I had a great time staying with Raul and his wife. The purpose of my trip all the way from South Africa to New York was to visit a friend of mine who was working at the UN (United Nations) head office. My friend was staying nearby at the “International House” and I could walk to her place very easily. The apartment is literally a stone throw away from the University of Columbia, uptown Manhattan. For those who like running and going for a jog in the morning, you will be happy to know that there is a very nice trail by the Hudson River which I found very nice for an early morning run.

What can I say – these folks really treated me well. Raul always insisted on me having something to eat, to drink or for me to have some fruits. I often laughed and just marvelled at his hospitality. The one other thing is that, I was not on international roaming and they kindly offered for me to briefly call my friend so that I could confirm our appointment. There is free wireless internet so you can use your Laptop, iPod, iPad, e.t.c to access the internet. The hosts were not there on my first night upon my arrival, but they however arranged everything for me to go and collect the keys from their daughter’s place. They gave me clear directions and I found the place with relative ease.

The one thing that I found to be very interesting was that it was very easy for me to find my way using the subway given the fact that I was a tourist. The Air Train and subway service provides the least expensive ride from JFK. The air train runs from different terminals in the airport to the subway station, and the ride costs $5. First take the Air Train to Station A (known as Howard Beach station). Then take #A train (subway) to either Time Square Station or 59th Street, and within the station transfer to #1 train uptown, get off at the 116th Street Station (Columbia University Station). The total travelling time is about 2 hours. From the Stations, you will just need is to walk across the university campus and you will be there in no more than 5 munities walk.

If you are looking for a place that is easily accessible by the subway and a chance to engage with University professors – Then it would be a cool place to stay and get to experience Manhattan.