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| Photo from @BeautifulDestinations Instagram |
New York. I finally took a slice of the Big Apple and spent three days in the much loved city. I have mixed views of it and if you haven’t read about all the drama that haunted this trip check out my last post here. I arrived in New York (alone) on Friday and got a shuttle to Grand Central Station from the airport, walked partway to my hotel (The Franklin Hotel on East 87th Street) before grabbing a cab. Yes, I successfully hailed my first yellow taxi. Living all my dreams. In total, I had two full days in Manhattan as one day was spent in Washington DC so I could see The White House before Trump moves in. I am aware that talking about travels can be boring so I really just want to share some photos and touch on some of my favourite and not so favourite things. Hope you enjoy the post.
Flights are always fun when you can watch movies, I can never sleep when travelling so long haul flights are my saviour and I managed to watch quite a few with all the travel time we racked up. I watched Cafe Society (hated it), The Shallows (not bad), Bad Neighbours 2 (funny) and Finding Dory (adorable) on the way to New York. I also managed to watch Bad Moms (funnier than I expected, predictable) Me Before You (sweet, charming and sad) Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (again funny but Bad Neighbours 2 was better) and then for the rest of the time I watched Simpsons and 2 Broke Girls and got into Divorce with Sarah Jessica Parker. Since I have been back I have finished the first season, I quite like the show. It is interesting, the humour is shit but the premise is good and differs slightly from most breakdowns of marriages these days.
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| Sephora |
I was settled into my hotel by around 4pm and then made it my mission to hit every Sephora I could find and that is what I did. I bought quite a few products which I will haul in a future post. I strolled down Park, Madison and Fifth Avenue and then walked around the city at night passing Christmas trees and iconic shops like Barneys and Saks and just getting to grips with the city. Saks Fifth Avenue is a sight to behold, I thought it was a theatre at first with the extravagant light display.
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| Saks Fifth Avenue |
We skip a day where I spent most of it in Washington D.C. and move onto the next day which started with hours in Central Park appreciating how gorgeous the snow covered grass looks. Everyone was sledding and laughing and walking their dogs it was so lovely, I can’t imagine how gorgeous it must be in the summer. I walked to Metropolitan Museum of Arts and then headed to the Public Library.
  
If you are wondering where we ate it was mostly Chipotle and then we went to Bubba Gump one night when we were starving. On my day of exploration I also hit up Magnolia Bakery and Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment from the SATC series: 64 Perry Street. I was quite proud because I walked everywhere and didn’t take a single cab. Excuse the fuzzy photo it was taken at night so apologies.
 
That night my sister got back from her Washington DC day trip and we went to Times Square which isn’t an actual square. It is just the place where the screens are up and you can see the ball that drops which is really small actually, like an oblong Picadilly Circus.
For our last day in New York we walked across Brooklyn Bridge and we went on the Staten Island Ferry which is free! How awesome is that?! There are people hanging around trying to get you to buy the boat trip so just be weary of that if you have your heart set on not spending no money like me. It was freezing, but the inside of the ferry was heated so we kept ducking in and out. Stunning views. The pictures don’t do it justice but I had such a fantastic time. Weirdly, New York felt like home. It was nice to see the yellow cabs and visit places that I have only ever seen in Gossip Girl or movies.
Overall though I would have to say that New York, for me (so please don’t be offended) doesn’t have a patch on London. Especially in Winter if it wasn’t for the snow I wouldn’t have thought much of it at all. New York is grey and boring. In London the buildings are prettier, the streets are cleaner and the rain, fog and other miserable weather only serve to enhance the beauty. New York is comparatively monotonous, I wasn’t bowled over and truthfully preferred DC. I will say though that I love love love that in New York nobody stops for anyone. They all walk fast all the time and if you stop you’ll get pushed over. It is brilliant and for that reason and that everyone minds their own business and just goes about their affairs I could really see myself living there. I do think New York is probaly more impressive and alive in the summer so I will return for sure. Going to New York really made me appreciate our own capitol though and see the differences and the uniqueness of England that I love.
  
I wouldn’t change a single thing about my trip at all and find it fitting that New York has been the first ever place abroad that I have explored by myself. You learn a lot when you are by yourself in a new city, you really get to see what you are made of. To wrap it up here are my highlights and low-lights.
HIGHLIGHTS
LOWLIGHTS
Thank you so much for reading, I hope this post wasn’t too much of a drag. My next post will be about Washington DC which I am psyched to share. I had such an amazing time there despite how crazy cold it was. Hope you all have a lovely weekend, don’t forget to follow me on Bloglovin’. Take care.
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