PORTFOLIO

Despite not being on my list of dream destinations, I fell in love with New York and I can’t wait to go back.

It might have been something to do with our luck with cheaper flights and having friends in the city, or perhaps the warm temperature combined with the magic of Halloween/Christmas, but it was a trip that turned out to be one of my favourites ever.

I’m going to start with some disclaimers. I did go with low expectations as I’m not usually a city girl, so they were very likely going to be exceeded. There are rats – not loads, but coming from an English village, it was the most rats I’ve ever come across. They never bothered us though. We did encounter some slightly uncomfortable situations (check out @subwaycreatures to see what I mean), but at no point did we feel unsafe. It’s just important to be aware of your surroundings. And finally, we are very grateful that my fiancé has friends all over the world who are very generous and let us stay with them. If it wasn’t for his friend Cristian [who runs an independent brand called AVD] we may not have been able to go, as it can be an expensive destination to visit. Now, on to the good stuff.

Rather than staying in a touristy area like Manhattan, we thoroughly enjoyed staying in Queens, about half an hour from Times Square. It was a bit quieter in the evening, with plenty of local restaurants to choose from. It was also super easy to catch the train everywhere we needed to go. The trains operate the same way as they do in London with the tap-in, tap-out system. It was so straightforward and quick – far quicker and cheaper than taxis. In fact, the only time we used a taxi was to and from the airport. Another advantage of staying a bit further out is the fantastic views of the skyscrapers. I’d recommend avoiding rush hour, though. Either plan your day to start early, or do as we did: have breakfast before hopping on the train and staying out late into the evening. I was amazed at how quickly we adapted to the subway, only getting on one wrong train, which I think is pretty impressive.

I’ve only been to New York once, so I can’t really say what the best time of year to visit is, but I can’t imagine it being better than Autumn – the first week of November, to be exact. I was told it was slightly warmer than usual, but you’d still only need a jacket rather than a winter coat. With the clear blue skies and sunshine, it was so warm we sometimes went out without jackets at all. We saw both Halloween decorations that were still up on people’s houses and shops all prepared for Christmas. There were even Christmas markets and an ice rink. While it wasn’t the magical feel of a snowy festive season in New York, we still caught a glimpse of it without the freezing temperatures and loads of people. Our walk through Central Park while the leaves changed colours felt like something out of a film. Central Park became one of our favourite spots as we watched people in boats on the lake, dogs playing in the leaves, and admired the stunning bridges.

Another favourite was Robert F. Wagner Jr Park. We watched the sunset there after walking around the Financial District and Ground Zero – which was a very sombre experience. The park was tranquil and quiet, perfect after a bustling day in the city. This was the only time we viewed the Statue of Liberty, albeit from a distance, but for us, that was enough. The Statue had a backdrop of a vivid sunset, boats passing, and helicopters flying by. Then, the city became illuminated for our journey back to Queens.

By wandering around the city, slightly aimlessly, we stumbled upon many famous landmarks. For instance, when we saw the fire station from Ghostbusters, it coincided with a fire engine’s return. By checking Google Maps as we went, we managed to spot well-known locations. However, there’s so much to see that we would have bypassed numerous structures if we hadn’t done that. The MET was a place we did want to visit, especially after my fiancé’s friend recommended it. They even have a “date night” at The MET, where you can have drinks and roam the museum in the evening. But we just couldn’t squeeze it into our itinerary. You need a significant amount of time for both The MET and the Natural History Museum, so if you’re keen, ensure you have at least half a day set aside for them. They’re worthwhile if you appreciate museums though and if you play Animal Crossing like me, I really enjoyed pointing out all the fish I had caught in the game at the museum itself.

I would highly recommend taking the train to Dumbo for the Manhattan Bridge viewpoint. As you make your way to the viewpoint, you’ll go through the Brooklyn Flea market, which is really cool with a variety of vendors. From the viewpoint, it’s a short stroll to Pebble Beach and Jane’s Carousel, which are both quite busy with activity and offer stunning views of both bridges, we even saw a wedding here. Then walk over the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan. If you time it right, you can watch the sunset from the bridge, which is magical. It’s a substantial walk and can be crowded, but there are lots of places to stop and admire the view or, in my fiancé’s case, admire cars. The walk makes the pizza on the other side even more delicious though.

We spent our last night at SUMMIT 1 Vanderbilt to view all of New York. We chose this viewing point over others because from here, you can see the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, and all the way down to One World Trade Centre. SUMMIT 1 also has interesting design features that amplify the experience. If you’re seeking cool Instagram photos, you’ll definitely find them here. But, if you visit at sunset, as we did, be prepared for crowds. Like most observation experiences, it’s pricey, but it’s well worth it. As evident from the pictures, there’s a lot happening in the room of mirrors, but it doesn’t detract from the breathtaking view. It was also great to see the entire city and pinpoint all the spots we’d explored during the week. I’d suggest going towards the end of your trip, as it’s the ideal way to conclude your visit.

An unexpected highlight was the Hudson Yards and the High Line. I didn’t plan this trip as it was last-minute, and we enjoyed the freedom of not having a set daily itinerary. We acted on many recommendations from our New York friend. He told us to head to Chelsea Market for food. En route, we saw that Hudson Yards was nearby, so we decided to check it out. We’re thrilled we did. I saw the Vessel, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, which is a really impressive structure to witness in person. Ash enjoyed viewing even more cars from the High Line. Although we didn’t walk the full length of the High Line – an old railway line repurposed into a walkway – it was nice to be above above the traffic. Being by the water was especially peaceful.

I could chat about our New York trip for hours. I adored it. And as I’ve mentioned, I went on this journey with modest expectations. Prepare yourself for a lot of walking; comfortable shoes are crucial. And there’s no need to always dress up. While some people are quite trendy, overall, the vibe is casual. I haven’t spoken much about food, but from pizza to bagels, it was delicious. And, of course, I’ll do another post about all the food because it deserves it’s own time to shine.

And finally, don’t feel pressured to see everything, you’ll just burn yourself out. There is so much to see and do. There are so many parks to sit in and coffee shops to take a break in, and those moments are all part of the experience and it will make it much more enjoyable if you take it a little slower in such a busy city, that’s why we enjoyed it so much.

Even if you aren’t sure New York is for you, I urge you to give it a chance. You might fall in love with it as I did.

Most of the pictures were taken and edited by Ash Antony – Check out some of his work – [Instagram here & Website here]