Yelp Review 2026 #25: The nearest Philippine Consulate General office to where I live is in Los Angeles. But I was in New York and had to take care of some documents so, I figured, I might as well make an appointment and do it here. I followed everything listed on their website and made sure I had everything with me to take to my appointment. They're located near Times Square. I arrived 30 minutes early and they had just opened. People were already waiting in line and I thought I picked the earliest appointment available. There were chairs but not enough. They asked me what I was there for and was directed to go to the basement. I gave them my documents and I was told I was missing a document. Like how? Why didn't you list it on your website??? After going back and forth and trying to stay calm with the man behind the counter, I just left and booked an appointment in L.A. I brought the same documents and it was approved. read more

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Let me start by giving a rate of my experience. The consulate does not deserve even one star. My rate is 1/2 star. it is shameful that my kababayan at the consulate were very inconsiderate with regards to applying to renew my passport. The story goes like this, I have an appointment to renew my passport and gathered all the pertinent documents in my possession. Arrived at the consulate very early as i am the first appointment. I met with an alien, you know one person with two brains. My documentation was reviewed and I'm missing an ID. My ID was either lost or stolen, a NYPD police report was obtained to support the lost or stolen ID. The alien insisted that I bring an ID, which I don't have. A couple of recommendations from the alien is obtained high school ID , NBI CLEARANCE ID, BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE ETC. Essentially, I had to visit the consulate four times. and still did not get my passport. I am very frustrated with this alien. I planned to visit the country this holiday season. but i did not get passport. I WANT THIS LETTER BE GIVEN TO CONSUL GENERAL FOR HIS CONCERN. LAHAT NG SINABI SA AKIN NG ALIEN DYAN SA CONSULATE EH GINAWA KO PERO INALAT PA. RIN THIS LETTER WILL DISTRIBUTED TO ALL CONCERN MEDIA. NAKAKAHIYA KAYO read more

The Consulate charges you to make an appointment just to review documents. If anything is wrong, you get 30-days to cure or you have to pay again for another appointment. I had to get paperwork from the PI and it costs $100 via DHL to get it in the US in time to make the Consulates appointment cut-off date. Regular posts in the PI take 6-8 weeks. The Consulate knows this and yet, they don't give you the sufficient time to get paperwork from the PI. Why don't you just waive the fee!?!? Shameful to scam fellow pinoys like this. The process to get a passport is tedious, inefficient, and backwards. They make the US Post Office look like a shining star of customer service. Dear Consulate, do better and make us proud, not feeling scammed! read more

I wish there's another consulate available in NJ/NY area. Very unorganized - the dual citizenship people are nice, however the passport people are just plain rude - the documents that the dual citizenship staff accepted the passport staff wont accept - which doesn't make sense at all! read more

I was very pleased by how polite and kind everyone was at my recent visit to the Philippine Consulate. My passport renewal went smoothly and was relatively quick - 35 minutes total from the time of my appointment. I did have to wait an extra 20 minutes on top of that since I arrived early, but that was understandable. Some tips: - I noticed that there were some other visitors who tried to come in over an hour early and were turned away at the entrance, so definitely plan on coming here as close to your appointment time as possible! - If you are able to, you should definitely bring original and photocopies of all the required documents so that your appointment goes quick. There is a photocopy machine available, but I'm not sure how much the fee is to use it. - Make sure you bring cash since they don't accept card at the cashier. My only reason for giving them 4 instead of 5 stars is it was somewhat difficult to get questions answered prior to my appointment. Their main phone number would just play an automated message, and the extension line to the passport section would also just play a message since nobody was picking up. I think that this can be rather inconvenient especially for anyone who is traveling far (possibly even from out of state) to get to the Consulate. read more

Went to visit consulate back in December 2021 to renew my parents passport. The person in-charge at the entrance were all nice and very accomodating. They let me go inside with my parents incase they would need help. Everything went smoothly till we get to pay at the cashier. The Filipina lady at the cashier were very intimidating. She had a very bad behavior. Not just to my parents but to everybody. Fast forward, now i have been trying to call the consulate for a month and nobody is answering. 2months and we haven't received any updates even on the mail tracking. Poor Service read more

i hope you teach your employees how to treat clients properly..treat us with courtesy and respect demonstrate proper behavior and show professionalism... wala kayo sa pilipinas !! hello????? Dec 6, 2021 Miss Cashier of the day , you are very very nasty.... you are something else read more

So disappointed about the document process,they should pre screened your application for dual before you pay for process if your documents are accepted or not,so if not not need to set up appointment and avoid any inconvenience...parking,toll and time,such shame. read more

Minus one star because their website and instructions does not indicate that there's a cutoff time for Dual Citizenship application of 12PM. I arrived less than 15 minutes late and the lobby attendant told me that I have to come back early next time. I am from Boston and the earliest Peter Pan bus arrives at least 11:15 AM at Port Terminal and I still have to walk. I tried calling the consulate office several times the day before but no one answers. I did not listen and went at the basement anyways where the processing windows are and explained to one of the officer my situation. He accommodated my request and I was so thankful - so thats for 4 the stars. read more

The Philippine Consulate General - Giant chandelier at the lobby. - Embassy Near Me - New York, New York

Went there to have some documents notarized and renew a passport. It was pretty painless and smoother than I anticipated. Drop off of the documents were in the morning and pickup was at 4pm. For people who work, you have to take a whole day off just to hand in some papers and wait for pickup time. The passport renewal was fast compared to previous times I went for renewal. I had to come prepared with everything they could ask for including copies. Not all questions can be answered by their website. Unless you personally go there and talk to somebody email is ok but it takes a long time to get a reply and sometimes there's no reply. They don't answer their phones either. People working there tend to be rude and not accommodating to the people they're supposed to serve. Tip: Get there early with multiple copies of everything. They have a copier but it's 25 cents per page to make copies. Checks or credit cards are not accepted so bring cash. read more

The Philippine Consulate General - Passport and Notarial windows. - Embassy Near Me - New York, New York

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Selina from the Social Security department was very helpful, knowledgeable and gave good advice. She was helping people through her lunch time. Thank you, Selina. According to the Philippine Consulate website, an appointment online must be set for consultation. Therefore, I recommend that consistency be implemented by not accepting people in the consulate if they do not have an appointment. This causes confusion, crowd in the small space and PC employees are faced with more people to meet than what have been set for appointments for the day. read more

I arrived 9:07AM and was out by 10AM. They are quick from accepting the application to payment, the wait is a little longer for encoding which is the last part since they will 1. Encode your info 2. Let you check it 3. Take your Picture (sometimes their database will reject it so they have to take it again) 4. Get your signature and finally 5. Take your left and right thumb and index finger prints. The employees are nice, I talked to them in Tagalog and ALWAYS say SALAMAT or THANK YOU after each transaction. Their website have everything you need so read that and prepare in advance, para pagdating dun hindi ka na magtatanong because that will be the root cause of your delay. read more

The Philippine Consulate General - Chandelier made out of Capiz. Stunning! - Embassy Near Me - New York, New York

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Going through PHIL passport renewal process before passport expires may be seamless..with BIG IF and BUT ....IT is impossible to get an appontment!!! Please advise. I need my passport renewed . It expires in May, 2022 but am not able to schedule any appointment online. Always nothing available.I ahve been checking available slots daily! Please advise. Getting desperate Will truly appreciate how I can get an appointment to renew my passport. Can I renew without appearing personally the way they do with US passports? Helen Aguila planet.elena@gmail.com read more

The gentleman at the front desk was very pleasant and efficiently directed everyone to their designated appointment area. The female individual that helped me with filing the necessary documents to travel with a deceased loved one's remains was extremely helpful and kind, she made the process much more easy than what the website describes. She did an excellent job. read more

Last time I went there it was very upseting time. Very slow ang they don't even help you if you really want to ask question . Very poor job. read more

Unreliable at best, and zero empathy for visitors. The building was closed on a weekday without prior notice. Members of my family took a day off without pay and travelled over an hour to get there, only to have wasted precious time. UPDATE: It gets even better. One of the visitors called the prior day to get info on business hours. The idiot phone rep didn't even mention that they were closed that day, so it wouldn't even matter if you called them! The shutdown was due to a national holiday, honoring Ninoy Aquino, that few folks seem to be aware of, which is unfortunate. Always check the holiday schedule before you go: http://www.newyorkpcg.org/the-consulate/holidays Yet another few examples of Filipinos not helping each other and why the world doesn't want to do business with them. Time to get your act together Philippines! read more

At this place, you can expect both mean and very nice. We were here for a musical concert at the Kaalayan Hall on the 2nd floor. It's a decent size hall that can fit about 200 people comfortably sitting down. They have a grand piano in the hall. I can't remember if it's a Steinway or a Yamaha. But a good piano nonetheless. DOWNER: The lighting is TOO DIM!!!! They have lights that can light the stage but the rest of the hall is too dim making it possibly not a good place to have a wedding reception or something of the like. You'd have to get extra lighting. The rent for about 3 hours was around more than $1000. ----The person to talk to about booking the venue is VICTOR. The Green Room is right behind the Hall. We also had a reception we food and drinks after the recital downstairs in their main foyer. I noticed the lady who is in charge of the hall that day was not very accommodating. We had specified that we needed the hall at 4:30. She kept saying that the reservation was starting at 6:00. But in actuality, the event starts at 5:30 p.m. So we needed to be there at 4:30 to set up. She was not at all understanding and gave us a big attitude about it. But clearly, there was nothing going on in the hall, so she let us in at 4:30 but she was just not nice about it AT ALL. At least the man helping us set up and move the piano was very accommodating! Anyway, Acoustics in the place are generally ok! read more

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I came in on a Tuesday morning to get a visa for my passport. I brought with me all of the forms and documents** needed (check their website for this; e.g. http://www.newyorkpcg.org/our-services/visa/visa-general-information). They don't get a lot of visa business, so it was super quick and easy! If you get your visa paperwork submitted by 12 noon, you can pick it up around 4 in the afternoon. So convenient! I waited in line with a number, sitting at one of the many desks you'd expect to see in a college lecture room. (I posted a picture.) While at times it felt like the workers behind the counter weren't doing a whole lot, I was called up within 15-30 minutes. I was at the counter for less than two minutes before waiting another three minutes to pay separately at the cashier window. (Overall: much easier than I expected.) When I came back (just after 4pm), the guy at the front door remembered who I was (I surely stick out as a white American) and let me go down to the passport area (in the basement) without checking in, and I was able to walk up to the visa window within two minutes. The guy behind the window had my passport-visa right there, and I was out of there in less than 4 minutes total for my second trip. **Their form asks for a 2x2" picture, but I brought a 3.5x4.5 cm picture as stated on their website, which was fine. TL;DR: I was impressed with the technologically advanced set up they have operating at the consulate for passport business. Just make sure you bring everything in advance and save yourself heaps of trouble! read more

The Philippine Consulate General - The waiting room in the basement for all passport related business. - Embassy Near Me - New York, New York

Due to Covid 19 there were very limited appointment available. My Mom who is 83 years young had to come for appearance for the following reasons: SSS and to have some document notarized. The staff were all very pleasant and courteous. Celena and Evan gave us the best service they could. Having the appointment made it so easy for everyone. Thank you all for making the visit such a pleasure. read more

We had a good experience here and everyone was very nice and helpful, we made sure to bring every document possible, and lots of cash. The reason for the 2 stars is because they never answer the phone, or email, and their website is not accurate. We called them every day for a week, several times per day hoping to get some answers before making our 8-hour journey and booking hotels etc. They never answered the phone once, and they never respond to emails. So, if you have questions you need to ask them before taking the trip to NYC, good luck with that. If you are wondering what holidays they take off, the answer is every possible holiday - Philippines and US holidays, and then some. read more

Went to renew my passport (march 2018) Brought with me all the necessary documents, and extra cash. Filled up some forms, had to use the photocopy machine, payed, in-and-out WITHIN an hour. Got it after 15 days (I had someone else pick it up without running into any issues) Thank you :) read more

Rude employee and and not convenient to everyone who is doing it the first time .... they need to be more professional in a way of helping people specially people whose doing it in first time ... read more

Been trying to schedule an appointment online on their website to no avail for over two years. Seems that they have not fixed the glitches up to this day. Very frustrating and aggravating scheduling online appointments to say the least. I emailed them multiple times and they responded over 3 weeks after. It doesn't make any sense why they still couldn't fix their online appointments. This is a joke of a non functional Philippine consulate scheduling appointments online to no avail. It was impossible to get a notary appointment! Very unprofessional and uncourteous, unhelpful employees that work there. It feels like their services and employees are still zoning way back in the Philippines mindset. So very disappointed with their customer services all the way up to their non functional online booking appointments on their so called website. What a joke! read more

Good day! The online appointment process for our passport renewal was seamless. When we were at the Consulate, from the front desk to processing of documents, payment and picture taking . . . all staff members were very courteous and cordial. Maraming salamat po! Mabuhay po kayo. read more

I am a dual citizen and I have been trying to make an appointment online which is so impossible to get one...been checking 2-3 times daily to see if there's an opening or available day. My passport is expiring soon May 3, 2022. Is there any other way to at least open 3 - 5 slots per month?....Any advise would be appreciated. read more

I am very grateful for the diligent and courteous staff named, Ms Jasmin Rodriguez. She's very accommodating and professional. I wish that we can have more people like her. I commend her for the dedication and patience to help and assist those applicants . The system of taking of every applicant is more cordial and systematic. My suggestion is to have more information regarding instructions to follow provided online prior appearance in person. Please ask your specific questions to guide you through out the application process. The consulate is well located and accessible to nearby banks , Bank of America and Chase Bank . if you need Money Orders. There's a recommenced place to get your pictures taken . @ CISA #23 by 47th Street. It's about 15 minutes walk to Port Authority Terminal. or take Uber ride for $12 . I tried both to get the experience. I am very thankful for Jasmin , my Trip was very productive and informative experience. read more

My mom is good friends with the Consul General from way back in the day, and I happen to think she's a very warm, savvy lady who is a great ambassador/liason to the Philippines. She's very approachable and strives to give the Filipino-American community a home in NYC, including the younger 2nd generation Fil-Am crowd. The Consulate hosts so many events. Some highlights include a reading of the newly Penguin Classics published _Noli Mi Tangere_, the launch party of the first ever Tagalog version of "The Vagina Monologues," and the annual Christmas Mass celebration, Simbang Gabi. The lobby also showcases Filipino artwork and they will often have a "gallery" opening for the artist. (But it really doesn't take much to get Filipinos to throw a party with plenty of food. In fact, I've seen gatecrashers stake their claim on the buffet line. It helps that the lobby has huge windows that overlook 5th Ave. But no worries, the more the merrier.) Since I"m a sentimentalist, I have to say that the Consulate will forever hold a special place in my heart for hosting the first public reading of my first full-length play. It was an incredibly memorable evening for me, to say the least, and I was really happy to share it with my community. read more

I went there before 9 am(their opening) to make sure that I will be the first in line when they open. But I was second, the first in line was an elderly lady, when she found out that I still needed to go to work after this, she told me that I could go ahead of her because she got the entire day and not working anymore. I was thankful. Apparently, the lady that was in charge of my concern (window 3) was not there, I patiently waited on the window until she came but she didn't come until like almost 10. The gentleman on window 4 assisted me even if, it wasn't his job just because it's the innate attitude of Filipinos to be helpful and accommodating for the concern of others. Additionally, he was also very jolly and nice. He was talking to me while checking my documents. He made sure that I understood everything that was being done, and he also answered all my questions about my situation. He even advised not to renew my passport yet because it was still new and so as not to spend money. Finally, my experience was excellent and Filipinos never fail to impress me (that was a little exaggerated because I am a Filipino). read more

I've had to come here a few times to bring both my mom and my aunt and both experiences were pleasant. The men that greet you when you first arrive were very friendly and helpful .I brought my mom and things went smoothly with a few minor corrections that needed to be made . Within 8 to 10 weeks we received her reneWhen I brought my aunt the first I was a little worried they would give us a hard time because she had lost her original passport and didn't have all required documents. They were very helpful and said it would take 15 days to send verification to PI and then we would have to return. So we came back with the required documents thanks to my cousin in PI. We were finally able to complete her passport information thank goodness. They were super friendly today and I was happy that my aunt could finally have everything processed so she can finally return home. Thanks to all those who made process easy for us . read more

Dear Sir/Madam I am a medical doctor in the Boston, Massachusetts area. I was educated in an Ivy League school, graduated from a US medical school, and completed my postgraduate training in the US. I am successful and consider myself an educated, polite, polished and courteous person who has gone above and beyond doing voluntary work in the Philippines. I am a US citizen but made the decision to obtain dual citizenship in the Philippines so I can offer my medical skills and maybe invest in the country. Your poor and boorish behavior makes me wonder why I even do this. I wonder exactly what you do in the few days out of the year that you work (22 holidays, really?). Your "new" website lists the consular outreach from 2014. When I asked why it is not updated, you say "the person responsible for this has already left for the Philippines". What a dumb answer. I ask why your website doesn't fully explain the documents needed to bring, including exact change apparently, and I get brushed off. I email and call and leave a message and they are never answered. You blame your shortcomings on the local associations. Your responses are never polite. My friends and associates never fail to complain about how rudely they are treated on the phone and in person by you people. We are appalled that you balk to take one (ONE, UNO) Saturday out of the year to make a community outreach, making excuses about how there's no turnout when you are always proven wrong. That's just plain lazy. This could be your opportunity to show a friendly face, but you squander it. You should be grateful that successful people like myself residing in the US still want to be involved in your country and have fond feelings for it, but you act like you're doing me a favor. Why don't you just tell me to my face that I'm not wanted? I am inclined to believe that you happened to get this cushy job in NYC purely from connections which in turn gives you an excuse to be snobby. I was at your outreach in Connecticut and I was treated like a dog. I was gestured to as if I was your maid. You are paid to serve your countrymen. Do your job. And be nice. That's how we do it here. Yours truly, Joycelyn A. Datu, MD read more

I love my country. . . I am a patriot and I am a Filipino. Philippine Consulate Offices. . . It aims to provide quality service among Filipinos living in a Foreign Land. The Management are very supportive together with highly skilled personnel. The professional work of Philippine Consulate Offices in United States are excellent.l Many Thanks and More Blessings . . . Philippines. read more

After reading the reviews of others, I was apprehensive, since the reviews seemed to be either ones or fives. I needed permission to bring the cremains of my husband to the Philippines. I had called the consulate in November, and was sent an e-mail with very specific instructions by a very helpful woman (don't recall her name). I had a very good experience. The security guard at the front desk was very polite and nice both times I visited. I waited about half an hour the first time I was there, then spent about 15 minutes with a nice man (can't recall his name either). Although the instructions I was sent said the documents could be sent to me by Express Mail (so I brought the postage and envelope), he told me to come back for the papers the next day. I could not make it the next day, so I came the day after; waited about 15 minutes, and was given the papers right away. I was happy. Also, I had everything in terms of documentation that was required. read more

Rude employees. Pagpasok mo doon, sasalubungin ka ng "Anong kailangan mo?" Sa front desk. After naman ng data collection, picture ganun. Sabi ni ate, "alis na bye bye" read more

Have a rating of 1 star from most reviews (read up). What does that tell you? Went today, Oct31, thinking it's open ( as it didn't say in their main website dated ,holidays of PCG for 2015 ).So that for 2016 , Oct 31 & Nov 1, is now a holiday observance , and that they're CLOSED ! ( and it wasn't last year?) Aside from the fact that, 9 out of 10, nobody picks up the phone, or even bothers to call you back ,(when they say they would) , I don't understand ,why this place still operates . You worked there x amount of yrs. , and some staff are clueless to answer the usual customary inquiries from people .How's about a quick trip one day for the whole staff, to your neighboring consulate offices , and observe how they operate ? And yes , I tried to even call last week , to hear , and maybe get an updated / added on msg. ( at least ) , about their new dates of holiday closings . Totally agree ,with a lot of my kabayans sentiments. Inefficient and inconsiderate , is an understatement, for the mgt. of this supposedly fine & right in the heart of the "Big Apple's ", only Philippine consulate. read more

Incompetent workers! Thinks and acts like they're high and mighty! Had the nerve to put a date for pick up, so I showed up on that day and viola,.my passport was not ready and the person who told us that its not ready says it so nonchalantly like its not a big deal. For Christ sake, i have to take a day off and fly from VA just to pick up my passport only to be told that it's not ready,.and they couldn't give me a straight answer on when is my passport will be available for pick up! Pointing fingers to the workers in the Philippines because they work so slowly is not going to cut it! CAn't even accept accountability and that the least they could do was call ALL OF US who were there mostly from different States not to come in because our passports were not ready! Lazy, disorganize, incompetent, power trippers.. that's exactly the best description that i could find to describe them. BEWARE! Is there a way to sue this Consulate for the damage (Financially) that they had done due to this in competencies?? I will definitely look into this, what they did has cost me so much not just money but we had to move our already scheduled Marriage ceremony and reception! read more

Applying for Philippine Passport has improved in such a way that you do not wait that long and they'll do your photo based on their specific requirements. However, allow weeks after the date they told you that the passport will be released, before you book flight to the Philippines (as Philippine Airlines will not refund). Otherwise, you will waste your time and money and they couldn't care less whether you traveled as far as Boston or even Virginia. They rarely respond to your messages -or never- so I don't understand the availability of text numbers, or emails, when you can't get a concrete answer. Passports are only released on Fridays between, 3-5 pm. A perfect nightmare to drive to midtown Manhattan. Bring enough photocopies of all the papers they need including copies of your Driver's License, and of your old passport. Or bring enough quarters to use their copier machine. Parking near the consulate will run you $40. for 2 hours. And most of all, pack a lot of patience and self control. These people aren't kind to their fellow Pinoys. read more

I have had the unfortunate experience of having to renew & secure applications for the last 10+ years. I generally have a fairly even view of consulates/embassies in general but I think this takes the cake for most confusing and least productive. The employees are not only on the offensive most of the time but can't seem to reach an agreement on what their policy is (I swear each time I go, there is a different policy involved). Also, forget about reaching out to them during the day via phone or email - it is a black hole. As a national, coming here is a necessary evil so I have no choice. My best advice is to read & print out their guidelines when you get here. That way, they can't tell you that you were missing anything/did anything wrong. Update: I am now about to pick up my passport 8 weeks later. Unbelievably, I have been waiting almost an hour. For. Pick. Up. This place is a total s-hole. read more

Went here to get my passport renewed and it was the most awful 2 month process. To skip to the "highlights"- 1) after printing and filling out the necessary documents at home (I checked not only the website but called to confirm that these were all I needed), I was told I needed some form from when I first applied for a passport. I didn't know what they were talking about and told them I first "applied" for a passport when I was less than 1 year old and that my parents maybe received it but that I'd never seen such a form. After being rudely told to "go home to your mother to get them," I complained to the supervisor, who ultimately waived the form- so why were they stressing me in the first place? 2) upon picking up my passport, I saw they'd misprinted my birthdate. I had submitted 5 forms with my correct birthdate, but after almost 3 hrs at the consulate, I forgot to check if my birth year was incorrect (thinking only to check my name, address etc.). Now, to correct it, I'm told I have to go through the WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN. And pay. I'm proud to be Filipino, but man, Philippine Consulate of NYC, you're not making it easy to be proud of our bureaucracy. read more

This place doesn't answer the phones, and when they do answer the phones, they forward you to a voice message. I tried to report my birth to the civil registry, and I've been waiting since May 13, 2015. Six months, and no response. I spoke to Consul Kerwin Tate back in May pleading him to consider my documents for Philippine Citizenship. I can't begin to tell you how difficult it has been to get anyone to assist me. I've tried for 2 years now, and still no results. Can believe this organization exists. If I could give this establishment 0 stars I would. Frustrated, with no help. I tried calling the main telephone number and when I did get someone it was a receptionist who just forwarded my call to another number and it is a black hole! AWFUL PLACE check out the other yelp reviews for San Francisco, Washington DC, same thing. AWFUL. UNPROFESSIONAL. CROOKED. They even kept my money order, my original birth certificate, nothing was returned. Guess they are using my information for identity fraud or selling it back in the Philippines. read more

Just been here to renew my mother passport today and it was totally a nightmare First the guy on the front desk is not nice He is talking to you like you are an idiot dont know how to respect elderly Secondly, there is no instructions given where to go and what to do People are jumping line! So shameful! The only fast lane is the cashier where you pay your fee! Darn Service! C'mon Fellow pinoy you can do better than that Dont bring your laziness here in US NYC Leave it home!!! read more