✈️ LaGuardia, I Owe You an Apology

I already wrote about my first reaction to arriving at LaGuardia Airport after not flying through LGA for a very, very long time.

But now I found a picture of LaGuardia from the 1990s, which is much closer to the airport I remember.

Put that picture next to the photos I took this weekend and...

Are we sure this is the same airport?

Seriously.

The old LaGuardia wasn't exactly an airport you arrived at early to soak up the atmosphere.

Low ceilings.

Fluorescent lighting.

Narrow corridors.

Crowded gate areas.

People sitting wherever they could find a spot.

Limited food choices.

And yes, I remember seeing rats running around in the drop ceiling.

That old photo brought it all back.

Then look at LaGuardia today.

📸 The Before-and-After Is Ridiculous

The 1990s picture almost looks like it came from a completely different era of air travel.

Because, well...

It did.

Compare that with the pictures I took this weekend.

Huge open spaces.

High ceilings.

Natural light.

Modern architecture.

Wide walkways.

Moving walkways.

Plenty of seating.

Restaurants and food options everywhere.

The difference isn't subtle.

It's astonishing.

Walking into the American Airlines check-in area, I actually stopped to take a picture because I couldn't believe I was standing in LaGuardia.

The check-in area is huge, bright, clean, and open.

Then I made my way farther into the terminal and had essentially the same reaction.

This is LGA?!

If your last memory of LaGuardia looks anything like that picture from the 1990s, you might have the same reaction I did.

🗽 And Then There's the View

I also took a picture of the view from LGA.

That's another thing I had forgotten about flying through LaGuardia.

You're right there in Queens, with New York City surrounding you, and depending on your approach or departure, you can get some fantastic views.

On my flight into New York, I caught a great view of Lower Manhattan during our descent.

On the way home, I got another chance to appreciate where the airport sits.

But there was still one final test.

⏰ What About the Famous LGA Delays?

The physical airport may have changed, but there was one part of the old LaGuardia experience I was fully expecting to revisit:

The delay.

Before all of these improvements, delays and LGA seemed to go together like New York and pizza.

You'd get to the airport.

Find your gate.

Sit down.

And wait.

Then you'd hear:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a short delay..."

And everyone familiar with LaGuardia would collectively think:

Of course we do.

This time, I was actually expecting a delay before departure.

And then something very strange happened.

We left.

No hours sitting around.

No endless mystery delay.

No wondering if I needed to find somewhere to sleep.

We got on the plane and took off.

I even recorded video of the takeoff because after everything I remembered about LGA, departing without that expected delay almost seemed worthy of documentation.

✈️ This May Change How I Travel to New York

Over the years, I've often used Newark (EWR) or JFK, depending on where I was going.

If I needed a rental car or was heading to the northern New Jersey suburbs, Newark often made sense.

JFK was another option depending on the flight and destination.

LaGuardia?

For a long time, it wasn't necessarily my first choice.

After this trip, that may change.

For getting into Queens and New York City, LGA was incredibly convenient.

I flew nonstop from Charleston.

Landed at LaGuardia.

Got over to Astoria quickly.

And when it was time to leave, I went through a clean, modern, comfortable airport and actually departed without the delay I had been expecting.

From THIS to THIS

That's what makes the old picture so much fun to include.

Look at 1990s LaGuardia.

Then look at the pictures I took in 2026.

If you haven't flown through LGA in years, erase whatever image you have in your head.

Because that airport no longer exists.

Airports aren't usually something I get excited about. They're a means to an end.

You go through security, buy an absurdly expensive drink, find your gate, and hope the person sitting next to you understands the universally accepted laws governing airplane armrests.

But this transformation deserves recognition.

So, LaGuardia...

I owe you an apology.

I remembered you as crowded terminals, low ceilings, people sitting on the floor, rats above my head, and seemingly inevitable delays.

Instead, you gave me a beautiful modern airport, great views, tons of food choices, easy access to Queens, and an on-time departure.

And that old photo proves something else:

My memory wasn't exaggerating quite as much as you might think.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but...

I'm actually looking forward to flying through LGA again.

Nicely done, New York.

✈️ I Made It to New York—and What Happened to LaGuardia?!

I made it!

After days of watching the weather forecast go from 55% rain to 77% rain with thunderstorms and then back to almost nothing, I got on the plane in Charleston this morning and headed to New York.

It has been a very, very long time since I've flown into LaGuardia Airport, and I have one question:

What did they do with the old LGA?!?

Seriously.

The LaGuardia I remember and the LaGuardia I walked through today seem like two completely different airports.

It's new. It's clean. It's bright.

There are food options everywhere.

People aren't sitting on the floor waiting for their flights because there aren't enough seats.

And, perhaps most importantly...

I didn't see any rats running around in the drop ceiling.

If you flew through the old LaGuardia, you know I'm not necessarily exaggerating. 😂

This place has changed.

🗽 Now THAT'S a New York Welcome

As we descended into LaGuardia, I was also able to catch a picture of Lower Manhattan from the plane.

That's one of those views that immediately tells you:

Yep. I'm back in New York.

There's something about seeing Manhattan from the air that never gets old.

Then it was time to start working through today's agenda.

👻 Paranormal Activity Didn't Happen

I had hoped to score one of the same-day Rush Tickets for Paranormal Activity.

That didn't happen.

And I'm still not paying around $200 for a ticket.

I wanted to see some ghosts, but not badly enough to have one haunt my credit-card statement for the next month.

But Broadway isn't completely off the agenda.

I got a ticket to see & Juliet instead!

So tonight I'll be heading to Broadway after the party to see something I hadn't originally planned on seeing.

Sometimes those spontaneous choices end up being the most fun.

I'll post afterward and let you know what I thought of it.

🥓 Hotel Accomplishment Unlocked

Next challenge: Could I check into the hotel early?

YES.

That might actually be today's biggest victory.

I got into my room, dropped everything off, and then took care of another extremely important New York travel priority.

I grabbed a plate of bacon.

Because obviously.

So let's review:

✈️ Made it to New York.

🗽 Saw Lower Manhattan from the air.

😳 Discovered that LaGuardia apparently became a completely different airport while I wasn't looking.

🏨 Got an early hotel check-in.

🥓 Ate bacon.

👻 Failed to get a Paranormal Activity Rush Ticket.

🎭 Got an & Juliet ticket instead.

🎉 Party starts at 1:00 PM.

I'd say we're doing pretty well.

And now, after I hit publish on this...

I'm taking a nap for a few hours before the party.

Because apparently my New York itinerary also includes scheduled unconsciousness.

Stay tuned. There is still a lot of Saturday left.

✈️ Plot Twist: I’m Going to New York!

Well, Mother Nature apparently reads my blog.

A few days ago, I was questioning whether I was going to make my trip to New York at all. The forecast went from a 55% chance of rain to 77% with thunderstorms, and I wasn't particularly interested in flying to Queens just to sit in a hotel room and watch it rain.

Fast-forward to Saturday morning.

70 degrees. Fair. A 2% chance of rain this morning.

Okay, New York. You win. I’m coming. 😂

My flight is scheduled to get into LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, and from there I'll head to the hotel and hopefully be able to check in early. At the very least, I'm hoping they'll take my bags because I've got places to go and people to see.

The yearly gathering in Astoria, Queens starts at 1:00 PM, so I've got a few hours between landing and the party.

And because apparently I don't believe in relaxing on vacation, I've already started thinking about what I'm doing afterward.

👻 Paranormal Activity on Broadway?

I'd really like to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway.

There's just one tiny problem.

I'm not paying $200 for a ticket.

I enjoy Broadway.

I enjoy paranormal stuff.

I enjoy sitting in a dark theater wondering what's about to jump out at me.

But for $200, the ghost better leave the theater with me, carry my luggage back to Queens and tuck me into bed.

Fortunately, there's another possibility.

There are some same-day tickets scheduled to be released at 9:00 AM, and I'm hoping I can grab one for the 8:00 PM performance.

So somewhere around the time my plane is landing at LGA, I'll also be trying to score a reasonably priced Broadway ticket.

Because apparently landing an airplane isn't enough excitement for 9:00 in the morning.

If it works out, my Saturday could look something like this:

✈️ 9:00 AM: Arrive at LaGuardia
🏨 Morning: Head to the hotel and hopefully check in
🎉 1:00 PM: Party in Astoria
👻 8:00 PM:Paranormal Activity on Broadway — IF I can get the same-day ticket

And somewhere in between all of that, there had better be a New York bagel and some pizza.

Those aren't optional.

After several days of watching weather percentages climb and wondering whether this trip was going to happen at all, it's funny that I'm now looking at a forecast with almost no chance of rain this morning.

So...

New York City, here I come.

Now I just need the flight to cooperate, the hotel to let me check in early, and the Broadway ticket gods to smile upon me at 9:00 AM.

That's not asking too much, right?

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York Trip Update: Mother Nature Is Making Her Case

A couple of days ago, I wrote that I’m supposed to fly to New York this Saturday, landing at LaGuardia (LGA) and heading to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

At the time, the forecast called for about a 55% chance of rain.

I wasn't thrilled, but 55% still leaves room for negotiation.

Well...

Mother Nature has apparently retained counsel.

I checked the forecast again today.

🌧️ Saturday: 77% chance of rain.
⛈️ And now there are thunderstorms involved.

This negotiation is moving in the wrong direction.

Normally, I'd be excited about this trip. It's a nonstop flight. I get to see people I haven't seen in a while. And most importantly, I'd be returning to Queens—the magical land of real bagels, real pizza, and enough incredible food to destroy any reasonable eating plan within approximately four hours of landing.

But here's my problem:

I'm not flying to New York just so I can sit in a hotel room and say:

"Yep. That's definitely rain."

I can watch rain from home.

For free.

And I don't have to deal with airports, flight delays, Uber surge pricing, wet sidewalks, or trying to maneuver around New York City while Mother Nature dumps buckets of water on everyone.

There's also the airport factor.

Rain and thunderstorms in the New York area don't exactly have a reputation for making air travel more efficient. Suddenly my beautiful nonstop flight could become an exciting afternoon of staring at an airport departure board while the word DELAYED slowly destroys my will to live.

The good news?

The forecast could still change.

The bad news?

It already changed—from 55% rain to 77%.

That's not the direction I was hoping for.

So, the great Will Niel Actually Go to New York? saga continues.

The flight is still scheduled.

Astoria is still waiting.

The bagels are presumably still delicious.

The pizza is calling my name.

But at 77% rain with thunderstorms, those bagels are going to have to make a very persuasive argument.

Stay tuned.

✈️ New York This Weekend… Maybe. Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat.

This Saturday, I’m supposed to be flying to New York—LaGuardia (LGA), specifically—then heading over to Astoria, Queens for a yearly gathering.

Normally, I’d be excited.

It’s a nonstop flight, which already makes the trip significantly more appealing. No sprinting through Atlanta. No sitting in Charlotte wondering why my connecting flight has changed gates four times. Just get on the plane, land at LGA, and head into Queens.

And then there’s Queens itself.

The bagels. The pizza. The Greek food in Astoria. The seemingly endless supply of carbohydrates that somehow taste better once you cross into New York City.

I grew up in New York, so there’s also something familiar about going back. Even if the trip is short, there’s always a little nostalgia mixed in with the carbohydrates.

There is, however, one potential problem:

The weather.

Right now, Saturday is looking a little questionable, with about a 55% chance of rain throughout the day.

Now, I’m willing to travel for a good bagel.

I’m willing to travel for New York pizza.

I’m willing to tolerate LGA, traffic, questionable drivers, expensive everything, and the possibility that someone will honk at me for absolutely no reason.

What I’m not particularly interested in doing is flying all the way to Queens just to spend the day staring out of a hotel-room window watching rain fall.

I can sit inside and watch rain in South Carolina. It’s significantly cheaper.

Of course, weather forecasts several days out have approximately the same reliability as some dating profiles: interesting information, but I'm not making major life decisions based on them just yet.

So, for now, the trip is still on.

The suitcase isn't packed.

The bagel order hasn't been placed.

And I'm watching that forecast.

Will I be eating pizza in Astoria this weekend?

Or will I be sitting comfortably at home thinking about the money I saved by not flying to New York to watch it rain?

Stay tuned.