UPenn / NYC / Harvard
April 2026

EU passport + ESTA = ~15–30 min through immigration. Small suitcase = skip baggage claim. You should be out of JFK by ~3:30–4:00 PM.

AirTrain to Howard Beach ($8.50) → A train subway to Midtown ($2.90). You'll be in Manhattan by ~5:00 PM. Welcome to New York.

You're in Midtown right by Port Authority and Times Square. Walk around with your suitcase (or stash it in a locker at Penn Station). Grab your first dollar slice or halal cart. Soak it in — you're in New York.

Pre-book this bus NOW for the cheapest price (~$8–12). Departs Port Authority area. Arrive Philly ~9:30–10:00 PM. Book on FlixBus

Arrive Philly, walk or Uber to your friend's place. Drop your bags, crash, get ready for 10 days of madness.

You're staying right on campus — start your day with a walk down Locust Walk, Penn's iconic tree-lined path. See College Hall, the quad, and grab a photo with Ben on the Bench (the Ben Franklin statue). Jetlag will probably have you up early — perfect time for a quiet campus stroll before the crowds.

Start your first full day here. Legendary indoor food hall since 1893. Get the roast pork at DiNic's, try the Amish donuts, finish with Bassetts ice cream. 12th & Arch St. Open daily 8am–6pm.

Beautiful park, great people-watching. Grab a cheesesteak nearby at John's Roast Pork or Angelo's Pizzeria (skip Pat's/Geno's).

Where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Book timed entry online now — it's free but you need a reservation. Open daily 9am–5pm.

Cobblestone streets, America's oldest neighborhood vibes. Walk around and soak it in.

Street art, quirky shops, Philly's weird side. Good for an evening stroll. Grab late-night food at a diner near campus.

Catch the early bus from Schuylkill & Walnut. Arrive Port Authority ~8am. Come back whenever — buses run all night. Book on FlixBus.

You're arriving at Port Authority so you'll walk through it. See it, take a photo, move on. Not worth more than 15 minutes.

Walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn. One of the most iconic walks in the world. Go before noon to avoid the worst crowds.

The best photo spot in NYC — Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building. Walk along the Brooklyn waterfront for unreal skyline views.

While you're in DUMBO — this bouncy pedestrian bridge connects Columbia Heights down to the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront. It literally sways when you walk on it. Great views of the harbor and Manhattan skyline on the way down.

Subway back to Manhattan. Hit these three — all within walking distance, all cash only:

1. Jin Mei Dumpling — 25B Henry St. 15 fried dumplings for $5. Two women run the whole operation. Off the tourist path, TikTok viral, crispy perfection.
2. Wah Fung No.1 — 79 Chrystie St. Roast pork over rice for $5.50. NYT called it one of NYC's 25 essential dishes. Tiny window, massive portions.
3. Mei Lai Wah — 64 Bayard St. Pineapple pork buns, ~$2 each. Bakery legend, always a line.

Then walk through Little Italy (one block, but fun) and into SoHo for the cast-iron architecture.

The viral spot. Swinging benches right on the East River with the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges glowing above you. Best after sunset when the bridges light up and the city reflects on the water. It's a 10-minute walk from Chinatown. Open 24/7, free, zero crowds at night. Just sit, swing, and take it all in. 📍 Lower East Side, between FDR Drive and the river.

Enter from the south side. Hit Bethesda Fountain, Bow Bridge, the Ramble. Gorgeous in late April. You could spend 2 hours or all day.

1 E 57th St & 5th Ave — the giant LV trunk on the sidewalk. Take the photo. Then walk down 5th Avenue past Tiffany's, Saks, Prada — the whole strip. You're right here after Central Park anyway.

Indoor food hall in a converted Nabisco factory. Los Tacos No.1 is legendary. Open daily 7am–10pm. 75 9th Ave.

Right next to Chelsea Market — take the elevator to the roof. Largest free public rooftop in NYC. 2 acres, panoramic views of the Hudson, skyline, and harbor. TikTok says it's better than paid observation decks. Open daily until 1 AM.

Elevated park built on old train tracks. Walk south to north — amazing city views, art installations, wildflowers in April. Ends near Hudson Yards.

Washington Square Park (iconic arch, street performers, NYU vibes). Then walk east to St Marks Place for cheap eats, record shops, and grungy NYC energy.

91 E 7th St — NYC's most hyped smash burger. Bad Bunny's favorite. TikTok says it beats Shake Shack. Double cheeseburger + loaded fries is the order. Open until 1–3 AM so it works as a late-night stop too.

The "Night at the Museum" museum! Free general admission if you show up at 4:30 PM (closes at 5:30). No reservation needed — just walk in. One hour is enough to see the dinosaurs, the blue whale, and the main halls. It's right on Central Park West at 79th St, so you can pair it with your park walk earlier in the day. Come back down to the Village for dinner after.

42nd St & 1st Ave — an overpass with a cinematic view straight down 42nd Street with the Chrysler Building framed perfectly. Works day or night. Quick detour if you're passing through Midtown.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge at night is a completely different experience than daytime. Way fewer people, the city glowing on both sides, Manhattan and Brooklyn lit up. Walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn, then grab food in DUMBO with the skyline behind you.

South Philly's 100+ year old open-air market. Bakeries, fresh produce, Italian food stalls. Open Tue–Sun (closed Mon).

Hammocks by the waterfront. Perfect if the weather's nice.

The full experience. Do all three in one afternoon:

1. Aldi — 1700 South St (15 min walk from UPenn). Compare with the German one. Spoiler: it's weird.
2. Trader Joe's — 2121 Market St (10 min walk). Aldi Nord's American cousin that doesn't feel like Aldi at all. Get the cookie butter, Everything But The Bagel seasoning, frozen orange chicken — all TikTok famous.
3. Target — 1128 Chestnut St (walkable). Two floors of pure America. Groceries, clothes, electronics, home stuff — all in one store. This is the one that'll blow your mind.

3200 Chestnut St — literally on UPenn campus. The burger and crinkle fries are the move. Get the ShackBurger and a concrete (frozen custard). This is America's answer to Five Guys.

1500 Market St — the chicken sandwich that has a cult following. Order the Original Chicken Sandwich, waffle fries, and Chick-fil-A sauce. Closed Sundays — yes, every single one, it's a religious thing. This doesn't exist in Europe.

Find a diner open at 1–2 AM (ask your friend — they'll know one). Sit at the counter. Order pancakes, bacon, and bottomless coffee at an hour that would be illegal in Germany. Free refills on everything. This is the experience.

Unlimited 30-minute rides on classic Citi Bikes for 24 hours, courtesy of Lyft. Download the Citi Bike app. Grab a bike and cruise Broadway with zero traffic.

30 blocks of car-free Broadway. Walk or bike down through the heart of Manhattan. Street food vendors, art installations, live performances along the way. Flatiron Building and NoMad have special programming.

After the car-free zone closes at 4pm, keep exploring. Grab dinner downtown — you've got a big evening ahead.

The ultimate NYC night combo. ~8:30 PM: Take the NYC Ferry from Wall St/Pier 11 northbound ($4.50). Glide under the lit-up Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge — that exact Reel view. Last weekend departure 9:37 PM. Get off at East 34th St.

~9:30 PM: Subway to 59th St & 2nd Ave. Take the Roosevelt Island Tramway ($3.00). 250 feet above the East River, city lights everywhere, Queensboro Bridge right next to you. Runs every 7–15 min until late. Download the NYC Ferry app beforehand.

Every night at 11:57 PM, all the billboards in Times Square stop showing ads and sync up to display the same art installation for 3 minutes. The entire square becomes one massive screen. Quick subway from Roosevelt Island — F train to 42nd St. Stand in the middle and look up.

Completely free ferry that passes right by the Statue of Liberty. Runs every 30 minutes from Whitehall Terminal. Sit on the RIGHT side going out. Best free thing in NYC.

The outdoor memorial and reflecting pools are free. Museum is $33 (closed Tuesdays). Powerful and moving — take your time.

Walk north from 9/11 Memorial into SoHo (~15 min). Take your time with these:

1. Aimé Leon Dore — 214 Mulberry St, Nolita. The flagship. Vintage Porsche, Knicks memorabilia, Café Leon Dore. SS26 collection just dropped — look for the Crest Quarter-Zip ($180-220). Open Mon–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun 12–7pm.
2. Uniqlo SoHo — 546 Broadway. Get a basic tee or hoodie + custom embroidery at the RE.UNIQLO Studio ($10-15). NYC souvenir you can't get in Germany.

Don't rush. Browse ALD first, get coffee at their café, then decide.

205 E Houston St — the pastrami sandwich. Open since 1888. Pull a ticket when you walk in, order at the counter, don't lose the ticket. 10 min walk from SoHo. Worth every cent of the $28.

Subway to Brooklyn (2/3 train to Clark St). Walk to Pierrepont Playground — that bench with the unobstructed full Manhattan skyline across the water. Then walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade — the entire lit-up Lower Manhattan right in front of you, Brooklyn Bridge to your left. This is the view. Take your time.

If you want Queens instead of Brooklyn — take the 7 train to Vernon Blvd–Jackson Ave. Gantry Plaza State Park has the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign with the full Midtown skyline behind it. Walk south to Hunters Point South Park for an even wider, quieter view — the entire East Side of Manhattan glowing across the water. Two parks, zero crowds, best skyline views in NYC. These are the Reel spots.

Direct FlixBus from Philly to Boston — no NYC transfer needed. ~6 hours, arrive around 10–11 AM. Sleep the whole way. Book early — prices start at ~$38 but go up. Check FlixBus schedules

Red Line from South Station to Harvard Square (~20 min). Your friend shows you Harvard Yard, the libraries, the campus. This is Harvard.

One Red Line stop from Harvard. Quick look at the campus if you have time. Walk along the Charles River between the two — beautiful in April.

Take a late bus back direct to Philly. ~6 hours, arrive around 2–3 AM. Sleep the whole way, crash at home. Day 9 is a flex day — sleep until noon. Last bus departs 9:50 PM.

Sleep in — you got back from Boston at 3 AM. Take it easy this morning.

Philly options: Philadelphia Museum of Art (Rocky steps! $25, open Tue), Fishtown (trendy neighborhood), Wissahickon Valley Park (wilderness in the city), or just hang with your friend.

NYC options: Williamsburg (record shops, vintage, waterfront), Bushwick (street art capital), or anything you missed.

Your last real day. Make it count.

Start from the Lower East Side (Delancey St) and walk across to Brooklyn. Different vibe than the Brooklyn Bridge — more local, less tourist, great views both ways. You'll land right in Williamsburg.

145 West St, Greenpoint — the $2.55 cheeseburger that broke TikTok. Smashed patty with garlic confit, caramelized onions, pickles, and special sauce. Over 100k burgers sold. Get 3–4, they're slider-sized. Short walk north from Williamsburg.

Williamsburg's main strip. Indie shops, cafés, record stores, smoke shops. Grab coffee at Variety Coffee or Partners Coffee. This is the street you've seen on TikTok. L train to Bedford Ave drops you right here.

Legendary vintage store — massive, cheap, and you will find something. Secondhand Levi's, retro band tees, vintage jackets. Also check out Awoke Vintage on Grand St nearby.

Waterfront park on the East River. Full Manhattan skyline right across the water. Built on an old sugar factory — industrial architecture meets modern park. Grab tacos at Tacocina by the water. Your kind of spot.

Short walk north from Domino Park along the waterfront. A quiet pier jutting into the East River with an unobstructed Manhattan skyline. Less crowded than Domino, more raw. One of the best sunset spots in Williamsburg.

Walk or take the L train one stop into Bushwick. The Bushwick Collective is an entire neighborhood of massive street art murals — every wall, every building. Open-air gallery for free. Centered around Troutman St and Jefferson St.

Come back to Domino Park as the sun goes down. Manhattan skyline lights up across the water. Last night in New York — sit on the waterfront and take it all in. Then walk back across the Williamsburg Bridge at night.

Last morning at 330 S 43rd St. Say goodbye to your friend. Grab breakfast on the go.

Pre-book this bus NOW. FlixBus from Schuylkill & Walnut to NYC. ~2 hours. Arrive Manhattan ~12:00–12:30 PM. Book on FlixBus

A train subway from Midtown to Howard Beach ($2.90, ~1 hr) → AirTrain to your terminal ($8.50). Arrive JFK by ~2:00 PM.

Flight at 17:30. Arriving 3.5 hours early gives you buffer for the TSA situation (government shutdown may still cause longer lines). Check wait times on the day: jfkairport.com or the airline app. Peak hours at JFK are 3–7 PM so expect some line.

Check TickPick and Gametime obsessively 2–3 hours before tip-off. Single seats drop the most. Aim for $250–300 upper deck.

The World's Most Famous Arena. Arrive early, soak in the energy. Pre-game food: halal carts and pizza are everywhere near MSG. Or hit Koreatown on 32nd St (right next door) for bibimbap or Korean BBQ.