The HUGE Apple!

New York was everything I wanted it to be (except warm) and more. It was new and exciting but at the same time very homely, it reminded me immensely of London, a city I've grown to adore. It was nice to feel like I could be back there. But it was also amazing to know I wasn't there - I was in NEW YORK. Now before I get into the nitty gritty of it all I'm going to give you a quick lesson, one I wish I had been given before I arrived there...

New York survival 101: 

• The green man does not mean it is safe to cross, it is never safe to cross. 
• When you think you have enough layers on, add one more or possibly two, you can never be dressed 'too warm'. 
• Times square at New Years is over rated. They don't allow alcohol or let you use the toilet for eight hours, don't do it to yourself. 
• Plan your trip ahead of time, way ahead. The subway system is great but the signs suck. You have a lot to learn New York.



The tip top of the Empire State Building 

• The food is good so eat, calorie count tomorrow. 

Although I was only there for three short nights I got to see the must-haves of the city but still I can't wait to go back! We rented the downstairs of a small apartment in Williamsburg owned by a lovely couple, a man from South America and a woman from Canada. My only regret it that is it was a fifteen minute walk from the subway station in below zero temperatures and taxi's in Williamsburg are not existent despite how much I was willing to pay to avoid frost bite. But as they say you get what you pay for and being students we don't want to pay for much... Next time I will definitely stay in Manhattan, and would recommend that to anyway who has the money to do so. Williamsburg is full of youngsters and who wants that!

As you can see from the photos above I got to visit the Empire State building and climbed right to the top! (Not really, we took the lift and only climbed the last seven flights of stairs). We were roped into buying a fast-track-skip-the-queue-nonsense pack by one of the street venders that accosts you as soon as you leave the subway but it was so worth it! We got a virtual tour of New York and didn't have to stand in line outside in the freezing cold for three hours. At the top the view was incredible and I finally got the chance to truly appreciate my fantastic camera. I think what took my breath away the most wasn't how high we were but the vast expanse that is Central Park, it is HUGE. Seeing it from above forces you to realise that.

On New Years day I also got to go to the top of the Rockefeller Center, one of the main sightseeing attractions in New York due to the view from the observation deck. Despite being there, and loving it, i'm still unsure of exactly what the buildings purpose is apart from tourist use, not even google seems to have a definitive answer, so don't ask me! To the left is me, at the top, with my favorite view of Central Park behind me.

During the evening I was lucky enough to experience a night of cocktails in a speakeasy in Manhattan. For those of you who don't know speakeasy's were small, secret bars people had in their basements, houses etc during the prohibition when alcohol was illegal. Can you even imagine? Granted it was probably not one of the originals as it was towards the front of the building with too many windows but it maintained the right atmosphere with its very strict rules; no more than four to a table, no cameras, no shouting, no eating - only drinking. Essentially it was a very posh, and expensive, cocktail club. One of my friends had a met a lawyer during his stay who told him about the place, if someone hadn't told us we wouldn't have even known it existed, which I guess is the whole point. We entered through a small door, climbed some very steep stairs to a casual chinese restaurant, on the far left side of the restaurant was another small, normal wooden door. There were no signs or flashing lights (unusual for New York), just a door. Behind the door was this secluded bar with low lights, low jazz music and only a few tables. There was no waiting area, if there were no seats you had to leave and come back and you weren't allowed to simply 'look around'. I indulged myself in a chocolate whiskey cocktail after all you're only in New York once right? Wrong, I am going to be there as often as possible.  

On my last day I took a quick trip to Times Square, ooed and ahhed, got lost, cursed the subway and fell totally in love with the city just in time to leave. It is undoubtedly one of the busiest, loudest and most colourful places I have ever seen and I can only imagine how intolerable it would have been on new Years Eve! I felt quashed in the daytime let alone on the busiest night of the year, but each to their own.

The total experience:
I'll be honest, at the time it felt very surreal and hard to take in, we had already travelled to so many different places in such a short period of time that the reality of being in New York hadn't hit me yet. I look back and the photos now and I am so grateful for my experience there with great sights, great food and most importantly great friends.