US Trippin: East Coast

Having traveled to many countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe, it was about time to start conquering the Americas! After deliberate planning and preparation, I finally made it to my first long-awaited trip to the United States (US) in April 2024.

While many people believe that Christopher Columbus was the first to discover the Americas in 1492, Russell Freedman argues in his book: “Who Was First” that there is evidence of the Vikings and even the Chinese making their way to the continent, way before Mr. Columbus did. However, he eventually got most of the credit for opening America to Europe as a mean of political and trade power.

With an area of 9,840,000 square km, the US is the fourth largest country in the world with 50 states in total. Hence, planning a solo trip to such a big country isn’t a straightforward thing to do! To keep things simple, I decided to focus on the East Coast and pick two iconic cities to explore with ease over ten days.

The Big Apple

Choosing my first destination in the US was somehow a no-brainer! Having heard and read a lot about New York City (NYC), with many contrasting opinions about how people perceive it, I was curious to explore it and make my own views and observations.  

New York City has many nicknames, but The Big Apple is the most popular. In the 1920s, John J. Fitz Gerald used the name in a number of horse-racing articles for the New York Morning Telegraph. In the 1930s, jazz musicians adopted the term to indicate that New York City was home to big-league music clubs. Before New York, the city was called “New Amsterdam” as the capital of New Netherland, where the Dutch settlers were very involved with the fur trade in the 17th century.

The Big Apple consists of five major boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. Many tourists and first timers pick Manhattan as their base to discover key landmarks and experience the world-renowned buzzing streets, skyscrapers, Broadway shows, and city lights of New York. Manhattan serves as NYC’s economic and administrative center and is widely deemed as the cultural, financial, media, and entertainment capital of the world.

The borough is divided into Upper, Midtown, and Downtown districts and is bounded by the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers. The Empire State Building, Wall Street’s New York Stock Exchange, Radio City Music Hall, The Museum of Modern Art, Grand Central Terminal, Central Park, and Times Square are some of Manhattan’s notable places to visit. While staying in Manhattan, I enjoyed attending various Broadway and stand-up comedy shows and wandering around the streets of Greenwich Village, the bohemian hub of the city with jazz clubs, bars, food fusion, narrow streets and low-rise buildings.

Beyond Manhattan, you can hop on and off on a day trip to explore the other four boroughs of NYC. Bronx is the third most densely populated county in the US and is home to the New York Yankees baseball team, one of the most successful professional sports franchises in the US. Queens has the second-largest economy of all the five boroughs of NYC. It’s also where two major NYC area airports, JFK International and LaGuardia, are located. One of its main attractions is the Flushing Meadows Park, an iconic parks and the site of two 20th century World's Fairs.

With over 2 million residents in 70 neighborhoods, Brooklyn is NYC’s most populous and fastest growing borough. It offers plenty of things to do, from Coney Island’s beach and amusement park to a botanic garden, flea and street markets, and the “Brooklyn Bridge”, one of the city's most iconic structures that connects Manhattan to Brooklyn. Lastly, Staten Island is most well-known for its green park spaces, museums and historical buildings. It’s also home to NYC’s iconic landmark, which is visited by millions of people every year, the Statue of Liberty that symbolizes freedom, inspiration, and hope.

Miami Vibes

After an exciting and slightly rainy week in NYC, I took the plane from LaGuardia airport to my next destination, the City of Miami. Located in the state of Florida on the southeastern coast, Miami is the third-richest city in the US and has a 70% Hispanic and Latino population. The city’s name comes from the Mayaimi tribe, the Native Americans living in the region centuries ago. The word “Mayaimi” means “big water” or “sweet water” in the language of the tribe.

As soon as you land in Miami, you’ll be swept away by its ample blue sky, white skyscrapers and sunshine. The city has a bit of everything to offer – from sandy beaches to nightlife, shopping, culture, arts and national parks. South Beach and Ocean Drive are some of the liveliest areas in Miami, characterized by low-rise, pastel-colored Art Deco buildings. Ocean Drive is the place to see and be seen with its vibrant restaurants, bars, live music, fancy cars, and happy people from all walks of life cycling, mingling, and having a good time.

Little Havana is another lively neighborhood in Miami, which is the heart and soul of the Cuban and Latino culture in the city. The area is full of Latin-inspired restaurants, bakeries, cigar shops, rum bars, art galleries and music venues. It’s also home to Domino Park, named after General Máximo Gómez, a Cuban revolutionary. The park is the meet-up place for locals to socialize, sip Cuban coffee and play dominos.  If you want to go on a cruise, have a glimpse of celebrities’ fancy mansions on the water, and watch the city’s golden sunset, Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami is where you can go on a boat tour and have a good time with many dining and entertainment options.

Apart from the sun and sand and dazzling social scene,  Miami offers a unique natural landscape with the Everglades National Park - also known as the River of Grass. Spanning over 7,800 square miles, the park is about one hour drive from Downtown Miami. It has an impressive ecosystem of mangrove forests, freshwater prairies and many bird, animal and plant species. The Everglades is also known to house the American alligator, ranging in size from 10-inch babies to 14-foot adults. If you take a boat trip inside the park, you can spot the alligators nesting in the freshwater marsh ponds.

In short, my two-week trip to the East Coast gave me rich and diverse perspectives on two of the most lively, contrasting and interesting cities in the US. New York City, with its old and new grey skyscrapers, fast-paced lifestyle, and plenty of things to explore, and Miami, the City of Magic, with its bright colors, Latin vibes, sunny beaches and blue sky. It was a trip to remember with so many unforgettable experiences and encounters. So indeed, I did finally conquer the America and I’m eager to explore more!