Working and Walking in NYC — USA: Love It? Live It!

A striking WWI Memorial in NYC in Central Park I happen to walk past headed to a meeting.

Pumpkin ravioli with brown butter, feta and squash.

When traveling for work, many are glued to their phones, laptops, etc. If the weather is nice, take a break from the screen and get outside even if only for a lunch break or stretch. And if you find yourself with meetings all over town, figure out how to get around on foot to take advantage of your surroundings. Walking in cities such as NYC are time and cost effective as the traffic is usually slow and cabs can expensive!

This week I had 24 hours in NYC with weather perfection! That was just good luck and I took full advantage of it! I also had two very important meetings and about two hours in the middle.

One of the best parts of my 24 hours in NYC was the working lunch at Boulud Sud. The Express Lunch is only $19. One travel secret that should not be a secret is that breakfast and lunch are cheaper meals than dinner at most restaurants. That is a great way to save money and eat at exceptional places.

I had the amazing Fall inspired pumpkin ravioli, seen here. It was warm, slightly sweet, slightly savory, and buttery. Dessert was an incredible Turkish coffee cube with pistachio ice cream, see below. The restaurant is close to Columbus Circle and Central Park, convenient to subway and walkable from many major landmarks. http://www.bouludsud.com/

Turkish coffee block aka mousse with hazelnuts inside!

After lunch, I sat in Central Park to check my email and decided to walk from the West Side at 64th Street to the Upper East Side meeting across the park and about 30 blocks away! I gauged the time and had to walk fast yet it was well worth it based on the fresh air, scenery, people watching and general pleasant mood it put me in that day.

When I happened to walk past the entrance to the Delacorte Clock, the half-hourly chimes were going off and it was surreal. Just lovely and free for anyone who is lucky enough to be in the vicinity. http://www.centralparknyc.org/things-to-see-and-do/attractions/delacorte-clock.html

I got out of my second meeting at dusk and walked past the incredible Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim Museum. While it costs $25 to go inside, the physical presence of the building from the street is spectacular. I decided to look it up online to learn more about it while taking pictures and went in the gift shop before it closed. Google is a great when walking around as you can find instant trivia and history of a given location in real time. Just make sure you have the data and juice in your phone.

All it takes to enjoy bite sized travel experiences is open eyes and flexibility. Everyone carries a walking encyclopedia and a camera in their pocket. Don't let the fact that you don't have an entire day in an amazing city be the reason to miss out on little experiences that you will keep as memories forever!