Well I am back home seriously jetlagged and sitting in my flatshare in london and the only thing seeming to keep me warm right now, are happy thoughts of my four days in New York.
I guess I wasn't really prepared for what New York is all about but who can be really? afterall its one of the most filmed, celebrated, acclaimed citities in the world. Its the city that never sleeps that have a pulse that beats 24 hours a day with a beat that entrances and endears all visitors to its heart. And its safe to say I fell well and truly under its spell.
Its hard to define exactly what it is about the big apple that makes you reach for it like a junkie despite for their next fix, but it is an overwhelming place. I had initially thought I want to see the sights and take in the culture, but I didn't expect everything else which came with it, the people, the distractions, the magnificient mind blowing buildings, the contrasting colours, shapes and sounds, the stunning array of foods, the gimicks, the different types of people and their love of xmas. it all won me over.
We arrived at Newark airport after an 8 hour flight and I was itching to get started, we opted for a shutter bus and boy were we glad to do that. It only cost $19 and a cab fare is usually $59 plus tolls and etc to and from hotel and the trains only run to central station and we were in no mood to do navigating while jetlagged and in a strange country. So the shuttle slowly meandered its way through a sea of honks and traffic chaos to our hotel. We were the second last ones to be dropped off and I had a splitting headache by the end of it, the driver was on his cell phone the whole time (they do that alot over there) and had carribean christmas music playing (yes such a type does exist) and evertime he tapped hte break an annoying beep would come out from the drivers seat. By the time we had reached manhattan I was ready to pull out my hair. Luckily kate refrained me from doing so by giving me a few dirty looks and telling me to chill out. Deep breaths, I'm in new york, little beeping sounds will not get the better of me!
So upon arriving at the hotel we went inside and picked up our keys. It was certainly below par, the lift was grimy to touch, the paint was peelin, it was a dirty cream colour complemented with dull dark brown panelling that would have looked like a rich mahogany about a decade or two ago and a moist carpet that seems to remain slightly damp no matter how warm our room got. The beds were sunken in the middle so that when you lay down you could feel the slats pressing into the small of your back, persistently reminding you that you are not in your own bed but in fact in a hostel which is masquerading as a hotel. Nevertheless after a quick change we pulled ourselves together to go and grab a quick bite and stave off the encroaching fuzziness of jet lag.
we stepped out into the street to be greeted by a soft drizzle and tried not to let it get us down, of course we are quite used to rain and dreariness after living in london for 7 months you kind of get used to it all. But our hopes were hight for snow and sun in New York. After much debate we found a cute little thai place that had brilliant service, always topping up our water with iced water constantly, which was bliss. and beautiful fresh food. the waiters were kind and friendly and personable and it was a nice relaxing night.
But before long we could barely keep our eyes open, i had dreams of visiting times square that night but we were buggered. So off to bed and of course I woke up bright and bushy tailed promptly at 4am. So did Kate miraculously at the same time so I got up and had a shower to beat the rush, we didnt have a shower in our room and had to share a communal one. So thought it would be best to get in early before the hot water ran out. After a shower I realised I had no hair dryer so it was the drip dry option for me, and i went back to sleep and feel asleep for a couple of hours before we headed off for a fun packed day.
First stop was dunkin donuts for breakfast. I have to say it is not as nearly as unhealthy as its reputation suggests. It has bagels, and bacon and egg bagels and fruit stuff as well as donuts and coffee. I opted for a bacon and egg bagel and a jelly donut I couldn't resist. It tasted better than Krispy Kremes and I was super impressed! It was then onto central park, we started on upper west side and made our way down through the park to 5th Avenue. We took in the crisp beautiful atmosphere of the park which had squirrels dashing from tree to tree, fighting over turf where need be, empty baseball fields and childrens playgrounds, dog walkers walking their labradors, poodles and pugs, they seemed to be the most popular breeds and relentless runners who ran and ran through the bitter cold and often in just shorts and t-shirst in what was -3 weather. Simply freezing to us but rather normal to them. It was a sight to see and certainly a gentle introduction to often the mad crazy pattern of existence that is a way of life in New York. We had standard New Yorkers, just stop mid run and offer help when we were looking at maps, they genuinely welcomed us and wanted to chat to us. It was refreshing and lovely to be treated so nicely and with such friendliness.
Once we had gotten our fill, we finally reached the boathouse, the scene of many a romantic film, a waterfront cafe which overlooks one of central park's lakes and then continued on down the boulevard which is perhaps the singularly most filmed spot in New York. Countless celebrities have walked down this pathway as part of a movie and it was just gorgeous to see it and walk along it. What was particularly beautiful was the plaque monuments on the bench seats in the park. Each seat had a dedication to a loved one or someone special to the park. There was one dedication to a couple who had been together for 50 years and were new yorkers. It made me feel all warm inside, was lovely to see and gain a little insight into some of the people who call the big apple home.
then it was on to Central Park Zoo. Well its a small zoo, but its completely outdoors pretty much and very interactive, you feel so close to all the animals, especially the penquins and seals, it is just unbelieable, there are no fences per se, just glass walls and no big walls or guardrails, it was quite unnerving but at the same time refreshing to be so close to the animals. I did get a bit nostalgic for home though, we went into the rainforest enclosure and they had a humdity machine on and it was so humid you couldnt even take photos lol. it kep fogging up my lens! lol. and it made me miss home a bit, the heat, the unique beauty of the bush and rainforest. Quite missed it a bit after that, espeically once I walked out into the frigid air which was still hovering around -4 degrees. not pretty!
We kind of let our legs and eyes do the talking then and strolled down 5th avenue, taking in Tiffanys and Co (all 4 floors) which was awesome and completely overwhelming!, then onto the disney store, cartier, saks, barneys, over to rockefeller centre ( we left that for another day as Alice was coming to check it out with us on sat), then went up past all the famous ones, louis vutton, prada, banana republic and then to 42nd st, the New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, Chrysler Building and then onto Times Square. Over the course of the next few days we visited a whole host of sites and rather than go through my days blow by blow i am going to itemise by location and venue to give you some of my thoughts and experiences on them:
New York Public Library : words cant describe this place, its awe inspiring, think of every movie you've seen filmed ina library, well this library is the epitomy of narnia for all book lovers. Its ancient, and cultural and just downright charming. Its so gorgeous I could have stayed in there and soaked up the atmosphere with all the other students and bookworms and read to my hearts content.. ahh sigh.. if i lived in NY id spend a lot of my time here
Times Square: Blink during the day and you'd miss it. But we went back at night time and it was a surreal place. The lights, the billboards, the ads, the people the craziness of the broadway shows, the hawkers and the traffic. All combined it makes for an increidble place. During hte day its not so impressive but at night is when it really comes alive. It was here i had a starbucks coffe an, eggnog latte hehe, and xmas songs and carols were playing in every store, and every sales assistant choruses the words happy holidays.
Grand Central Station: Well this was not as spectacular as I thought, i think because it was xmas time there were lots of distractions inside and you couldnt really absorb it all. it was beautiful and the architecture and ceilings were amazing but not as wonderful as I thought it would be.
Empire State Building: Well its not as pretty at the chrysler building but it was unbelievable to visit. As we were walking down to 34th St, I could see it peeking out from the buildings, well perhaps peeking is not hte word, lumbering out of the building skyline. It was impressive. The line up wasn't too bad but it was the lifts that were the scary experience. I couldnt begin to imagine how old they must be because they rattled their way up to the 86th floor and then we had to walk up three flights because they were so slow. You could hear the nuts and bolts of the lift grinding and squeaking and squealing as it hauled you up to the top floor. Once up there the view was breathtaking, manhattan as far as the eye could see, chrsyler, brookyln and manhattan bridge, 42nd st and all the lights below it was just magical if you ignored the wind that threatened to steal your camera from your hands and hurl it over the edge. I felt like it was cutting right through me, the wind chill was freezing and we could only stay out there for a short amount of time. But while I did I felt like I had jsut done soemthign which would stay with me always, I had just viewed New York from the top of the empire state building.
Ice Skating in Central Park: Well this day it was hte day of my mate Kate's bday and it seemed like all good luck was raining down upon us. We wandered through central park and got to the iceskating rink and a radio station in NY was letting in the first 1000 people for free, including free skate hire and locker hire. So basically what was going to be an expensive day ended up being rather cheap. We finally got out onto the ice and i expected to fall over and crash but you know what I didn't! and i was very proud of myself. I went around at least 10 times and then on teh final lap i crashed and hit the deck and was laughing so hard I couldnt get up. It was so much fun. It has to be the absolute highlight of the trip, skating while looking up at the manhattan skyline surrounded by fellow skaters, some skating for their first time with xmas music playing in the background it was just magic. Those are the only words I can use to sum it up, magic.
Rockefeller Centre: Well because we had a big day we didnt get to rockefeller until late in hte afternoon as the sun was setting and due to lines didnt get up til nighttime. It was utterly packed, the ice skating rink line was a mile long and people were everywhere. Mind you navigating our way through the crowd (who is on the whole rather nice and happy in comparison to moody, pushy and grumpy london crowds) was a task in itself, but once we finally found the way to the observation desk, we had a blast. There was no wind, and although there was glass panelling on the lower deck, on the upper deck we got the most sensation views of hte hudson river, chrysler and empire state and brooklyn bridge without the wind at all. it was unbelievable and definitely worth it.
Brookyln and Brooklyn Bridge: Well truth be told I cant say alot about Brookyln, as I only saw a sprinkling of it before climbing the stairs to the bridge and making my way across it into lower manhattan. It was a surreal experience as well. everyone about new york is so different and strange, because its so familiar because its been seen in so many movies yet its also strange. Walking hte length of it while also checking out hte views to lady liberty and the skyline was lovely. While i was totally freezing my butt off it was definitely worth it.
Financial District - Wall St, Wld Trade Centre Site and etc: Well I have to say i was quite excited about checking out lower manhattan and all the key financial highlights, including wall street, the new york stock exchange, the key bank headquarters, the sky rises. one place I wasnt excited about was the world trade centre site, but all the same I wanted to see it. We walked along the hudson in bitterely wind to battery park where you can view lady liberty from there, unfortunately the line to ellis island and liberty statue were about 2-3 hours long. Not worth it so we continued on, a monumnet which used to be inside the centre is now in the park with an eternal flame which burns next to it. When we came to the site, the first thing I saw was cranes and lots and lots of american flags. They have started construction on the site to build a memorial and it felt very strange and sad to see this site with no memorial as such or museum or dedication set up. Just a viewing platform from inside the financial centre. The space is just massive, where those two towers stood. I was just overwhelmed at the gap this site left in the middle of the area.It was monumental and it also left a sizeable gap in the hearts of new yorkers. Its still raw, you can feel it in the people around u near the site, workers and stuff you can see it etched on their faces, all the tourists flocking to the site, it actually seems to hurt them in some way but they also want it acknowledged as well. its hard to explain but I felt I was encroaching on their personal grief and pain and not sure id go there again.
Greenwhich Village and SoHo: I loved it loved it loved! i know why so many people rave about the village now, the vibe the atmosphere its so artsy and alternative, hip and cute and i lvoe it. We went to the magnolia bakery where carrie and miranda from sex and the city go to try cupcakes and it was tasty but not as good as the humingbird bakery. You had to line up for quite a while and while it was a must do, i prolly wouldnt recommend it.
All in all, it was an amazing, overwhelming and extremely fund and exciting place to visit. The people really make it, their service and friendliness were beyond what I expected americans to be like. not that i stereotype but i suppose i expected something similar to london. Its not at all, very very different and you have to love it for that. 4 days just wasnt long enough, I wanted to stay longer, and ill definitely be back, i didnt get to see any of the art galleries or fantastic museums, or get to ellis island which i definitely want to do.
All in all, New York was a surprise, it took me completely by surprise and its heart beat overtakes your own and before long you are smitten. Youre on New Yrok time. Suddenly the fact everything is open 24 hours becomes the norm and you get used to the fact that its the city that never sleeps and while your in it, u never fully rest either. I must sound ridiculous but i seem to lose my heart to every place I go to. its like my destinations are beocming my lovers and I leave a piece of me everywhere I go. One thing I do know for sure, there will always be a piece of me waiting for me when I return to good old New York, New York.
xxx
luv
jess
