the hamstu

This post is somewhat delayed. Mostly because I’ve been procrastinating it for a week or so now.

Anyway, about a week ago I returned home from my first trip to NYC. It was fantastic. I went down with my buddy Erik Wright for BarCampNYC3, meeting lots of great people in the industry. I also stayed an extra day to see the big city and to do as many touristy things as I could.

The event took up the whole weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and was held at the Polytechnic University in Brooklyn. With presentations going on from 11pm till about 5 or so.

On the Saturday we also had some late night gaming, hacking, and a sweet trip over to NYCResistor, a great place for hackers and wannabe hackers to learn and play. For a small fee, you can sign up for courses that cover anything from soldering to game development. If only I lived in NYC!

The Monday after BarCampNYC3 was the one day I had for myself. So I did what most tourists would do, and went to see the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Also, as it turned out, that very Monday was St. Patrick’s Day — so I was able to witness some of the parade along 5th ave. (not to mention the green hats, wigs, and other attire everywhere I looked) — and of course, a few drunk people to boot.

Before hitting up Times Square, I had to see the famous Apple store on Fifth Avenue. The store, to put it simply, is amazing. Beautiful architecture and design. And boy was it crowded! But that didn’t stop me from buying an 8gb iPod Touch. Yup, my first Apple product ever! So far, I love it.

Also, the Air is ridiculously thin.

Next on the list was Times Square. And all I can really say is “Wow.” If you’ve seen it, you’ll know what I mean. While checking out the area, I hooked up with George Favvas (who happened to be in NY at the time) and one of his business partners at a nearby Steakhouse.

Lastly, I’d like to give a shout out to the great and affordable accommodations at Hostelling International - New York. I stayed there for a total of four nights, and have no big complaints. But, note to self: if you’re going to stay in a co-ed dorm, remember to bring ear plugs.

But yeah, the place was great. Nice dorms, a common room with TV, WiFi, Books, Games. And, of course, another opportunity to meet cool people.

All in all, my trip to New York city was a fun and memorable one. But there’s still lots more I’d love to see and do there. I’ll be back for sure!