The Big Apple

I arrived at JFK airport at around 3:30 in the afternoon, and by the time I picked up my bags, caught the Airtrain to Jamaica station, then switched to the Long Island Rail Road, it was about 5pm by the time I got into Manhattan. I hit a crowd of people as soon as I got off the train- they were waiting on the platform to board the train I had just disembarked. I hit another crowd of people as I got into the main part of the train station- it seemed to me that I was swimming against the current, as they were all headed in the opposite direction. I made it up to the street and hit another crowd of people, this time they were going in all different directions, on their way home from work, I guess.

My hotel in Manhattan, The Americana, was only a short walk from Penn Station, and because of the numbered avenues and streets, I was able to find it without a problem. I spent a little bit of time in my hotel room; freshening up, having something to eat (which was actually the breakfast that Fay had sent me to the airport with- a blueberry muffin), trying to decide what I should do all by myself for one night in Manhattan, and trying to psyche myself up to go outside. I think I have a mild case of agrophobia. It takes me a little while to psyche myself up sometimes when I'm alone in a new city and getting ready to explore it. I'm fine once I get going and am excited about what I'm going to see, but sometimes it just takes a few moments to build up the excitement.

It was about 6:30 when I ventured out onto the streets of Manhattan again. I headed up 6th Avenue, looking for the Rockefeller Centre. I was just consulting my pocket guide when a man in a uniform asked me if I needed any help. I told him that I was looking for the Rockefeller Centre, and he started laughing and pointed across the street saying "It's right there!" So then I crossed the road and went to The Rockefeller Centre. There were loads of people around, some of them iceskating at the rink there, some of them eating at the cafes and some were taking photos, like me. After the Rockefeller Centre, I started walking towards 2nd Avenue, as there was a spanish restaurant that I thought I might go to for dinner that was mentioned in my guidebook. Unfortunately, when I got there I couldn't find it! Perhaps it had closed down since my book had been published. I walked back the way I had come from, and headed to Times Square instead.

Times Square is so full of lights that it seems to glow in the dark. It was also full of people, and Broadway shows, and restaurants. I found a restaurant here to have dinner at called Ruby Tuesday's. I had a delicious piece of salmon with a peanut and soy glaze, and vegetables. It was delicious! I had a home made strawberry lemonade to go with it.

After dinner, I walked to the Empire State Building which was only a few blocks away from my hotel. I decided to go up to the top as the line wasn't too long and I thought it would be good to see the view of New York at night. It was very cold, and a little bit drizzly at the top, but the view was worth the discomfort.

I walked back to my hotel at about 11pm and spent the rest of the night planning what I was going to do the next day- I only had one day in New York and I didn't want to waste a minute of it. Of course, you can't do everything in New York in one day, but I managed to squeeze what seemed like a lot into 24 hours.

The first thing I did after checking out of my hotel the next morning, was to buy a Metro Fun Pass, which allowed me to use the bus and subway an unlimited amount of times in one day. I then caught line number 1 to South Ferry. I had intended to catch a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty, but when I got to the ferry port, I found that I could see her from there. Ok, so she was a fair distance away, but I think the end of the line for the ferry was just about equidistance away, and I decided that I didn't want to spend my one day in New York in a queue and was satisfied with taking a few pictures from the shore.

Battery Park is just next to the ferry terminal, so I had a little walk around there. There is a monument there called The Sphere, symbolising peace, it had originally been outside the World Trade Centre before September 11 2001. It had been damaged in the 9/11 attacks, but was left largely intact, and was relocated to it's current location in March 2002.

I then headed to The Bowling Green and checked out The Charging Bull Statue. The Bull Statue is in the financial district, and is supposed to reflect the strength of the US economy.

Not far up the street is Ground Zero. There is a lot of work going on at the moment there, and they have the plans on display for the new World Trade Centre. They are going to build 5 towers, each of varying height, which descend in a spiral. They are also building some gardens and memorials. Across the road from the site, is firehouse 10, which has a bronze plaque remembering the firefighters from that station who died in 9/11. Around the corner from this is another bronze memorial dedicated to all those who died in 9/11. It was a very sobering experience to visit Ground Zero.

Feeling a bit numb after visiting Ground Zero, and needing a pick-up, I decided to catch the subway to Greenwich and get a famous cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. When I got there, I decided to get two! I bought a chocolate one, and a red velvet one (I'm not sure what flavour red velvet was supposed to be exactly, but it tasted good, and had a very soft and velvety texture!). I ate my Red Velvet cupcake at a square just across the road from the bakery, then walked towards Washington Square to have a look and eat my chocolate cupcake. I had seen a couple of movies in Seattle; I am Legend and August Rush, both of which featured Washington Square quite prominently. Unfortunately, there was a fence around much of Washington Square as there seemed to be a bit of building or landscaping going on there, but I was able to find a seat at least to eat my cupcake!

I then headed back to the metro station and caught another train to 86th Street, which took me to about the halfway point of Central Park. I spent a few hours walking through Central Park. I went up the tower of Belvedere Castle, meandered through The Ramble, crossed the

bridge over The Lake, visited

Strawberry Fields (the memorial to John Lennon), and caught a glimpse of the outdoor exhibits of The Zoo. This took me to the

exit on Fifth Avenue, which just happens to be the shopping capital of Manhattan!

I wandered slowly down Fifth Avenue, mainly checking out the outside of the shops, but I did go into Abercrombie and Fitch. Walking into this store, you could be forgiven for thinking you had walked into a nightclub. It's crowded, the lighting is dim, the smell of aftershave is overwhelming, the music is so loud that you can barely hear the shop assistants ask if they can help you, and it seems only beautiful people are allowed to work there (not forgetting the two bouncer-like young men standing at the door greeting-or ignoring- you as you walk in). I bought a t-shirt from here, and as I wandered back out of the store, I almost ran into the male model standing in the doorway! I'm not sure why he was there, and exactly what piece of clothing he was advertising... it may have been jeans, it may have been shorts, it may have been underwear - to be honest, I have no idea what he was actually wearing, I was too dazzled by his perfect, naked, smooth, mocha-coloured torso to pay any attention to the clothes he may have had on (I did notice his face though, and that was pretty perfect too)! It was the most spectacular sight I had seen in New York, and unfortunately, it was only after I got halfway down the street that I thought that perhaps I should have taken a photo so as to share the experience with female readers of this blog (and any male readers who are that way inclined). I contemplated turning around and heading back to the store to get a photo, but didn't want to appear like a weird stalker chic and so kept walking (I'm really sorry Helen, I know that you at least would have appreciated it!).

Here's a picture of a horse statue instead.

I popped into a few shops here and there down the street, before heading back to my hotel in the early evening to pick up my bag and head to JFK airport via the Long Island Rail Road and Airtrain. I flew with Lufthansa, a German airline, and as such I had to fly to Frankfurt, then backtrack to London. I arrived in at Heathrow on Saturday the 29th March, and found that the weather was not much different from when I had left in December!

Thanks to all those who sent emails, I really appreciate them!!

Love,

Lis x.