Fun in NYC
So last Saturday I took a day trip with Miguel and Rose up to New York City. I'd been up there a couple of times in the past with my design classes, but those trips were mostly limited to art museums, and graphic design studios. Don't get me wrong, they were cool places to visit, but this trip was the first time I actually got the chance to map out an itinerary, rather than spend the day following someone else's schedule. Since I didn't really know the streets and stuff, I decided to sketch out a small map for each location in my sketchbook, as well as a few details about each one.
Our agenda was simple- run around the city and check out fun and geeky stuff! To make it easy on your eyes, I've separated each leg of the trip accordingly...
The Search for Waverly Place
As soon as we left the Port Authority (aka the bus terminal), we headed down 8th Avenue to find Waverly Place, a street passing through the top side of Washington Square. I'm a big fan of Wizards of Waverly Place, so I thought it'd be neat to find the actual area the show was based off of and snap pics at various intersections. According to hopstop.com, it'd take roughly 33 minutes to get from the Port Authority to Waverly Place. Thanks to my wonderful sense of direction, we slightly veered off course and practically doubled that amount of time- I blame the road for splitting into three different directions after 12th Street. Strike one on my part... :/
After consulting "the almighty sketchbook" a few times, we eventually found Waverly Place. As we walked down that street (quick note: Waverly Place changes to Washington Square N, but only within the confines of Washington Square, and then it changes back to Waverly Place), we caught sight of the arch made famous in When Harry Met Sally. After a quick photo-op there, we set off for the actual task at hand. Along the way, we'd snack on crepes and Thai iced tea from some street vendors, since Washington Square N was blocked off just for them. Unfortunately for Miguel, he eventually got stung by a yellow jacket, not once but twice. Luckily, he wasn't allergic to them, so the swelling went down later in the day.
Back Uptown
After spending about an hour in between almost every Waverly Place intersection, we hopped on the subway back uptown, taking the Number 1 train in the process. Of course, with me not reading the signs properly, we ended up going in the other direction. And since one can't cross over to the other side within the system, we had to exit and re-enter onto the other side, repaying in the process. Since that was strike two on my part, I made it up to Miguel and Rose by paying for lunch at Ray's Pizza. Broccoli and chicken pizza is quite delicious!
World of Disney
After that filling meal, we headed over to World of Disney, a three-level store off of 5th Avenue. Once we entered, all sense of adulthood left my consciousness. The ground floor was fairly packed, so we went straight to the top floor. While there, I caught sight of some 11" x 14" matte prints. These ranged from specific Disney characters to graphic prints in the form of those motivational posters. I tend to ignore motivational posters, as I find the internet has ruined the idea behind them. One of these prints however, really spoke to me. It said, "VISION. It's kind of fun to do the impossible.- Walt Disney."
Here's what it looks, though this one's a bigger version. I ended up getting it. There were two others I wanted to get, another motivational poster (the quote was witty) and a print of Ariel in an underwater dress (I'm quite fond of her character design), but considering each 11" x 14" print cost $15, I just stuck with the one. :p
Nintendo World
Our next stop on the list was Nintendo World, a store that basically sells nothing but Nintendo products. I'd been there in the past, but at the time it was still called Pokemon Center New York. They still sold Pokemon merchandise, but it was now limited to the back of the ground floor. Upstairs was a unique blend of Nintendo pop-culture, including various t-shirt stands, a Wii demo area, and a glass case containing the company's system history. The collection included all the various Game Boys, Famicom (precursor to the NES), the NES, and some custom DS Lites belonging to Liv Tyler, America Ferrera, and Carrie Underwood.
Since there were a ton of Wiis in the demo area, the three of us all got a chance to game on some various titles. Mig played Wii Sports Resort, Rose did Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and I tried my hand at Mario Super Sluggers. Since Mig and Rose's friend Elly lived in New York and was in the the area, we decided to meet up with her inside Nintendo World. While waiting for her, we killed some time at the DS station by trying out those new DSi's. The downtime also gave Miguel a chance to buy some Nintendo "Power Up" energy drinks just for the hell of it (judging from the taste, I'm pretty sure they're just cleverly disguised cans of Red Bull... *shudders*).
In New York, Canada is Right Next to Kentucky
Once Elly showed up, we headed for the next item on our itinerary: Tim Hortons. For those that don't know, it's basically a Canadian equivalent of Dunkin' Donuts, only more awesome. There's a couple of franchises stateside, but they're mostly in the northern states. This location opened up recently, so we couldn't miss the opportunity to stop by. Of course, it took forever to find, mainly because I forgot to mark down the specific location in my drawing. After going up and down the square block adjacent to E 42nd Street, we finally caught sight of it... inside a small restaurant being shared with a Kentucky Fried Chicken. If you weren't on the proper side of the street, you'd totally miss it, because the neon lights from KFC totally distract your eyes from the Tim Hortons window clings. Anyway, remember that scene in Harold and Kumar where the title characters start crying after eating up some White Castle? I had the same reaction after downing some Timbits (aka donut holes) and a Caramel Iced Cap. It was beautiful!
Times Square
As we entered Times Square, we caught sight of four individuals in Dora, Elmo, Pooh Bear, and Sponge Bob costumes. I decided to approach Pooh Bear and snap a photo with him. As I was about to walk away, the dude in the suit totally ruined the moment by reaching out a shady looking bag and saying "We work off of tips." WTF?! First off, Pooh Bear does not speak with a New York accent. Secondly, you're a costumed character requesting money on the spot?! Mascots don't do that! I'm sure ignoring his request was blowing the situation way out of proportion, but having worked in as a mascot in the past, I know the etiquette. He even pulled the same stunt after a child approached him. That's just wrong. You don't see the same mascots at theme parks pulling that crap.
After that uncomfortable debacle, we trekked further into the heart of Times Square. One of the main reasons why we came to New York was to re-enact the famous "Yatta!" pose from Heroes. Being the hardcore geek that I am, I brought a small printout of where Masi Oka's character, Hiro, was standing when he did it. Using the McDonald's in the pic as a reference, we were able to pinpoint the exact spot where the scene occurred. Unfortunately for us, there were two folks dressed up as the Statue of Liberty in the way, so we improvised and re-enacted the pose a few feet away, but still on the same island intersection. After a handful of takes, we finally got the right pic! Since we had a good fifteen minutes to spare before heading back to the Port Authority, we stopped by Toys R Us to check out some of the fun displays inside.
Uncomfortable Journey Back to DC
After the brief stint at Toys R Us, we headed back to the Port Authority. Roughly two blocks before reaching said terminal, my right leg decided to be resourceful and cramp up- my fault really, for pushing myself all day. Luckily, the intersection we were standing at had a rail for me to lean over and try to stave off the pain. It was so bad, biting my finger had no effect in balancing the pain threshold. After enduring five minutes worth unbearable discomfort, I somehow manned up the strength to stand on both feet and limp the final two blocks. On the bus ride back, I'd periodically stretch my leg in order to keep it circulated. Still painful, but bearable.
By the time I got home, the effects of the Iced Cap and the energy drink were still my system, so I popped some Tylenol PM down my mouth, hoping it would cancel out those effects, and knock me out till morning, which it did.
Overall, it was a fun trip. There were a lot of other things I wanted to check out, including the AIGA Headquarters (a Graphic Design organization that has close ties with my alma mater), Media Blasters (an East Coast anime distributer), and the NHL store. Due to time constraints, we had to cross those off the list. I also wanted see The Little Mermaid (the Broadway version) or Shrek the Musical, but funds hindered those. Perhaps I'll plan another day-trip to include them, but that'll have to wait. For now, it's all about resting my leg and prepping for my upcoming job in the fall (that Disney print should help my productivity in the office!).
Anyway, here's a link to my photo album... :)
Our agenda was simple- run around the city and check out fun and geeky stuff! To make it easy on your eyes, I've separated each leg of the trip accordingly...
The Search for Waverly Place
As soon as we left the Port Authority (aka the bus terminal), we headed down 8th Avenue to find Waverly Place, a street passing through the top side of Washington Square. I'm a big fan of Wizards of Waverly Place, so I thought it'd be neat to find the actual area the show was based off of and snap pics at various intersections. According to hopstop.com, it'd take roughly 33 minutes to get from the Port Authority to Waverly Place. Thanks to my wonderful sense of direction, we slightly veered off course and practically doubled that amount of time- I blame the road for splitting into three different directions after 12th Street. Strike one on my part... :/
After consulting "the almighty sketchbook" a few times, we eventually found Waverly Place. As we walked down that street (quick note: Waverly Place changes to Washington Square N, but only within the confines of Washington Square, and then it changes back to Waverly Place), we caught sight of the arch made famous in When Harry Met Sally. After a quick photo-op there, we set off for the actual task at hand. Along the way, we'd snack on crepes and Thai iced tea from some street vendors, since Washington Square N was blocked off just for them. Unfortunately for Miguel, he eventually got stung by a yellow jacket, not once but twice. Luckily, he wasn't allergic to them, so the swelling went down later in the day.
Back Uptown
After spending about an hour in between almost every Waverly Place intersection, we hopped on the subway back uptown, taking the Number 1 train in the process. Of course, with me not reading the signs properly, we ended up going in the other direction. And since one can't cross over to the other side within the system, we had to exit and re-enter onto the other side, repaying in the process. Since that was strike two on my part, I made it up to Miguel and Rose by paying for lunch at Ray's Pizza. Broccoli and chicken pizza is quite delicious!
World of Disney
After that filling meal, we headed over to World of Disney, a three-level store off of 5th Avenue. Once we entered, all sense of adulthood left my consciousness. The ground floor was fairly packed, so we went straight to the top floor. While there, I caught sight of some 11" x 14" matte prints. These ranged from specific Disney characters to graphic prints in the form of those motivational posters. I tend to ignore motivational posters, as I find the internet has ruined the idea behind them. One of these prints however, really spoke to me. It said, "VISION. It's kind of fun to do the impossible.- Walt Disney."
Here's what it looks, though this one's a bigger version. I ended up getting it. There were two others I wanted to get, another motivational poster (the quote was witty) and a print of Ariel in an underwater dress (I'm quite fond of her character design), but considering each 11" x 14" print cost $15, I just stuck with the one. :p
Nintendo World
Our next stop on the list was Nintendo World, a store that basically sells nothing but Nintendo products. I'd been there in the past, but at the time it was still called Pokemon Center New York. They still sold Pokemon merchandise, but it was now limited to the back of the ground floor. Upstairs was a unique blend of Nintendo pop-culture, including various t-shirt stands, a Wii demo area, and a glass case containing the company's system history. The collection included all the various Game Boys, Famicom (precursor to the NES), the NES, and some custom DS Lites belonging to Liv Tyler, America Ferrera, and Carrie Underwood.
Since there were a ton of Wiis in the demo area, the three of us all got a chance to game on some various titles. Mig played Wii Sports Resort, Rose did Super Smash Brothers Brawl, and I tried my hand at Mario Super Sluggers. Since Mig and Rose's friend Elly lived in New York and was in the the area, we decided to meet up with her inside Nintendo World. While waiting for her, we killed some time at the DS station by trying out those new DSi's. The downtime also gave Miguel a chance to buy some Nintendo "Power Up" energy drinks just for the hell of it (judging from the taste, I'm pretty sure they're just cleverly disguised cans of Red Bull... *shudders*).
In New York, Canada is Right Next to Kentucky
Once Elly showed up, we headed for the next item on our itinerary: Tim Hortons. For those that don't know, it's basically a Canadian equivalent of Dunkin' Donuts, only more awesome. There's a couple of franchises stateside, but they're mostly in the northern states. This location opened up recently, so we couldn't miss the opportunity to stop by. Of course, it took forever to find, mainly because I forgot to mark down the specific location in my drawing. After going up and down the square block adjacent to E 42nd Street, we finally caught sight of it... inside a small restaurant being shared with a Kentucky Fried Chicken. If you weren't on the proper side of the street, you'd totally miss it, because the neon lights from KFC totally distract your eyes from the Tim Hortons window clings. Anyway, remember that scene in Harold and Kumar where the title characters start crying after eating up some White Castle? I had the same reaction after downing some Timbits (aka donut holes) and a Caramel Iced Cap. It was beautiful!
Times Square
As we entered Times Square, we caught sight of four individuals in Dora, Elmo, Pooh Bear, and Sponge Bob costumes. I decided to approach Pooh Bear and snap a photo with him. As I was about to walk away, the dude in the suit totally ruined the moment by reaching out a shady looking bag and saying "We work off of tips." WTF?! First off, Pooh Bear does not speak with a New York accent. Secondly, you're a costumed character requesting money on the spot?! Mascots don't do that! I'm sure ignoring his request was blowing the situation way out of proportion, but having worked in as a mascot in the past, I know the etiquette. He even pulled the same stunt after a child approached him. That's just wrong. You don't see the same mascots at theme parks pulling that crap.
After that uncomfortable debacle, we trekked further into the heart of Times Square. One of the main reasons why we came to New York was to re-enact the famous "Yatta!" pose from Heroes. Being the hardcore geek that I am, I brought a small printout of where Masi Oka's character, Hiro, was standing when he did it. Using the McDonald's in the pic as a reference, we were able to pinpoint the exact spot where the scene occurred. Unfortunately for us, there were two folks dressed up as the Statue of Liberty in the way, so we improvised and re-enacted the pose a few feet away, but still on the same island intersection. After a handful of takes, we finally got the right pic! Since we had a good fifteen minutes to spare before heading back to the Port Authority, we stopped by Toys R Us to check out some of the fun displays inside.
Uncomfortable Journey Back to DC
After the brief stint at Toys R Us, we headed back to the Port Authority. Roughly two blocks before reaching said terminal, my right leg decided to be resourceful and cramp up- my fault really, for pushing myself all day. Luckily, the intersection we were standing at had a rail for me to lean over and try to stave off the pain. It was so bad, biting my finger had no effect in balancing the pain threshold. After enduring five minutes worth unbearable discomfort, I somehow manned up the strength to stand on both feet and limp the final two blocks. On the bus ride back, I'd periodically stretch my leg in order to keep it circulated. Still painful, but bearable.
By the time I got home, the effects of the Iced Cap and the energy drink were still my system, so I popped some Tylenol PM down my mouth, hoping it would cancel out those effects, and knock me out till morning, which it did.
Overall, it was a fun trip. There were a lot of other things I wanted to check out, including the AIGA Headquarters (a Graphic Design organization that has close ties with my alma mater), Media Blasters (an East Coast anime distributer), and the NHL store. Due to time constraints, we had to cross those off the list. I also wanted see The Little Mermaid (the Broadway version) or Shrek the Musical, but funds hindered those. Perhaps I'll plan another day-trip to include them, but that'll have to wait. For now, it's all about resting my leg and prepping for my upcoming job in the fall (that Disney print should help my productivity in the office!).
Anyway, here's a link to my photo album... :)