Bagels for lunch

I can give my highest recommendations to the hostel Manhattan Inn. It is a small place, with dorm rooms that all have bathroom ensuite. I was in a six-bed female dorm for two days, and really enjoyed my stay. I was concerned that there would be a lot of noise from the other dorms, but as soon as the door was closed we could only hear the traffic outside (hard to avoid the noise of traffic in NY). There is a small common room/ kitchen where breakfast is self-served in the morning included in the price. The breakfast consists of coffee, tea, juice, cornflakes, milk, fresh fruit and a selection of bagels and muffins with butter and jam, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Since I am picky and prefer muesli and low-fat milk in the morning, I bought my breakfast myself from the deli on the corner, and allowed myself to bring a bagel and a muffin for my lunch. Mmm... delicious.

Illustration courtesy: Harlan Bakeries

New York part II

Four days of scientific talks at Cold Spring Harbor - now it is time for the second part of my trip to NY. Yesterday I checked in at the Chelsea Hostel and immediately went looking for a towel...
After a few hours walking Manhattan, I had already tried riding a yellow cab, seen batman cross the road, visited Burger King (of all places) for internet access and got a feel of the NY atmosphere. I must admit that I expected this place to be more buzzing and crowded, but I guess the quiet streets are what you would expect on a Sunday afternoon in a drizzle.