In most aspects of life, I pride myself on being incredibly optimistic. Whether its believing that England will win the World Cup, or that there aren’t that many calories in a tub of Ben and Jerry’s, I’m usually the one to look on the bright side. But this summer I found myself, much to my surprise, overcome with a pessimism and doubt that frightened me. For this August after years of hoping, praying, hinting and begging, I was finally getting the trip of a life time that I had always dreamed of. I was going to New York. And I was scared shitless about being disappointed.
Having watched all the films, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Sex and the City, I had a pretty clear idea that everyone in the world thought New York was amazing. Everyone I met told me it was the most incredible place on earth and that I’d fall in love with it immediately. It was too much pressure. By the time I was on the plane I had convinced myself that the city that never sleeps was more likely to be the city that not only slept, but snores loudly and steals all the covers while doing so.
And then we landed. And boy was I wrong.
To my relief the yellow cabs, hotdog stands and general buzz of the city weren’t just some Hollywood manifestation. It was real and I could already tell it was fabulous. We headed straight for Times Square, eyes wide, camera in hand, jet lag forgotten.
It’s pretty hard to describe the experience of standing in the middle of Times Square in the evening. It’s one of those annoying ‘you had to be there’ kind of things. But I’ll try my best. Standing in Times Square is like being in the Top Shop Boxing Day Sale just as they bring out that dress that eveeeeeryone wants, that’s new season and 60% off. It’s frantic. It’s exciting. There’s a buzz accompanied by a hint of madness. Now imagine that, multiply it by a million, add in sirens, tourists and the smell of hotdogs and you’re just about there. If you were a New Yorker you’d avoid it at all costs, but as a tourist it has a magnetism you can’t escape. They say if you stand still in Times Square for fifteen minutes, no matter where you’re from in the world, you’ll see someone you know. Well in my opinion that is absolutely impossible to prove, since no one could possibly stand still without a) being knocked over by a mass of tourists and their Kodaks, b) being distracted by one of the many crazy goings on surrounding you or c) getting so excited that you faint and/or die. The most exciting city on earth? You can see how it got its name.
After the tourist overload of the first night I decided to play at being a real New Yorker. It was a Sunday and where would a local head to on a Sunday? Why Central Park, of course! In such a concrete jungle Central Park is literally the only breathing space the city has. It’s not just a nice place to spend a sunny afternoon, it’s a necessity. Although through the park there still runs roads, crazily busy cycle paths and an array of nutters, the overall vibe is one of peace. Around the boating lake (the one from Stuart Little) stands the Alice in Wonderland statue. It neighbours the tribute to Hans Christian Anderson and his Ugly Duckling, providing a great bit of childhood nostalgia in comparison to the oh-so-grown-up city. In a place so grey in colour (but not in spirit) as New York, the greenery of Central Park is almost magnetic. I’d advise anybody to give in to its attraction and see the other, less crazy, side that New York has to offer.
Of course when you think of New York there’s that one land mark that springs to mind. Whether you’re picturing it with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr by the bottom in An Affair to Remember or King Kong swinging from the top, the Empire State Building is a New York icon. Compared to the Chrysler Building or Grand Central its outside architecture is nothing really to holler about. But the art deco inside more than makes up for that and the views from the top, well, they’re like nothing I could have ever imagined. He might have been shot down in the end but if the last sight I see on this earth is half as wonderful as the one King Kong had, well I’d die a very impressed monkey.
When we first booked the holiday I promised myself that whilst there I’d behave like Carrie Bradshaw; sophisticated, sexy and streetwise. Well while at the top of that skyscraper I wasn’t. I was like Elf. It’s hard not to be giddy though when you’re 102 floors up and Manhattan looks like it’s made of Lego. Granted the 200 photos I took from up there may have been a tad excessive. But as far as once in a life time experiences go, this was one I needed to keep track of. Not that it’s one I could forget.
By the end of the holiday when it came to getting the cab back to JFK, I realised that the doubts I’d had about how amazing New York would be were totally misplaced. It wasn’t that the city wasn’t as incredible as everyone said it was, it was that it was better. Walking along the street, no matter whom or where you are, you feel like a movie star. The sights, the sound, the smells, they can’t really be put into words. But the thing about New York that really thrills you when you’re there is when you meet someone planning to go and you see that look of apprehension on their faces as you gush about how incredible it is. You know just how amazing that feeling of relief and wonder is that they will have when they arrive and find out for themselves, that it’s just as amazing as everyone say
Image Sources:
All own Images
Georgia Bickerton