One moment it was nothing but Autumn leaves and highways in all that I could see and the next it was the Manhattan skyline lighting up the pitch black sky. There’s the Empire State! The Chrysler Building! Not even the heavy rain could dampen the excitement that was: I’m in New York.
Waiting for a taxi in Downtown Manhattan while it rained was not the best way to start the visit. Cab drivers in this city are impatient. Traffic is a nightmare and every few seconds you can guarantee to hear horns going off followed by some strong curses.
After a 40 minute wait I was finally on my way to Hotel 99 near the West End. As the bus terminated at 42nd Street, it was crazy to even think about walking. Hotel 99 is not a patch on the luxury I experienced in Las Vegas. It is bog standard travellers accommodation. The bathroom is shared which I was OK with - apart from the first time I took a shower and found a used plaster stuck on the window. The room surprised me in many ways. There was a wide screen television and an iPod docking station. A step up from a typical hostel but not quite as glam as a hotel.
The TV was my saviour on my first night. I had planned on heading down Broadway and maybe Times Square but Mr Rain washed away those plans. So I spent the night watching a double bill of Grey’s Anatomy and a marathon of CSI New York. I wasn’t complaining!
The next morning fortunately it was blue skies but very chilly. Determined to make the most of my 24 hours in the city its natives claim to be the best in the world, I bundled up on the layers and started my sightseeing at 10am.
First stop Central Park. I believe that you can spend a whole day walking around and you will probably have only covered half of it. It is huge but stunning. The reservoir that suddenly appears out of nowhere was my favourite part. Admittedly I spent ages walking around as I wanted to find the gorgeous bridge featured in Maid of Honour. It’s in the scene where Patrick Dempsey jokingly threatens to jump off when Michelle Monaghan gives him the news that she’s going away for a while.
The bridge I did not find. Instead I met a random 40-something man called Ian Cunningham who told me to come over and watch some squirrels in a tree. Must admit I wasn’t that impressed with seeing these rats with bushy tails but random Ian turned out to be quite an interesting person. He was drinking his second beer – “the best way to start the day” – and very proudly explained why New York is the best city in the world. His reason for why New Yorkers very rarely leave is because everyone else chooses to come to them. Fair enough. We even had a nosy in the parked cop cars where in one we saw a mass litter of coffee cups and doughnut boxes!
Having parted ways on 5th Avenue, I walked down imagining myself in one of the $2m (minimum) apartments. I didn't have a couple million to spare but I was able to afford a $2 hot dog from a vendor opposite the MET.
Next stop was Rockefeller Centre. On Simone's advice, I chose not to go up the Empire State as I wanted a full view of it. Sound advice indeed. Standing on the observation deck, 70 floors up, with a panoramic view of the city = sheer brilliance. It was windy and some 90 minutes later I could barely feel my face but with the Empire State in front and a miniscule Statue of Liberty in the far back distance was worth it.
Exiting Rockefeller I was tempted to do some ice skating but having never tried it before I decided against it because you can guarantee I would have taken down some kiddies with me. Plus I was on limited time and ice skating in New York is not as joyous if you’re on your own. So on I went.
Grand Central is no ordinary train station. It is an architectural dream. I also felt sorry for all the commuters in a rush who have to meander their way through the endless tourists all locked in one position, photographing every ceiling tile. When I saw the giant clock I could not help but giggle as I thought of that scene in Madagascar where the animals are cornered by the NYPD. Silly I know. Another reason to be happy was buying the newly released new book by Nelson Mandela Conversations With Myself.
Leaving Grand Central, I went on my first Subway ride. It was buying my ticket where I experienced my first NYWA: New Yorker with an Attitude. It was $8 for an all day pass and all I had was $1 bills. Each one had to be inserted straight and the right way up. Not even halfway through, I heard some girl make a deliberate would-you-hurry-up sigh. Well that just made me go slower. I didn’t even bother looking up to see who it was. I was tempted to press cancel and start all over but that would have been unfair to the rest of the queue. To me the Subway is more spacious than the Tube. Seats are more comfortable. My friend Alex says this is to accommodate all the fat people in America! I even, get this, made eyes with a cute Chinese guy for a few stops. He got off at one stop before me and no we didn’t say anything as he was listening to music and I was reading my new book.
Chinatown – it had to be done as my parents bound to have wanted to see some pictures. Unlike Manchester, New York Chinatown is spread out and it’s easy to get lost in. There's not as many Chinese people as Vancouver. Of course I got lost as I found myself walking away from Brooklyn Bridge rather than towards. Maps are hard for some people!
When I finally got to the Bridge (for me the most important place to visit when in New York) I actually waited for an hour before doing the walk. I didn’t want to finish it before night time really kicked in as I really wanted to see the full effects of the Manhattan skyline in the evening. So I sat on a bench and had a rest. It was then I really felt the ache in my legs. I had walked around the city for six and half hours and now I was to walk up and down the 1,595 ft long bridge.
When I stepped onto the bridge, there was some daylight left. By the time I left it was pitch black. But my goodness, what a view. The Manhattan skyline, though not as close as the first view when the bus entered the city, is something I'll never get tired of. While the temperature continued to drop, I was happy just standing where I was looking at the city from the Brooklyn side. I would have stayed there all night if I could.
So that was my New York experience. I call it a 24 hour love story because in that one day I saw natural and architectural beauty that made me look forward to coming back and doing it all over again. I get why New Yorkers claim this to be the best city in the world, albeit I don’t agree personally. New York is fast moving, never sleeps and I am sure a place where no two days are ever the same.
The next time I’m there I probably won’t do it alone. As much as I advocate solo travelling, admittedly New York is too romantic of a place to be alone in - especially as a tourist. At times it really did hit me that I was on my own. Not in the sense of Good Lord I’m so alone I must find someone asap. But more in the sense of making a memory of an exact moment with someone and laughing about it in years to come. So next time be it with a knight in shining whatever, friends or family I will experience the moments (again) with someone.
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