Cialina at Muggle-Born.net has the most adorable blog. Sure it may have been born out of a health obsession with Harry Potter, but she reads all types of YA books. Even more exciting is that Cailina lives in a big city, one that keeps her pretty busy when she is not reading. Let’s see why.

When I’m not reading, I’m exploring the best city in the world: New York City. Attending college and living in the city means that the five boroughs is a classroom open for exploration. In addition to classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art or at the Brooklyn Bridge Park, my friends and I welcome the rich experiences of Manhattan and its outer boroughs.

Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, thrift stores, Chinatown, and the most glorious bookstores in Manhattan: the Strand and Books of Wonder. My list of favorite places in New York City is starting to get a little long. There’s nothing I love more than just breathing in that city air, discovering a hidden secret. Where I live, there are so many thrift stores to dig through for bargains from dainty teacups to glittering gowns. The magnetic pull of bookstores is always present despite the hustle and bustle of the busy city.

However, despite all the other things that New York has to offer, one of the things that my friends and I explore the most is the wide variety of food. There is no better way to get to know a new group of friends than brave different ethnic foods from A-Z. Once a week, we seek a restaurant representing an ethnicity beginning with a certain letter. We have conquered letters A-H eating at Afghani, Bosnian, and Hungarian restaurants, just to name a few. While not all experiences were culinary delights, I have definitely gained a new favorite dish or two.

In addition to restaurants, New York street food is popular amongst New Yorkers and makes a great cheap and quick meal. On almost every block, you can spot a halal cart offering the usual chicken over rice and other yummy treats. However, my favorites amongst street food are the various specialty food trucks that roam the city. My favorites: Big Gay Ice Cream Truck and Dessert Truck. Big Gay Ice Cream truck offers soft-served ice cream with gourmet and exotic toppings. My favorite treats on the truck include the Salty Pimp (vanilla ice cream, sea salt, dulce de leche, and chocolate dip) and the Bea Arthur (vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche, and crushed Nilla wafers). Dessert Truck offers more indulgent cravings such as a decadent warm chocolate bread pudding. Some other cool trucks: Wafels & Dinges – for yummy Belgian waffles – and Schnitzel & Things.

As college kids, we have our share of very, very late nights. As a result, we are always on a lookout for that perfect place for a midnight snack. We have sampled at least five diners in our neighborhood to fight the munchies late at night. Our favorites include Sunflower Diner (3rd Ave bet. 26th and 27th Sts.) and Big Daddy’s Diner (Park Ave S bet. 19th and 20th Sts.). But nothing can beat the munchies like a slice of pizza from Artichoke on 14th St (bet 1st and 2nd Ave). A slice of pizza for $4.50? The price for me was ridiculous for a slice, but after the first bite of artichoke and spinach pizza, it was not only worth the money but the lengthy walk to get there.

Have I made you hungry? With BEA coming up in a few months, I hope I’ve given everyone a glimpse of the wonderful – not to mention cheap – eats that New York City has to offer.

Thanks to Missie for having me.

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Cialina! How awesome are you sharing tips for eating out in NYC! That should be very helpful for those attending BEA. Oh, how I wish I was going. Thank you so much for stopping by today, Cialina. Now I must run off and grab a snack.

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