Two things are about to happen up in here.
1. I am going to tell you about an awesome weekend in NYC and some of the excitement I got up to and things that I saw.
2. I am going to tell you how YOU can win $2000 to go on a weekend adventure of your own. I know right? You should probably keep reading.
A few weeks back I shared with you that I would be spending a weekend in the Big Apple – beautiful New York City – and invited you to follow along on the adventure.
For those of you who missed the announcement, essentially I was invited by the new app TripleSpot to create a weekend adventure in a city of my choice and share my experience through their app. Fun right? You can fully catch up by reading the initial post here.
After a long and gruelling flight from Croatia, I landed in JFK and the adventure was on! Well, after 2 hours of waiting in line at customs…
Once I was through, THEN the adventure was on. I was soon on the train and headed to the heart of it all, Manhattan.
For each place that I felt like creating a spot for, I would hop on the app, choose a picture and a quick note to describe something special about the place. This app isn’t about ‘checking in’ or leaving reviews. It’s about sharing places and tips for other experiencers like you and me.
As we go along, I’m going to share my favourite spots and link you to my actual spots on the app so you can see what I had to say about each one. Hopefully it inspires you to get out there and experience some of them yourself, share some of your own and if you’re REALLY lucky, win 2 grand!
Eventi Hotel
My first ‘spot’ of the weekend was at the beautiful Eventi Hotel. Not only was it incredibly located, which more emmenities than I was able to make use of, my room had a spectacular view that inspired me to leave a spot. I wanted to make sure other guests could wake up to what I did each morning – and in that moment realized the true charm of TripleSpot.
To see my spot and what I had to say about Eventi, click here.
Shake Shack 
Food was one of the things I was looking forward to the most on this NYC getaway. Like my home city of Toronto, you can find such good food and from all over the world. Many people had told me to check out the Shake Shack, so, along with some friends I headed over to give it a go. What a find. Unique to New York the burgers are delicious, as are the shakes, as is…well, everything. A perfect way to fuel me for a day of sightseeing.
To see my spot and what I had to say about Shake Shack, click here.
The High Line
While this wasn’t my first visit to New York, nor my first time on The High Line, I had to return and create a spot for it. Filled with people and nature and breathtaking views, this new part of the city has quickly become a favourite for visitors and locals alike. Naturally, I’m not telling you everything here…
To see my spot and what I had to say about The High Line, click here.
Larb Ubol
Yep, it’s time to eat again. Having had true American eats for umm…brunch…I wanted to mix it up and find some Thai for dinner. Scouring the streets and asking some locals I found a cozy little place called Larb Ubol. Success!! I’ve eaten a lot of Thai food, (which means a lot of good AND bad Thai food), and this place well, read for yourself.
To see my spot and what I had to say about Larb Ubol, click here.
New York Yellow Taxi 
NYC is painted yellow with taxis. But why?
To see my spot and what I had to say about New York Yellow Taxi’s, click here.
Times Square
One of the most famous squares in the world, Times Square is always bright and bustling. You feel so small standing in the crowds while your eyes are blinded by the massive billboards glowing all around you. I spent a while here just taking it all in from a little place I decided to share in this spot.
To see my spot and what I had to say about Times Square, click here.
Food Cart Storage 
Rather than tell you about this one here, I’m going to be sneaky and get you to click on the link below to find out what this one means. Why? Because it was such a random find and possibly my strangest spot of the weekend.
To see my spot and what I had to say about Food Cart Storage, click here.
City Hall High Park
Day two of my weekend had a bit of a slow start to it. I walked the city streets for a bit to find somewhere to start my day. Eventually, I stumbled on an urban paradise. With a croissant in hand, I relaxed in City Hall High Park and marvelled at what I found all around me.
To see my spot and ‘what I found all around me’ at City Hall High Park, click here.
9/11 Memorial 
Right near City Hall High Park, was the 9/11 Memorial where the World Trade Centre buildings once stood. As I looked up at the Freedom Tower being built my heart just felt I should visit. I picked up a ticket (by donation) and spent the afternoon taking in the memorial and paying my respects. It is also where I captured my most powerful photo of the weekend.
To see my spot and what I had to say about the 9/11 Memorial, click here.
The Meatball Shop 
While I loved Shake Shack, and Larb Ubol, my favourite meal of the weekend was at The Meatball Shop. Holy meatball goodness. I could have created spot after spot for this place but figured I’d leave some for future adventurers. You HAVE to visit this place next time you’re in NYC.
To see my spot and what I had to say about The Meatball Shop, click here.
Sounds like a fun weekend right? More happened, I promise, but you’ll have to download the app yourself to find out on either iPhone or Android. You can search with the hashtag #brockspots to get a full list of what I got up to.
But wait, there’s more!!
You have a chance to become a TripleSpot Adventurer, and they are going to give you $2000 to do it!
You: ‘Brock, are you joking?’
Me: ‘No, no I’m not.’
You: ‘Wow. That’s like oh so cool’
Me: ‘Not only that, they are giving away FIVE of these prizes!’
Listen up and give it a go. Trust me, it’s worth it – and fun – obviously. Here’s what you have to do.
1. Download the App on iPhone or Android and make a profile. It’s Free.
2. You need to create some ‘Spots’ (more than 5) to share some of the things you get up to on your weekend. You can check out my spots to get an idea of what kind of spots they are looking for.
3. Create a list, title it ‘Weekend Adventures‘, and put at least 5 of those spots you made on that list. Again, easy peasy.
4. Promote your list a bit. You can Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc and invite some friends to hop on the app and give your list and spots some likes. 33% of the score is popularity. Hey, while you’re at it, send your profile to me (tweet me at @backpackerbrock) and I’ll check out your spots. And if you want to take it a step further, add the hastag #brockspotters to each of your spot so I can find you easily.
5. Enter before November 30th. Yep, hop to it.
6. Have fun. I mean it. This app was super fun to use and I found some great locals spots in other places I’ve been visiting.
Infographics are fun, so here’s one that explains the whole process pretty well.
And for any other questions you might have, check out the Weekend Adventurers Official Contest page and the FAQ’s.
So there you have it, some of my favourite parts of my weekend in New York City and how you can grab $2000 to have an equally superb adventure for yourself.
Thank you to TripleSpot for inviting me to experience New York City as a Weekend Adventurer. I had a blast!
If you’d like to check out what the other Weekend Adventurers got up to you can visit their blogs below:
Candice Does the World
The Mellyboo Project
The Local Traveler
Cashmere and Cameo
I hope all of you enjoy the spots I’ve shared and explore some of them on your own. Sending you good vibes as you rock this.
Until next time!
