH Admissions server there for the first time! Specifically, those who were also accepted to Columbia and we were going to the Admitted Students Day. After that, we attended the event at Mailman and I had a good time learning more about the school, programs, and community here. I headed back to my hotel for a break after. Then, I headed out with my friend Wu again and took the subway to the iconic Penn Station. We got out and saw the Empire State Building in the background! We then got dinner at Dim Sum Palace and ordered a variety of well, dim sum dishes. Highly recommend going there and sharing some dishes! That concluded our day, which was already exhausting after the admitted student days!
3/25: I checked out of my hotel and took the subway straight to Penn Station on 34th. I went to Moynihan Train Hall where my Amtrak would be and decided to go to the Moynihan Food Hall for some lunch. I got a rice bowl from Naya there, which was Lebanese food, and ate there until I had to go to the station. Moynihan was very big and open, and it was really cool to be the last spot I would see in NYC before I left…for now. Will be back soon!
