"New York City | Madison Square Garden & More!" New York City by yohan2986

So I've been to New York a few times on business but my recent trip was the first time I ever had a chance to do "touristy" things. I was pleased to discover it wasn't just novelty and every place I went was great. I arrived at the JFK airport around 7pm, and took a cab in to my Hotel. Despite being a cheap New York City Hotel (Yeah, I was suspicious at first) it turned out to be great. I'd suggest the Pod Hotel in Manhattan to anyone looking for affordable accommodations while maintaining great quality.

After I got set up in my room I decided it was time to head out and grab some cocktails.

I heard great things about a Manhattan cocktail bar</a> called "Lanterns Keep" so I left the Pod Hotel and headed over. It was a quaint, busy, well decorated cocktail bar. Despite not having a reservation the girl at the door still managed to squeeze me in after a short wait. I suggest to anyone checking the place out though... Make a reso! Their cocktail menu was extensive and they had a lot of classic throwbacks with contemporary twists.

The next morning I woke up early and grabbed a coffee at the Pod Hotel Restaurant. Luckily, I was able to restrain myself for drinking too many of Lanterns Keeps delicious cocktails. I spent the day checking out Central Park, The Empire State Building, Macy's, and ended off the day with a Rangers game at MSG. All in all, great trip.

• Pros:The Pod Hotel, Lantern's Keep, MSG
• Cons:Expensive Taxi's, Sketchy Public Transit
• In a nutshell:The Big Apple Is Everything It's Cracked Up To Be!