Scarlet Shaw takes a stroll through the Big Apple
I thought New York City would be huge pizzas, yellow cabs, cheesecake and insanely high buildings. It was this but also so much more. It was surreal standing in the middle of film sets I had seen so many times on the small screen. My mum started to think she was Carrie Bradshaw my dad loved the architecture of the brownstone houses and my brother just wanted to fill his face with pretzels and go to Canal Street for the dodgy fake goods!
It was fun walking past the fashionable people – outfits you would never see people rocking in Bexhill -bright colours and mixes of all sorts of designs. I’m sure some of them would have been a part of New York fashion week either as designers or the models. And this is where it gets exciting as you turn every corner in this big city you will see celebrity after celebrity, walking out of the posh hotels and jumping into blacked out limos!
My family and I stayed just over the river in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Bridge is so pretty during the day and lit up at night by busy cars making their way home. On our third day there we jumped on the Staten Island ferry and saw the graceful Statue of Liberty (which actually is quite small). Nonetheless everything else is colossal – we would crane our necks to look up at the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building with its beautiful art deco facade, and the Rockefeller building. From below you feel like a vulnerable insect and up at the top of one of these buildings you feel like a humongous giant peering over a miniature city.
Now let’s talk shopping…shopping…shopping…being the daughter of a self-confessed shopaholic we spent a lot of time in a lot of shops. From Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue to unique local markets we saw it all and bought it all! It was amazing to finally have access to the American shops I have always wanted to go to such as Target, Sephora, Old Navy.
The only bad thing I can say about New York City is their god-awful subway system. It is impossible to navigate; attempting a fifteen minute journey will turn into a disaster and send you completely across town.
However, my favourite part of NYC has got to be Central Park – it’s crazy to think this huge park has survived in the middle of this city; the mix of nature and one of the biggest urban city was amazing. My view was a mix of skyscrapers and lush green trees, not the typical view but it works!
But I guess the city isn’t just the big thing, the food is too. We had pizza from the famous Joe’s Pizza and each slice was quite literally the same size as your head. O. M. G. We also tried the must have bagels in New York. They go crazy with the fillings both sweet and savoury topped with a rainbow bagel (or an original if you’re boring). Think of any flavour and they probably have it. We also tried street stands with $1 hot dogs, a typical snack in New York. Sadly, they weren’t very nice, but I guess you get what you pay for here. Another must try if you’re in New York is their iconic cheesecake: indulgent but of course delicious.
Then on our last evening here in New York, while walking through Manhattan, there was a gorgeous bright orange and yellow sunset that was bursting through the gap between the skyscrapers. All of a sudden a rush of people started to jump into the road with their phones up in the sky, frantically taking pictures. Hundreds ran into live traffic trying to capture this sight, standing in the middle of the road while yellow cabs honked their horns at them. We thought this reaction was totally bizarre but upon later research we found out that only a couple times every few years, the sun will set perfectly in line with the east-west streets of Manhattan’s street grid. ‘Manhattanhenge’, as it’s commonly known, has become famous and many tourists hope to see it while they are there but we just stumbled upon it.
To sum up, if you are thinking of going to New York City, do it because you won’t regret it and you will 100% love it. It’s an amazing city to explore with your family and friends and you will never get bored there. I personally can’t wait to go back to the Big Apple and hope I can soon!
