I still remember my first Manhattan moment. Neck craned backward- my mouth and eyes stretched wide. I’d made it.
Standing at the top of Lexington Ave Subway station, hands full of luggage, I instantly became what every New Yorker hates, a gawking tourist. By stopping at the top of the stairs, I was now holding up people behind me, who pushed past, mumbling under their breath. I became Carrie Bradshaw in the opening of SATC, post bus splash and sans pink tutu.
It only took four days until, like a number of writers before me, my impression of the Big Apple changed.
Yep, just like that.
New York was ever evolving- one day it was the greatest thing ever, the next, the worst. Over three weeks, I began my love/hate relationship with one of the greatest cities in the world and even now I’m back home, a question mark remains.
Here are five things I both loved and hated about NYC.
The sound of sirens
Standing on a New York street is like standing on a main road with round shells strapped to your ears. Then come the sirens, they echo through the streets. They go higher, higher, and higher, a travelling concrete crescendo. The first time I heard a fire engine, I laughed at the shrill pitch it made, and blocked my ears with my fingers. This just adds to the hype, New York sure knows how to make a scene.
Walking is winning
NYC is a walking city, comfy shoes are a must- and the numbered streets mean it’s almost impossible to get lost. I spent entire days walking around- which is great for walking off hot dogs.
Clearly thongs are the wrong choice for walking miles in….
The colour coded, alphabetical subway system is also a synch and cheap- averaging around $2.50 per ride to anywhere in the city. Just top up a Metrocard from any subway station and voila- you’re off.
The ‘tude takes some getting used to
New Yorkers don’t exactly have the best reputation for being friendly. They are so busy, and they will be brutally honest if you’re in their way. How to avoid this? Stick to the right hand side of the pavement. Despite the abruptness though, you’ll soon come to love their accents- and maybe even some of their impatience. 😉
Traffic at 7am- just another normal morning in NYC. I’d be on edge too…
The food situation
New York is definitely an expensive city in terms of …well, everything. But that doesn’t mean you can’t scrimp and get some yummy meals. The city is littered with food carts- it’s just like on the TV show, Suits 😉 You can get smoothies, juices, wraps, hot dogs and sweets like donuts, pastries and coffee for really cheap and the vendors are super nice 🙂 But, my favourite food in NYC was the halal gyro and chicken from the Halal Guys, located on 53rd street and 6th avenue. Oh, and you’ll know it’s them from the HUGE line. I met a couple from Philadelphia at 3am who had driven an hour away just to have the famous white sauce smothered over a bowl of saffron coloured rice and mixed meat bowl. I ended up eating mine then, and saving half for breakfast- it was that good!
A typical supermarket is hard to find in NYC- sure there’s Trader Joes, Wholefoods and you can also find basic supplies in chemists like Duane Reade and Wallgreens. To be honest though, all of these options are SUPER exxy. I went searching on 1st Avenue, and found Gristedes which satisfied my supermarket cravings without taking all my money.
Manhattan is best viewed from a distance
One of the best travel tips I can give you is to get out of Manhattan. Get caught up in the Manhattan bubble, and you risk missing out on the fun of the other buroughs.
Sure, cross the Brooklyn bridge – but also get out into the lower suburbs where cultures change from street to street. Hasidic Jewish communities meet Caribbean, Italian meets Korean- it’s awesome and you’ll really get that I’m not in Kansas anymore moment.
Trendy Williamsburg is a fabulously colourful neighbourhood and worth the train ride just to see the street art and be a hipster for a couple of hours. Get off at Bedford Ave subway station and get a falafel at Oasis, or better yet, ditch Grimaldi’s and head to Roberta’s, for an even better pizza. (Trust me.)
Poppin tags
I’ve been an op shop fanatic ever since I was a little girl scouring my Nan’s clothing cupboard. On my recent trip to the states, I op-shopped my way around America and I can tell you that op shopping in NYC is next level shiz.
Think of Vinnies, and times it by ten, in NYC, thrift shopping is a sport. The Buffalo Exchange chain will change your life- there’s one in Chelsea and one in the East Village, and more in Brooklyn. You’ll find great quality designer clothes, shoes and accessories. Another one worth raving about is the City Opera Thrift Shop- which saw me wanting everything in sight. Check out this leather purse that I am still just as in love with now.
There are pro’s and con’s to any big city. And while I still debate how I feel about NYC, writing this has reminded me just how much fun I actually had.
And you know what they say- the things you love, confuse you the most. 😉