Usually around November and December I take a vacation out of New York City. I love the bright lights, great subway and bus system, food, nightlife and the NYC air. This year I decided not to go away but to do a staycation (stay-at-home vacation). Normally, New Yorkers don’t take advantage of the arts and culture. I am not sure we realize that we don’t have to go very far as we have many theaters, museums, art galleries, malls, outlets, bars, clubs and other special interest places right at our fingertips.I knew that I wanted to rest and paint the town red. Like so many other working ladies, I don’t get the chance to explore the city and sites. Back in July 2009 I finally received my driver’s license. I don’t own a car, but I have a trusty unlimited Metro Card. Getting around the city via public transportation is great, but I wanted to actually drive myself around and go wherever I wanted.
Shopping was at the very top of my list. I wanted to visit the outlets, drive to Queens to visit my family and cruise the city. On November 14 I rented a car from National Car Rental, and it was a journey getting home. I got lost quite a few times because I thought I could navigate my way through Queens; it took me two hours to get home. The last time I got lost I decided to get off at Northern Boulevard and drive until I saw a sign for Brooklyn. I was not sure I was going to find one but I just continued to drive over 100 blocks to I finally made it to the BQE.
However, I got to see parts of Queens I hadn’t seen in years. I jammed to music, and I felt liberated the whole time. It was awesome. Even when I was sandwiched between two monstrous trucks! I made it home to Brooklyn in one piece. Over the next few days, I went to Queens, Mineola in Long Island (Nassau County), cruised Queens and Brooklyn, drove around with friends and visited more shops.
I never made it to the outlets but I had a great time but just being in the car. The car was my ticket to a great vacation. I didn’t relax much but I had an awesome time just cruising. Stay tuned for Staycation part two and three. Who knows what I will do, but I will take advantage of my city!
Desiree Frieson, 24, is a marketing & pr coordinator at Odyssey Networks, a faith-based non-profit media production organization in New York City.
Photo provided by http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/USA/Cities/index.html.
Ahh driving around NYC sounds scary to me! You probably enjoyed it though because you never get to drive. I hate making the long trips to visit my family and boyfriend (about 4 hour drives each :/)
ReplyDeleteLol @ Jill. Driving in NYC CAN be scary at times, lol. But I personally love the rush. Driving is one of my outlets. Desiree's staycation sounds like fun times. It inspired to do a staycation (or a few) of my own. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a New Yorker, I find myself in the same boat. I rarely take advantage of everything that NYC has to offer when I visit. I am typically focused on work. However, no matter how busy I might be I ALWAYS schedule a spa appointment at Juvenex and grab cheap tickets for a performance in Times Square. ALWAYS! Now, I just need to expand beyond my usual and really experience this fabulous city.
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