Guide To Vancouver On A Budget

by Jessica Festa on

Vancouver, Canada, has much to offer the visitor in terms of restaurants, nightlife, hotels and culture. However, while it’s a worthwhile destination, it can also get expensive. To help you make the most of your trip to the city without breaking the bank, here is a budget-friendly guide to Vancouver.

Get Outside

Vancouver’s waterfront location, mountainous terrain and many microclimates allow for some beautiful landscapes. One of the best ways to experience this is by walking the Seawall. Stretching 14 miles from Coal Harbour to Kitsilano Beach Park, you’ll stroll past colorful sailboats, beaches, parks, bridges and ancient trees. You’ll pass through Stanley Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world. Encompassing 404.9 hectares, the park features First Nations artwork, beaches, gardens, forests, monuments, recreation areas and the Vancouver Aquarium. You can also stroll through Queen Elizabeth Park, Crescent Park or Pacific Spirit Park.

While Chinatown’s Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden offers a free park, I would recommend spending the fee and visiting their traditional Chinese garden. According to their website, it is the first of its kind outside China, with the site mimicking the private spaces within a Ming scholar’s residence.”With its asymmetrical arrangement of rocks and plants, its winding paths and corridors, and the vistas that overlook its courtyards, the Garden emulates the rhythms of nature,” it says on their mission statement.

Prices are $14 for adults, $11 for seniors, $10 for students and $28 for families and free for children under 5.

Explore With A Free Walking Tour

Vancouver Tour Guys offer free walking tours seven days a week. Guides are energetic and passionate about Vancouver, and you’re almost guaranteed to get a great tour as they work for tips. Some tours they offer include:

  • Chinatown
  • Granville & Gastown
  • Murders, Mysteries & Mayhem
  • Eat Your Cart Out
  • Beer Makes History Better
  • Downtown & Olympic Waterfront

Click here to view a tour calendar.


Skip The Capilano Suspension Bridge And Visit Lynn Canyon Park

While admission to Capilano Suspension Bridge costs $33.95, the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is free to enjoy. The 164-foot shaking, bouncing bridge offers views of waterfalls, rushing rapids and deep pools. For a virtual tour, click here.

Visit The City’s Museums

Vancouver doesn’t have too many free museums; however, there are a few ways around the system. The Vancouver Art Gallery, which features a permanent collection of more than 10,000 artworks as well as rotating exhibitions, is pay-by-donation on Tuesdays after 5 p.m. Additionally, while the Museum of Anthropology is usually $16.75, it drops down to $9 on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. At the H.R. McMillan Space Centre, you can visit the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory by giving a donation of your choice.

There’s also the Wing Sang Building – the oldest building in Vancouver’s Chinatown – which is the permanent home of the Rennie Collection, one of the largest collections of contemporary art in Canada. The collection is dedicated not only to the acquisition of established international artists, but also to the work of emerging artists. Public viewing of the exhibition is available through guided tours on Thursdays and Saturdays, free of charge.

Learn Some History

Around Vancouver, there are pieces of history you may not notice if you don’t know where to look. For example, in 1887 the Engine 374 Pavilion at Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre pulled the first transcontinental passenger train into the city. Additionally, you can visit Hastings Mill Store Museum, the city’s oldest surviving structure, as well as the Christ Church Cathedral, which has been a house of worship since 1888.

Wander Around Granville Island

Granville Island, which isn’t really an island but a peninsula, as it’s walkable from downtown Vancouver, is an area full of quirky shops, public art, outdoor entertainment and a bustling public market. For a free day, you can simply wander around, taking in outdoor art, sampling free treats at Rogers’ Chocolates and the Public Market, watching street performers and wandering in and out of creative galleries. I’d also recommend checking out the Granville Island Broom Company store and browsing their quirky Harry Potter-style brooms.

For interesting and affordable drinking options in Granville Island, you have a few choices. First, visit the Artisan Sake Maker, who makes in-house sake. For $5, he will teach you about sake and the creation process, as well as give you three tastings. At Granville Island Brewing, tours are offered for $10.92 at 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. daily. It includes in-depth knowledge about the beer production process, a behind-the-scenes tour and three tastings of beers made with all-natural ingredients. If you’d just like to relax with a drink without needing to think, Cats Social House near the waterfront offers $4 drinks all day and night.

Get In Touch With Your Inner Rock Star

For all you Jimi Hendrix fans, there is a Jimi Hendrix Shrine in southern Chinatown. Apparently, the musician would practice guitar while his grandmother Nora cooked at Vie’s Chicken and Steak House. Go inside the red shack, and you’ll see album covers, old photos, artwork and photocopies of Hendrix’s notes.

Go Hiking

Although Vancouver is a city, it offers numerous worthwhile and free hikes. Cypress Mountain includes three mountains – Black Mountain, Mount Strachan and Hollyburn Mountain – all offering jagged peaks, sub alpine lakes, meadows and some of the oldest trees in British Columbia. There’s also the extremely challenging Grouse Grind (pictured right). While only 1.8 miles one way, it goes uphill at a steep incline. Hikers gain an elevation of 2,800 feet and climb 2,830 stairs. Luckily, you can ride the Skyride down if you prefer, although this will cost you $10. For an easy hike, trek from Vanier Park to Spanish Banks Beach. The roads are paved, and you’ll pass through Kitsilano Beach, Jericho Beach and Locarno Beach. Which brings us to our next budget-friendly Vancouver option.


Hit The Beach

Although a city, Vancouver has numerous beaches. In fact, almost 11 miles of beaches surround the city, including ocean beaches and one freshwater lake. Along with the ones previously mentioned, some other worthwhile ones include English Bay Beach, Second Beach, Third Beach and Trout Lake Beach.

First Nations Art

Browsing First Nations artwork can make for an informative and budget-friendly day. The most well known piece of First Nations artwork in Vancouver resides in Stanley Park in the form of totem poles. Each totem pole tells true and mythical stories from the First Nations people. The original totem poles were brought over in the late 1800s from Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands, but are now placed in museums. However, they’ve been replaced by new totem poles that replicate the originals. Supposedly, they are the most visited sight in British Columbia. There are also various galleries around the city showcasing this type of art, like the Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery, the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver and the Marion Scott Gallery.

Take Advantage Of Bar Specials

Because of their liquor laws, British Columbia doesn’t technically have happy hour. Just because they can’t discount drinks by the hour, however, doesn’t mean their bars don’t offer great deals. My top picks include:

  • Rogue Kitchen & Wet Bar– This Gastown bar offers The “Don’t Care” glass of Red or White for $4.99. As they say on the website, it’s a glass to get the job done.
  • Hapa Hour at Hapa Izakaya– Located in Coal Harbour, this bar offers $5 glasses of wine, $4 beers and half-price tapas from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  • Local Public Eatery– This waterfront venue located across from Kitsilano Beach offers $4 glasses of red and white wine.

Know Where To Eat

Samurai Sushi on Davie Street is a local favorite, not only because it’s delicious, but because you get heaping portions for a small price. The nearby Stephos Souvlaki Greek Tavern does the same, but for Greek food. At Medina Cafe, you can order a waffle with your choice of topping for less than $5. If you’d like a large selection of artisanal eats for cheap, check out the Granville Island Public Market, with stalls featuring cheeses, meats, jams, baked goods, fruits and more.

Take Advantage Of Free Samples

At the Public Market in Granville Island you’ll often find vendors giving out free samples of their products. Cobs Bread is another venue often giving away free samples of made-from-scratch goodies. Additionally, Rogers’ Chocolates, the oldest chocolate shop in Canada since 1885, will hand out samples of freshly made maple chocolates and other treats. BC Liquor Stores often give free tastings on weekends when sales reps are there, and at Swirl Wine Store you can try complimentary tastings daily.

Explore Vancouver’s Explosive Food Truck Scene

Vancouver is home to over 50 food trucks, offering full meals without the worry of paying extra for service or space. Some of the city’s best food trucks include:

  • Feastro The Rolling Bistro– Located on the corner of West Cordova and Thurlow Streets, this food truck offers delicious entrees like soft tacos, fish & chips and smoked chicken gravy poutine. Breakfast is $2.25 to $4.95, while brunch and lunch range from $8 to $13. Specials are featured daily.
  • Mom’s Grilled Cheese– Residing at Howe Street and West Georgia, this rolling restaurant features home-style grilled cheese, as well as more complex sandwiches, soups and sweets. Meals range from $5 for carmelized apples, candied pecans and cinnamon mascarpone cheese on Brioche, to $8.50 for daily specials like Monday’s homemade meatloaf on French bread and Tuesday’s turkey and brie on cranberry pecan bread.
  • Re-Up BBQ– You’ll find this food truck at 700 Horby, selling items like southern-style pulled pork sandwiches for $7 and beef brisket for $9. For $2.25, you can also get a “Southern Sweet Tea,” with orange pekote, lemon and sugar.

You can find out more about Vancouver’s street food scene with the free Vancouver Street Food App for iPhone, iPad and iTouch.

Get Half-Price Tickets To The Game

Located in Tourism Vancouver’s downtown Visitor Information Centre on 200 Burrard Street, you’ll find Tickets Tonight. The budget-friendly outlet sells tickets for events sold by both Ticketmaster and independent retailers.

Take A Budget-Friendly Day Trip

About an hour away from Vancouver is the Fraser Valley. If you have a car you can do a self-guided Circle Farm Tour, which offers free tours of wineries, farm-gates, open-air markets, heritage sites, fairs and special events. Click on a specific community for a map.

Browse Antiques In Gastown

Walk down to the historic Gastown, and you’ll find tons of antique and vintage clothing shops. While it costs money to purchase items, window-shopping is free. Some of my favorite shops include Salmagundi West, L’atelier Home and Deluxe Junk Co.

Go To Brunch

On weekends, Vancouverites take to the streets to fill up at the many brunch spots in the city. During brunch, you’ll get excellent deals on meals and drinks. For example, La Brasserie offers brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and will often have deals like $5 mimosas and ceasars. The Blarney Stone features a Sunday brunch and many times has deals like $4 Irish beers and $5 brunch drinks. Just take a stroll and look for the colorful chalkboards littering the sidewalk.

Stay At Budget Hotels With Ambiance

Just because a hotel isn’t expensive doesn’t mean it isn’t comfortable and nice. The Urban Hideaway Guesthouse is a cross between “a hostel, a B&B and a Traveler’s Inn.” It has character, as it was built in 1896 and is set in a 19th century Victorian house. You can book their best room, a super double with private bathroom and continental breakfast, for about $85 per night. Additionally, the Budget Inn Patricia Hotel is centrally located and offers comfortable, no-frilled rooms from $41. If you’re looking for something more luxurious, boutique hotels like Hotel LeSoleil, L’Hermitage Hotel and Opus Vancouver offer reasonable prices and often offer sales and packages. And remember, traveling during shoulder season will almost always ensure a better deal.

[Images via Jessie on a Journey, kimba, Jessie on a Journey, Shutterstock, Jessie on a Journey, Feastro, Jessie on a Journey]

The Death Of A Good Travel Companion

by Sean McLachlan on

This week I learned the sad news that a friend and coworker in Harar, Ethiopia, had died. Mohammed Jami Guleid helped me out countless times while I explored the Horn of Africa. If you enjoyed my series on Somaliland or Harar, you have him to thank.

I first met “Dake,” as everyone called him, on my first visit to Harar in eastern Ethiopia as I was searching for a way to get to Somaliland, the breakaway northern region of Somalia. Everyone told me to meet with Dake. He was a Somali who had made Harar his home and had many contacts on both sides of the border. Within days I was riding through the desert with a couple of his relatives on my way to Somaliland. It was one of the best adventures of my life.

From that point our working relationship grew. Dake was an expert on Somali and Harari culture. He even wrote a book titled “Harar: A Cultural Guide.” My signed edition sits next to me as I write.

We meet lots of people on our travels. Most of them soon fade into the past, remembered only in old photographs and journal entries. Others last through a few emails and postcards before they, too, become memories. Only a few become lasting friends.

That was easy with Dake. He had an open, relaxed manner and was always quick with a joke. His deep interest in Harar’s history and architecture was infectious. Once he woke me up at five in the morning so we could photograph the town’s winding medieval alleys as the sun rose. I didn’t mind, even when his insistence on getting “one more shot” kept me from my morning coffee for far longer than I liked.Here he is in the narrowest of Harar’s alleys, called Megera Wa Wiger Uga, “The Street of Peace and Quarrel.” In local tradition you have to speak to anyone you pass here, even if you’re angry with them and aren’t otherwise talking with them. Since it connects two busy areas, a lot of people pass through this alley and a lot of arguments get resolved.

Dake had been an outsider to Harar once himself, so he sympathized with my efforts to adjust to the local culture. He was always ready to help out with advice at a moment’s notice and saved me from more than one cultural blunder. Having an insider who knows what it’s like to be an outsider is invaluable when studying a new place.

We also explored Ethiopia’s Somali region. Dake had big hopes of developing the region’s tourism potential as a way to expand his own tourism business while helping his people.

When we weren’t working at documenting eastern Ethiopia’s heritage, we spent many relaxed hours at birtchas or spinning tales in local cafes. Friendships can be fleeting when you’re traveling, but Dake and I became good friends and kept up a regular correspondence when I was back in Europe.

When you make a real friendship on the road, treasure it. Keep in contact and head on back to see them. I wish I had made it back to Harar at least one more time while he was still alive. As the list of my friends who have died relentlessly lengthens, I find myself more appreciative of those I still have, and more determined to pack as much life into the years left to me before my own inevitable end.

Authors note: my pay for this post will be donated to Glimmer of Hope, an NGO working to help Ethiopia’s children. Dake had a son about the same age as mine so I think he’d appreciate it.

$6.79 Breakfast Sandwich And Other Avoidable Travel Expenses

by Chris Owen on

Which airline does the best job, which hotel has the best perks and which cruise line has the best past-guest program are topics that few travelers agree on. But when it comes to extra travel fees, all seem to agree: they are something to be avoided if at all possible.

Getting to the final cost of an airline ticket was made easy with recent truth in advertising rules put in place. But nowhere in that legislation was a requirement for airlines, airports, hotels, cruise lines and other travel service providers to be fair. We have to watch out for ourselves when traveling and while some parts of our travel plan are bound to cost more on the road than they do at home, some can be controlled with a little thought.

Talking to a person can cost. Some airlines charge $25 or more if you buy your ticket over the phone, speaking to a human being. While thinking the airline employee on the other end of the phone might be able to help out when we run into trouble scheduling online is not a bad idea, be prepared to pay more for the extra service.

Unnecessary insurance can add up fast. Rental car insurance fees are often redundant. Most travelers who own a car at home are covered if they rent one on the road. Check with your personal auto insurance agent to see. While you’re talking to them, ask if you have any travel coverage for anything at all and ask that same question of your health care insurance provider. Many travelers assume that they have no coverage but many do, if not through their regular health insurance, then through credit cards they may have if travel is purchased using those cards.

Post-Security purchases at the airport can be insanely high-priced. A $6 bottle of water can be avoided by bringing an empty re-usable water container that will make it through the security check. Planning on a meal between home and your destination? Bring it with you and save. Portable foods that are nutritious and not perishable are the best bets. Planning ahead for flight delays, energy bars like KIND bars are a good choice when brought from home – $1.50 versus at the price at a convenient kiosk in the airport by the gate for $3.79.

Breakfast sandwich at McDonald’s on the way to the airport: See the dollar menu.
American Airlines breakfast sandwich in the air: $6.79.


Printing cruise documents, what was once the cause for dancing, as travelers who looked forward to their cruise of a lifetime waited for the mailman to deliver, has gone electronic on all but a few cruise lines. Many major cruise lines simply don’t have the option of paper documents anymore. Royal Caribbean still offers a printed version of cruise documents, upon request at time of booking, for a $35 fee per document.

Probably one of the worst and most avoidable extra fees is Spirit Airlines $100 Carry-On Fee, due to start in November.

The idea is to discourage their customers from making last-minute luggage decisions. The current bag charges of $20 for $9 Fare Club members, $30 for online orders and $35 for telephone reservations go up $5 each on November 6. The prices for carry-on bags paid for at airport ticket counters or kiosks go from $40 to $50. Forget to pay that before you reach the gate? $100 will be the fee. The airline still allows one free small personal item that will fit under the seat.

Check this quick video with some ways to save on airline fees.

[Flickr photo by stevendepolo]

Midwest Weekend Getaway: Baraboo And Devil’s Lake State Park In Wisconsin

by Dave Seminara on

Chicago is a world-class city but there are many occasions when those of us that live here want out, at least for the weekend. And while the city is a terrific flight hub, quick and dirty road trip options are limited, especially if you’ve lived in the city for a long time and have exhausted most of the choice destinations. A few years ago, my wife and I took a hiking excursion to Wisconsin’s Devil’s Lake State Park, about an hour northwest of Madison, and vowed to return for a camping trip one day.

%Gallery-167518%
We finally got our chance the last weekend of September, and were blessed with glorious sunny weather and blue skies to complement the changing leaves. Planning a camping trip for a family of four feels like preparing for war though, and three hours into the drive with our are-we-there-yet sons, ages 3 and 5, our nerves and patience were shot.

It was about 5:30 p.m. and we were hoping to score one of the first-come-first-serve tent sites at Devil’s Lake State Park, as all their reserved spots were full. We were blindly following our GPS to the park when Julie, our friendly Australian GPS navagatrix said, “Turn right onto the Merrimac Ferry.” We were all excited to be only 10 miles away from the park and thought we’d be there in 15 minutes, but all of the sudden we were sitting in a fairly long line of cars waiting to get on a ferry.

As soon as we pulled in, more cards pulled in the line right behind us, so it wasn’t possible to back out, and the GPS indicated that any detour would be time consuming. At first, I was irate because I thought we’d have to pay for the ferry and was concerned that by the time we found a campsite, we’d have to erect our tent in the dark.

My wife asked the two cars in front of us how much the ferry cost but alas, they were also following their GPS’s as well and were just as clueless as we were. But the ferry turned out to be free, the line moved quickly and we took the opportunity to get out of our car and enjoy the fresh air and the views of the Wisconsin River. The odd thing is that almost everyone remained inside their parked cars; both in line and on the ferry itself, despite the fact that it was a beautiful early fall evening.

Tent sites at the park were all booked up but we made it to a more expensive and less salubrious campground a couple miles outside the park just before darkness fell. (Tip: book way in advance to get a $17 per night tent site at Devil’s Lake S.P.; it’s the best deal in the area by far) Nevertheless, we were still able to enjoy Devil’s Lake in all of its early fall splendor.

Devil’s Lake is huge. It’s a 360-acre lake that is flanked by 500-foot bluffs. In the late 19th century, the park was home to a number of resort hotels and a train line brought tourists in from all over the Midwest. These days, camping is your only option in the park itself but there are 29 miles of hiking trails to explore, including portions of the 1,000-plus-mile Ice Age National Scenic Trail. I’m partial to the West Bluff trail, which starts near the north entrance to the park and offers a good workout and some incredible views down over the lake.

We were prepared to love Devil’s Lake, but the very pleasant surprise of the weekend was Baraboo’s eminently loveable old-school downtown, which features two good bookstores, one new, one used, a classic, circa 1915 cinema, a free zoo and a host of enticing restaurants and shops. The Ringling Brothers put the town on the map by basing their circus there and that legacy lives on at the Circus World Museum, which is part museum, part working circus.

As we lingered at a Saturday morning farmers market outside the town’s stately courthouse, an older man in a flannel shirt noticed my camera and asked if we wanted to know more about the town. The man, who introduced himself as Gary, was hanging out with his brother Rick on a bench, and I had the distinct impression that they sit there every day.

“Do you remember JFK?” Gary asked us.

“Of course,” I said, wondering where he was going with the question.

“He walked right up those steps over there and shook our hands here when he was campaigning for president,” he said as though the event had just happened recently.

After shooting the breeze with Gary and Rick, we checked out the Al Ringling Cinema, which was built for $100,000 in 1915, during the height of the silent film era. It’s a beautifully restored old cinema that still hosts live theater, movies and a variety of other events. I ambled in for a look and a woman named Charlene, who works there, told me that only one member of the Ringling family still lives in the area, and he’s in prison for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy.

Nevertheless, the town still clings to the Ringling connection – there are several Ringling Brothers banners posted around town, and it’s still a great place to visit. If you want to take an alternate route back to the Chicago area, consider a stop off in New Glarus, a handsome little town founded by Swiss immigrants from the canton of Glarus in the 1840s, on your way home. The town retains its distinctive Swiss character and is situated right off of the Sugar River State Trail, a really nice bike path.

We happened to be in New Glarus for their annual Oktoberfest, which on its final day featured, oddly enough, a roots and blues band but no German music. But they did have New Glarus Oktoberfest beer, which was a sweet way to end a glorious early fall weekend in Wisconsin.

IF YOU GO: The drive to Baraboo takes about 3-1/2 hours from Chicago, depending on traffic and where you start. We stayed at a private campground near the park, which charges $28 for tent sites or $31 if you use a credit card (almost double the price of Devil’s Lake State Park). I can’t recommend the place because the tent sites are very close to each other and the owner is a bit of a crank.

Try to get a spot at Devil’s Lake State Park itself, if you can. Reservations are hard to come by on the weekend, but each day they also set aside 54 first-come-first-served spots, so get there early. For good, inexpensive Mexican food with gigantic portions, go to Los Nopales, and try Jen’s Alpine Café for a very good, if time consuming, breakfast. It’s an old-school place right downtown that’s been around since the 1930s.

[Photos and videos by Dave Seminara]

Why We Really Don’t Want Travel Agents To Die

by Chris Owen on

Travel agents were once considered the dinosaurs of travel, something used before the Internet took over and eliminated the need for them. True, we can book airfare, hotels, car rentals, even cruise vacations online either directly with the supplier or through discount operations like Travelocity, Kayak and others. But should we? These days, the tide seems to be turning as individual and business travelers are turning to a new, relevant travel agent that is good to have around.

“There is no doubt that today’s travellers have more options than ever before; from destinations, packages and pricing to booking methods and itineraries,” Debra Maher, owner of Cruise Holidays said in a Northern Life report. “One of the most important decisions a traveller can make is selecting the right travel agent, to help them get started on the right foot.”

Case in point: American Airlines.
This week, American Airline pilots are expected to authorize their union to call a strike, effectively grounding the airline. In reality, a work stoppage would be weeks off and the White House can intervene to stop a strike, citing the interests of U.S. commerce. But these are the things that make travelers nervous and has those who use travel agents for something as simple as booking an airline ticket happy they did.

“Travel agents are there for their clients before, during and after the trip and when the unexpected happens,” added Maher. “We provide value, expertise, convenience and personal service to our customers and understand that travel planning isn’t just about places, it’s about people.”

It’s not all about handling emergency situations though. For example, the world of business travel is re-discovering the services of travel agents and the benefit of using them as we see in this new video from CNN released this week:



The decision to use a travel agent comes easy when concerned about traveling to places around the world where political unrest, riots or other security matters are of concern. In those situations, sure, we want that extra level of protection and guidance – someone to call to handle it for us.

More commonly, travel agents can offer value that travelers could not get on their own.
That value may translate to lower prices, complimentary upgrades, bonus amenities when traveling and other good things down the line, after booking. That “after booking” part is the unknown, difficult-to-measure factor that eludes many travelers.

“The bottom line is that they know more than you do, they are better connected than you,” said travel expert Larry Olmstead in Forbes, “they have access to benefits you can’t get otherwise, they can often beat any other prices available (even online, yes), and after you have planned everything, they provide a safety net during your trip that you simply won’t get by booking yourself or buying insurance.”

But how do you find a good travel agent?

The process is quite similar to finding a good real estate agent, insurance agent or even a accountant or investment specialist to handle personal finances. Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends are a good place to start but the name of the game is building a long-term business relationship and that takes time.

Looking at a travel agent as the ‘person who handles travel’ like your accountant is the person who ‘handles your taxes’ is the way to go and with every success they have on your behalf, the more their stock goes up as a trusted personal advisor.

Checking with your local Better Business Bureau, a local chamber of commerce or other professional organization like the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) or American Society Of Travel Agents (ASTA) are also good places to begin, even with the recommendation of a friend.

Getting the thumbs up on a potential agent from multiple sources should head you in the right direction to finding one that can be of great value for life.

[Flickr photo by Dan Nguyen @ New York City]