USA

MetLife Stadium World Cup Match Day: Transport, Food & Insider Tips (2026)

wareontheglobe Leave a comment
Made it to the game!

Dan & I attended the FIFA World Cup match at MetLife Stadium (or “NY NJ Stadium”) on Monday, June 22 between Norway and Senegal. This post details our entire experience, from getting to the stadium, to food and drink, and finally, the match! Read if you are heading to a match at NY NJ Stadium or just curious!

Norway versus Senegal World Cup match at MetLife Stadium

Norway v. Senegal!

Along the same lines, we went to Philadelphia on Thursday for the Curaçao v. Côte d’Ivoire match. You can read about our experience in Philadelphia here.

HOW WE GOT WORLD CUP MATCH TICKETS

We purchased face value tickets directly from FIFA during one of its Thursday ticket releases in April 2026. If you are still looking for World Cup tickets, you can go through the FIFA app’s Resale/Exchange Marketplace to buy on the secondary market (all of which transactions on this app are backed by FIFA). Per the app, all other tickets are currently sold out. We sat in the 300 level of MetLife Stadium, which were the only tickets available when I purchased them. The views and experience were better than expected.

View of the pitch from 300 level seats at MetLife Stadium

View from our seats in the 300 level.

Continue reading →

How to Take NJ Transit to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup (2026 Guide)

wareontheglobe Leave a comment
MetLife Stadium and Meadowlands station ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Dan & I went to the FIFA World Cup game at MetLife Stadium (or “NY NJ Stadium”) on Monday, June 22 between Norway and Senegal. It was a super fun experience, and you can read about our experience in detail here. This post, however, details our experience traveling from Hoboken, New Jersey to Met Life stadium before the game, as we have received so many questions about it!

Met Life stadium world cup with flags out

Made it to the game!

Amongst the few options available to reach MetLife Stadium, we opted to take NJ Transit from Hoboken Terminal directly to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All in, the experience was easy and much less stressful than the news would have you believe. We would take NJ Transit again without hesitation (aside from the cost).

NJ Transit train to MetLife Stadium for the World Cup

NJ Transit really is a decent way to go!

Continue reading →

Gjelina NYC: Good Food, Great Cocktails, and a Genuinely Good Use of Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Dining Credit

dancozzi Leave a comment
Gjelina, NoHo, NYC.

Update July 18, 2026.  I just checked the list of available restaurants for the Chase Sapphire Reserve Dining Credit and Gjelina NYC has been removed.  I will update this post again if I notice it is back.

In June 2026, Fleming and I visited Gjelina to use our Chase Sapphire Reserve dining credit ($150) which was expiring on June 30th. We won Off-Broadway lottery tickets to see Cecily Strong in What Happened Was at the Audible Minetta Lane Theatre, a thirteen minute walk away from Gjelina. Overall we had a great experience and would dine at the restaurant in the future, even without the credit, if win the area.

This post reviews Gjelina and also how to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve dining credit.

The Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Candied Basil and Sea Salt was a highlight.

The Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Candied Basil and Sea Salt at Gjelina was a highlight of the evening.

Continue reading →

Is Bermuda Worth It? Our Honest Review from NYC

wareontheglobe Leave a comment
Bright blue water off the beach at Coco Reef Resort, Bermuda

Bermuda is one of the easiest island getaways from NYC—just a 2-hour flight—but is it actually worth it? After a long weekend of beaches, food tours, and a few travel mishaps, here’s my honest take.

At A Glance

  • 📍 Location: Bermuda
  • ✈️ Flight Time from NYC: ~2 hours
  • 📅 Trip Length: 4 days / 3 nights
  • 💰 Cost Level: $$$
  • 🚗 Getting Around: Taxi + Hitch app
  • 🏨 Where We Stayed: Coco Reef Resort (not recommended)
  • ⭐ Highlights: Food tour, Crystal Caves, St. George’s
  • ⚠️ Watch Out For: Expensive taxis, inconsistent hotel quality
Street scene in Bermuda showing the island's British colonial influence

Bermuda! There was a solid British (kind of Irish) theme) present throughout the island due to it being a British outpost for years. This was pretty interesting.

My husband and I spent a long weekend in Bermuda last Labor Day weekend. It was our first visit and the simple reason – it is only 2 hours from the NYC area and there was a relatively reasonably priced flight that fit our schedule. We had a very nice time, but we have certainly been to nicer islands (in our opinion). I think I need to go back (and we will, I have my eye on the St. Regis!) for longer and stay elsewhere for a different experience on the island. This post details what we ate, where we stayed, and what we did during our weekend getaway to Bermuda so that you can recreate our trip on your own!

Coastal scenery in Bermuda during a long weekend trip from NYC

Bermuda is very pretty.

Continue reading →

Manzana de Java: The [Current] Best Restaurant In San Juan

wareontheglobe Leave a comment
Bisteca fritta. Manzana de Java. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

We have been to San Juan, Puerto Rico numerous times. It is one of our very favorite places to eat and drink, especially thanks to some restaurant recommendations from local friends. Last weekend, we returned for a long weekend simply to escape the cold. Given that two of our favorite restaurants are permanently closed (Jose Enrique and Celeste), I had to find some new restos! I came across Manzana de Java in my research and then saw that it was one of Bad Bunny’s favorite restaurants. Sold. I booked a reservation several weeks in advance and could only get the first seating of 6:30 PM.

The entrance to Manzana de Java restaurant in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico

The entrance to the restaurant.

La Manzana de Java, literally translating to the Java Apple, is located in Santurce on a quiet street. It’s truly a whole in the wall with only 20 seats. Hence, the difficulty in securing a reservation. La Manzana has 3 seatings nightly, the early seating (5:30, 6:00, and 6:30), a regular seating (7:00, 7:30), and a late seating at 9:00 or 9:30. Tables are grouped in groups of 2 or 4, and it could be difficult to have a much larger party here without renting out the whole restaurant.

Continue reading →