From June, 2015
Driving into New Jersey was not too difficult, however, just over Hudson River to Manhattan was considerably more challenging. The three of us were certainly glad to be dropping the car off to enjoy the city with no more parking fines, stops by the cops, or nights in the car. Our very reasonably priced hostel was in a delightful Hispanic area of New Jersey in Union City. For $3 (£2) you can be in Manhattan within 10 minutes and the first time was quite something. Leaving the doors at the Port Authority Station on 42nd St, I looked up and saw The New York Times building standing tall and the famous surrounding streets and instantly fell in love.
Driving into New Jersey was not too difficult, however, just over Hudson River to Manhattan was considerably more challenging. The three of us were certainly glad to be dropping the car off to enjoy the city with no more parking fines, stops by the cops, or nights in the car. Our very reasonably priced hostel was in a delightful Hispanic area of New Jersey in Union City. For $3 (£2) you can be in Manhattan within 10 minutes and the first time was quite something. Leaving the doors at the Port Authority Station on 42nd St, I looked up and saw The New York Times building standing tall and the famous surrounding streets and instantly fell in love.
The only paid attraction we saw in the U.S. was the great lady herself, the Statue of Liberty. Given as a gift by the French in the late 19th century, we were grateful of the extravagant offering. We took the boat ride to Ellis Island and learnt of the city’s great migrating history at Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. We then boarded the boat to Liberty Island and witnessed the iconic Madame up close and she did not disappoint.
We boated to Lower Manhattan and walked north to the inspirational 9/11 Memorial which included two incredible waterfall pools listing all of the lives lost almost 14 years ago. The overwhelming One World Trade Center was close by and much taller than previously imagined. Brooklyn Bridge was to our east and we walked halfway up the impressive iconic landmark which links the two towns, seeing our new lady friend the Statue of Liberty in the distance on one side and the George Washington Bridge on the other. The great landmarks of the Empire State Building and the Art Deco style Chrysler Building were in our sights. Times Square was chaotic and almost impossible to walk through with bloody tourists everywhere you turn. You can't get away from the creatures in the city. Full of them, it was. Anyway, they're the main sights done...
Playing football inside a Japanese colosseum-style enclosure and then beside the lit up Tokyo Tower were surely unbeatable playing locations. That’s what we thought until we dropped by the Hudson River at sunset with the New York skyline in the background. We played for hours and – to our surprise – men of all nationalities referred to each other amicably using the ‘n’ word casually after most sentences. We smiled along and it soon felt very natural to hear it being used commonly; normalising the usually extremely offensive word.
The greatest park in the world was to come next and Central Park was truly amazing. Street performers, buskers, boating, a roller skating park, a swimming pool, bars and restaurants with lake views, sports pitches, statues and shrines are just some of the features of this haven of NYC. A particular highlight was a group of African American dancers and comedians whose audience involvement even proved tip worthy enough from me. The greens and fields were full on this scorching summers day and it was definitely the perfect place to be in the city.
I took the subway south to Brooklyn and walked around the beautiful Prospect Park which included statues dedicated to Mozart, Beethoven, John F. Kennedy and Lincoln on the Chaim Baier Music Island. My lack of research on opening days meant I unfortunately missed out on the Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Museum. I had been recommended to check out the nightlife of the nearby Williamsburg but was unable to on this occasion – something not to be missed if I ever come back to The Big Apple…
We found Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village by Washington Square Park which soon become our home for comedy, music and classic, cheap bars. A night of free cellar comedy truly displayed some of the city’s finest upcoming comedians. The park features the memorable Washington's Arch and fountain from the Friends opening title sequence. The next day we sat at the same bar to watch more of the NBA finals and I asked the barmaid about the day’s specials. I ordered two drinks and she got one wrong meaning she charged $3 more than I was expecting. I said that it wasn't what I wanted but smiled and said ‘not to worry’. She then noticed that I had given the exact amount and she hilariously asked: ‘don't I get anything?’ I smiled again and said ‘well, no, you got the order wrong’. A lovely awkwardness had then been created for the following hour as she remained tip-less whilst we sat at the bar and enjoyed basketball at its finest…
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