UrbanCaffeine

NYC Blog #13 - The Cooper Hewitt Museum

I remember buying the first model of the Dyson vacuum. It was big, yellow, and looked like one of the Transformers. But that thing could pick up dirt and dust like none other. I loved that vacuum but sadly I had to leave it behind when I moved apartments at one point. That was years ago (note the italics). And just to remind me how long ago that was, I ran into the same vacuum model at the Cooper Hewitt Museum. Apparently that vacuum was so ground breaking that it made it into a muse...

Is CityPASS worth it?

You'll have to watch to find out. 😉

CityPASS Comparison Table

Happy Saturday! Instead of a free wallpaper this weekend, here's a copy of the table I made for the CityPASS video. 

Creator Blog #10 - Long Term Thinking

When I first started YouTubing, there was really no foundation to draw from. So I could only plan one day at a time with the sole goal of getting at least two videos published within the month.

After almost two years of doing this, it’s crazy to see how my thinking has shifted from thinking in terms of days to thinking in terms of years. Sometimes I find my self doing groundwork for something I know I won’t be reaping any benefits from for another 1-2 years. The mantra to hang on to...

FREE Stickers

Happy Wednesday! And thank you for being Patreon members of Urban Caffeine.

If you are interested in a free sticker, just message me with an address to mail it to and I'll be happy to do so. 

NYC Blog #12 - BEST pancakes in town

The best pancakes I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot of them) is at Rosemary’s. They have two locations but I always go to the one in the West Village. They grow their own ingredients from their rooftop garden and have a seasonal menu.

On their brunch menu, they have lemon mascarpone pancakes: fluffy, moist, and with just the right hint of lemon. Skip the maple syrup altogether because these pancakes are delicious on their own.

So if you are looking for a brunch spot in Manha...

How to ride the Staten Island Ferry

An extremely iconic orange ferry, the Staten Island Ferry shuttles people back and forth from Manhattan to Staten Island 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Since it passes by the Liberty Island, many people ride it in order to get a closer look of the Statue of Liberty. In this video, we are going to talk about how to ride the Staten Island Ferry, the terminals, and other tips and good-to-knows when taking a trip on the Staten Island Ferry.

Free Wallpaper - Staten Island Ferry

What I love about the Staten Island Ferry is that it docks right at the ballpark of the Staten Island Yankees. Free ferry, cheap baseball tickets, and cheap hotdogs. What more could you ask for?

Creator Blog #9 - On sponsorship

If you saw last week’s video, you might have noticed that it was sponsored. That was Urban Caffeine’s first sponsorship deal! 🎉

The courtship around a sponsorship deal involves vastly different skills from making YouTube videos. In the process, I had to take off the “creator” hat and put on the “CEO” and “salesperson” hat. Getting that sponsorship deal had some huge learning moments. These were some of the things I had to figure out:

• Writing a proposal 2022-09-01 14:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post

NYC Blog #11 - Russian Doll

There are countless movies and series set in NYC. But the most recent one I’ve come to enjoy is the first series of Russian Doll on Netflix. The setting is mostly in Downtown Manhattan, and specifically (I assume) the East Village. Everything about the series embodies contemporary New York culture:

• Bodegas and bodega cats
• Certain relationship dynamics
• A hatred for mass produced art
• The lack of cars
• Everybody knowing everybody
• And so m...
  2022-08-30 14:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post

Free things to do in September

Got any plans for September? If you're still planning it out, September's edition of the Free Things To Do series is now available to watch. 

Free Wallpaper → September Things

We're into the last rays for summer sunshine. Time to get any last hurrahs in before the fall. 

6 Free Things to do | September 2022 Edition → https://youtu.be/GLHFgRTCIxQ

Creator Blog #8 - My favorite YouTubers

It’s kinda shameful of me to say that I don’t watch YouTube that much since I’m a YouTuber. In fact, I hardly watch anything at all. And that’s the big secret on how I get projects done. Most of my hours are spent on growing the channel, learning a language, and figuring out what to eat for dinner. (At some point, I’ll post a breakdown of my weekly schedule.) 

But on the rare occasion that I do watch YouTube, I try to make it count by watching my favorite YouTubers. And h...

NYC Blog #10 - Avoid the crowd at Times Square

In my video “When you move to NYC”, I mentioned that there are tunnels and pathways in the Times Square area that you can use to avoid the crowds. I may or may not make a video on that. But this concept has already been covered in the video linked below. Happy Tuesday!

The best hacks to get around Times Square:
https://youtu.be/DxWHTWh9T9Y

When you move to NYC:
2022-08-23 14:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post

The OMNY Card

This week's video is out! People have been constantly asking to make a video on the OMNY card. So here it is. 

Once the OMNY card is more widely available and sold at subways stations, I'll make sure another instructional video is published.

Free Wallpaper → OMNY van Gogh

Happy weekend!

Creator Blog #7 - Co-working

People are the sum of their experiences and exposure. After quitting my job to work on YouTube full time, I suddenly lost the social aspect found in a work environment. No more water cooler talk. No more Bagel Fridays. No more vacation stories and secrets traded. Office life was a huge part of my day-to-day. After all, I was there 40 hours a week.

But every lost is an open opportunity. While I did lose frequent connections to my old work colleagues, I had the new opportunity to network ...

NYC Blog #9 - Thoughts on free outdoor events

I have a deep disdain for large crowds. That’s why I hesitate recommending free concerts and free movie screenings at parks and large public spaces. The crowds are just way too large and the bathroom situation is painful.

Here are some alternatives:

A “local” place that has a large backyard/patio setup. These are usually neighborhood beer gardens found in Brooklyn and Queens. The key is finding a highly localized venue so it won't be tourist infested. Queens and Brooklyn wil...

Free Wallpaper → Weekend Trip From NYC

There's one more long weekend left this summer!

Creator Blog #6 - Jerry Seinfeld

When it comes to storytelling, I like to draw inspiration from comics. Being consistently funny on demand is extremely hard to do. Out of all the emotions, I think laughter is the hardest to evoke from people. It’s easy to make someone sad or riled up, but making someone laugh on demand? Some skills are required.

The thing I like about Jerry Seinfeld is his precision. He scrutinizes every single word. If there’s anything you should watch today on YouTube, it’s his breakdown on how...

NYC Blog #8 - Community Fridges

What I love about NYC is the sense of community the city fosters. There are tons of government programs to help those that need social services (from health care to parenting classes to handling debt). But it’s not just the government that extends care. The community itself has many initiatives, such as community fridges.

Community fridges are just that. A fridge where you can put food in and someone who needs food can take it. And what makes these so New York is that each fridge is t...

Free Wallpaper → Tennis

Happy weekend! This week's video is all about the US Open Tennis Championship. The video breaks down the structure of the tournament, the complex, ticketing, transit, and other good-to-know things when attending. 

How to watch the US Open Tennis 2022: https://youtu.be/XUkTysgCIuc

Creator Blog #5 | The software I use

I mostly use Adobe software.

Adobe InDesign
This is a desktop publishing app that I use for storyboarding. It’s easy for laying out pictures and text. I like to think of this as the super-professional version of Mircosoft Word.

Adobe Photoshop
For editing photos. To be specific: color correction, adding texture, photo manipulation, and collaging. Photoshop was where I started. I was 17 at the time and a friend installed a hacked copy of th...

NYC Blog #7 | Movies for cheap

Not exactly an NYC tip (because you can do this anywhere in the US), but lately my entertainment has been found in the theaters.

What I find interesting is that theaters in New York tend to be multiple stories high with a smaller ground footprint compared to most American theaters. It makes sense since cities build upwards. And since New York is so dense, there are several IMAX, Dolby, and 3D theaters to choose from.

But like everything else in the city, watching a movie in theate...

Free Wallpaper → Stargazing in NYC

Happy Saturday! Why look up at the sky tonight? 

Creator Blog #4 | On using graphics

Why do I narrate through graphics rather than talk in front of a camera?

I tried different formats when starting YouTube. Some things I tried were comedy sketches, short animations and collage, and the “talking head” format. (Talking head is when it’s just you and the camera doing the storytelling with no b-roll or other clips).

Most YouTubers talk in front of a camera and mix in b-roll footage. I have to admit, this is a lot less labor intensive than what I'm currently tryi...

NYC Blog #6 | Rollerskating is trending

Rollerskating has always been around in pockets of New York City. From niche clubs to roller derby. But lately it has been getting some mainstream attention. I thought it would be great to do a video on rollerskating and the skating culture in NYC. But I don’t think I have the time to do that anytime soon. So in the meantime, here is a list of places to skate:

TWA Hotel at JFK Airport → https://bit.ly/3NU69tJ

Brook...

Free Wallpaper → NYC Yankees

Here's the downloadable wallpaper from this week's video on how to see a Yankee's game.

Video link: https://youtu.be/eUhqxf58Q2A

Creator Blog #3 - Reading List Jul-Dec 2022

My reading list for the rest of the year. I normally read one book a month and it’s usually a fictional novel. But lately, I’ve been forcing myself to read books for creatives and entrepreneurs.

Although, The 4-Hour Work Week might not align with my schedule since I put in 60 in a  week. But this book is mentioned all the time so I'm giving it a stab.

NYC Blog #5 | The Real Chinatown

When I first moved to NYC, a local told me that the real Chinatown is in Flushing, Queens.

In a way, I can see why they would say that. Chinatown in Manhattan is full of tourist with lots of souvenir shops.

If you ever visit Flushing Chinatown, it’s almost like you are in another country. There are places where menus are in other languages completely where you will have to rely on either pictures or Google translate. Plus Flushing Chinatown is cheaper than Manhattan Chi...