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6/27/2026
Feeling the American Vibes
Morning Errands and a Quick Target Run
This morning at 11 AM, I stopped by Target again. It was to pick up the things I forgot to buy on Thursday. I bought a hat, laundry detergent, and bananas, and while looking around some more, I spotted the USA edition of Monster Energy. As soon as I saw it, I thought, "I have to get this right now," and threw it in my cart. Looking back, it's pretty funny, but I bought it just because the design was really cool. Also, people from another room asked for water, so I picked up some of that too. My roommate carried the bags, and I think he must have had a hard time. I should buy him a cup of coffee later.
A Spontaneous Change of Plans: Heading to Manhattan
After getting back from Target, I unpacked my things. While I was chatting with someone in the lobby, the idea of going to Manhattan came up. Honestly, I was thinking about skipping Manhattan and just heading to the nearby Bergen Mall to go clothes shopping, but somehow we all got on the same page, so it wasn't until 3 PM that we hopped on a bus and started heading to Manhattan.
At first, we were going to take a city bus, but when I looked it up, I found a route called the Route 4 Jitney. Initially, I thought it was a city bus too, but it turned out to be a private bus. We don't have private buses like this in Korea, so I wasn't used to it, but we decided to take it since it was a direct route taking the highway straight toward Manhattan. Also, the fare was $4 per person, which wasn't too expensive. Of course, we had to transfer once, so bottom line, we did end up spending more money. I didn't have any cash on me, but fortunately, someone else in our group did, so they paid for all of us at once.
Monster Drink(USA Edition)
The NYC Subway Reality Check and Trump Tower
We arrived at the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and took the A train. We headed to 5th Avenue. I rode it yesterday too, but I just can't get used to that specific metallic smell and stench of the New York subway. In Korea, the subway stations are kept super clean, but that's not the case in New York. I guess it can't be helped since they're using a 100-year-old transit system.
When we got to 5th Avenue and started walking, we came across the Apple Store. One of the guys in our group said he wanted to check out Trump Tower, so we decided to hit the Apple Store later and started heading there instead. Security was tight at Trump Tower. Nevertheless, once we actually got inside, they didn't do any bag checks or anything. Maybe because Trump wasn't there? Lol. The inside of Trump Tower was incredibly pristine. There was a massive American flag displayed; it looked awesome, so I took a few pictures with it in the background. Also, next to it, there was something like a Trump emblem or badge hanging on the wall. Honestly, I don't really like Trump that much, but I don't hate him either. Even so, he has a very straightforward personality and seems like an alpha male, so I think that kind of American mindset is pretty cool. Putting politics aside, he is the current president, and since I might never get the chance to come here again, I took pictures of that too. I just threw on a nylon zip-up hoodie, but it made me wonder if I should have dressed up a bit more.
With the American Flag
Mind-Blowing Tech at the 5th Avenue Apple Store
After checking out Trump Tower, we stopped by the Apple Store. They say the Apple Store on 5th Avenue is the largest in the world. In fact, they hold a lot of events there, and it's where Tim Cook always used to visit after Apple events in the past. Dozens of iPhones and iPads were on display, and there was also a chance to try out the Vision Pro. I didn't try it myself, but I used my Apple account to let one of my group members test it out. According to him, the realism is insane. Hearing that made me want to try it, but we didn't have much time, so I just took pictures for him and looked around. I think Apple's tech is truly amazing, because the Vision Pro is a culmination of optics, engineering, and various other technologies. It’s such a great opportunity to see a device in person that I had only ever seen on the internet. At first, my group was also skeptical, asking, "This is 5 million won?" but after actually trying it out, they agreed it was worth the 5 million won. It really does seem like a product worth that much. Of course, even so, I can't afford to buy it. Lol.
Central Park Views and Impulse Shopping
After looking around the Apple Store, we stopped by Central Park for a bit. Central Park is huge, but I only explored a tiny fraction of it. It looked absolutely stunning when I took pictures with the distant buildings framed through the trees. How could they build a park like this? When you think about its history, it's pretty incredible.
After sightseeing in Central Park, we stopped by some fashion stores, including Nike and Adidas. One of the guys in our group originally had no interest in jerseys, but he suddenly wanted one and impulsively bought a US national team jersey at Nike. It was pretty nice, though.
Times Square at 10 pm
St. Patrick's Cathedral and a Texas-Sized BBQ Dinner
After browsing the fashion stores, we walked past Rockefeller Center and visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. I don't go to Catholic church, but since it's a landmark, we went in, and the scale of it was truly massive. It felt bigger than any cathedral in Korea.
Next, we headed toward the highlight of the trip, Times Square. We got there around 8:30 PM, and it was seriously packed with people. First off, we were starving, so we went to get BBQ. Initially, we wanted to hit Taco No. 1 since it was the most famous spot. However, there was a long line, and my legs were killing me from all the walking, so we just went to a place where we could sit down. It was our first time eating at a sit-down restaurant, and a 15% tip was included by default. I ordered a 20oz (Texas Size) of their most popular non-alcoholic drink, and honestly, the portion was way too big. It tasted good, though—if I had to compare it, it tasted similar to Korean yogurt (Yakult). The chicken was really delicious, and their most popular item, the baby back ribs, was excellent too.
Late Night in Times Square and Excitement for Tomorrow
After eating our fill, we came out and went back to Times Square one more time. It was almost 10 PM by then, but even at that hour, the place was overflowing with people, and I could still feel that unique American performance culture. There was someone in the crowd who looked like a Korean actor, so I thought it was him, but thinking about it now, it was probably someone else. Honestly, I don't really care about celebrities. But still, I do think it would be cool to meet one someday.
Tomorrow is The Cab concert. I think I'll really be able to feel the vibe of the rock band I've loved for 13 years there. I'm going to fall asleep tonight feeling incredibly excited about it.
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