In the morning I decided to do
another walking tour with the hotel, as it covered Chelsea and the high line,
Meatpacking district and Greenwich Village – three areas I really wanted to
visit but simply didn’t have the time. The tours that the hotel offered were
also just fantastic. The guides were really cool and had some really
interesting stories, I would definitely recommend them if any of you decide to
visit NY (http://streetwisenewyork.com/). Thankfully the cool people I
met on the previous tour I did were there too so we had a little gang. It’s so
nice to meet other people, I’m fine with being alone, however sometimes you
want someone with you just so you can say “oh wow” or “that is so pretty” aloud
instead of just thinking it.
So the first stop was Chelsea,
again, we took the subway – yuss! We arrived outside the google building which
was HUGE and then we walked around to the Chelsea Market, which if I'd had
more time I would have spent all my time and money there.It’s a converted biscuit warehouse (and was
where oreos were invented), so all the walls are brick and it has a really cool
industrial vibe. But the best thing is the amount of retailers, FOOD retailers.
Cupcake shops, gelateries (is that a word?), delis etc etc. Food lovers paradise.
Inside Chelsea Market
We were hustled through, probably because our guide saw the pure food lust in
our eyes and knew that he wouldn’t be getting us out of there anytime soon, and
moved onto the high line. The high line is pretty incredible and it was nice to
learn that it is solely funded by rich people and celebrities (so they do actually use their money for good, occasionally). It’s only
relatively new, it was officially opened to the public in 2009 after years of planning. Prior to
being a public park, it was a railway track that had been abandoned for many
years. One day two architects/city planner type people noticed the plants
hanging from the lines and wondered what was up there. They explored and found
that the old overgrown railroad had fantastic views of different parts of
Manhattan, so with the help of lots of rich people, they started a fund and set
up the highline. It’s a really cool space, quite industrial (it is a railroad
after all) but it has wild flowers growing all along it (they tried to keep the
plants as natural as possible), water features, seating areas, viewing
platforms and windows. Every bench or window is placed with the intention of
getting the best view, and they did so well. My personal favourite was an
amphitheatre type set up that faced a large window looking straight down an
avenue. I don’t know why but I found it absolutely mesmerising, the guide
likened it to how when you’re by a fireplace you can’t help but stare at the
flames. It was a perfect analogy. I could have sat there for hours just staring
down the avenue, watching the taxis zoom by. At one point we walked past a
path that was covered in water (it was a hot, humid day) and there were
children playing in the water. We all walked past and looked on longingly, the
Canadian girls and myself discussed whether it would be socially acceptable to
just go and sit down in it/if we could stand having wet clothes for the next few
hours. We decided against it, but I found myself wishing I was a child again so
I could just go and sit in it and then my parents would have to deal with it
hahah. From the highline we also saw the port where the Titanic was supposed to
dock (and where the rescue boats were launched from), Diane Von Furstenburg’s
house (it’s right next to the highline, fair enough since she funded it)
and the hotel where Solange and Jay Z had the infamous elevator fight (just a
bit of pop culture thrown in there haha).
The window that you can't help but stare out at.
Horrible pic but you get the idea of the scale haha
Looking right down the avenue
One of the covered parts. You can see how much it still looks like a train track.
An old bridge, the train would go straight through the building.
Natural plants and epic views = highline
That bubble is Diane Von Furstenburg's home
Jay Z v Solange went down here
We left the highline and walked
into the Meatpacking district which is quiet during the day but apparently at
night it comes alive and it’s full of limos, celebrities and women trying to
navigate the cobblestone streets in stilettos, something I would loved to have
seen! The meatpacking is so called because it was once where all the butchers
were set up and many of the shop fronts still have the original storefronts.
It’s a pretty interesting contrast, the rich and the famous flock to clubs that
were once butchers…
Typical cobbled Meatpacking street
We moseyed on
to Greenwich Village, on the way one of the American ladies in the group
accosted me because I was from NZ and she loved NZ music and had apparently had
the Phoenix Foundation round for dinner. It’s funny because you either get
people who know nothing about NZ or people who know EVERYTHING about one aspect
of NZ culture or a place, so it makes the conversations pretty one-sided! I
digress…We got to Greenwich
Village, which wasn’t as cool as I expected. It’s cool and has tree lined
streets and brownstones etc but I much preferred the brownstones and tree lined
streets in Brooklyn, but as you all know I’m in love with Brooklyn haha. But it
was still cool, in fact (WARNING: SATC mention ahead), I was planning on
heading to the Village to find Carrie’s house and then the guide ended up
taking us there. Amazing! So naturally I got a picture outside, but sadly
there’s a chain to stop you going on the steps L
even though no-one actually lives there!!We visited the Stonewall Inn which was the place that basically
initiated the Gay Pride movement. The Gay Pride march was that weekend, sadly I
wouldn’t be there for it, as apparently it’s basically an amazing street
party!
Brownstones
Perry Street
CARRIE'S HOUSE OH EM GEE
Looking like a fool outside Carrie's apartment
Home of the Gay Pride movement in NYC
Greenwich street scene
From there we walked to
Washington Square Park which is at the heart of the NYU campus. The park is actually built on top of an old cemetary and burial site for yellow fever. So there’s about 20,000 bodies underneath it! In 1889 a huge
arch was built to commemorate George Washington - hence the name, Washington Square Park. The park is really
quaint though, and there are little chess tables set up where all the old men
sit playing for hours. So sweet. Also, for the first time in many, many years,
I saw a squirrel! I forgot how adorable they are! Once the tour ended I grabbed
a quick bite to eat at an amazing Felafel shop, which was ridiculously cheap, I
think it was like $2 for a felafel pita and it was HUGE. I did want to explore
more but I had to be uptown for a museum tour at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art.
Creepy to think there are 20,000 bodies under the park
The arch with the ESB peeking through
Museum Mile = Upper East Side and 5th Ave
Which leads me to:
The MET! So huge, I can’t get
over how huge it was! Firstly I HAD to take a picture of me on the MET steps,
as (WARNING: GG mention ahead) Blair and Serena on Gossip Girl would sit on the
MET steps at lunch, and the higher you sat, the more important you were. So
naturally, I sat at the top haha. However, there were so many people I had to
make do with taking a photo of only my legs on the steps, so you’ll have to
take my word for it that I was at the top haha. I’d booked a tour with a
company called Museum Hack (again, I would totally recommend them) because I
knew the MET was so huge and I probably would miss out on some cool stuff by
getting stuck (read: lost) in one wing.The tour focuses on the more scandalous/interesting/dodgy items in the
MET – my kind of tour! But I learnt so much stuff too. For example, there’s an
Egyptian temple there, which was offered to the USA when JFK was President.
However, there was competition between the MET and another museum over who
would get it. There were conditions too, the temple had to be placed in an area
similar to it’s natural environment, and it had to be able to be seen by the
public, for free, at any time of the day. So the MET built a whole new wing,
decked it out in sandstone, built a “Nile” around it and built a wall of
windows that face central park (so anyone can see it for free!). Sadly, JFK was
assassinated before the temple arrived and what’s cool but also really sad, is
that Jacqui Kennedy bought an apartment nearby so she could see the temple from
her window, and remember her husband every time she looked at it.
The temple, with the "Nile" in front and the desert vibe
You can just see Jacqui Kennedy's apartment through the window
1820 graffiti meets Ancient Egyptian
One of the most astounding and
stunning pieces was in the American Wing (I would have never ventured here had
it not been for the tour). It’s called “Washington Crosses the Danube” and it’s
HUGE! So huge! It’s possibly one of the most patriotic things I’ve ever seen,
even I was like, wow, AMERICA!! And this song was totally playing when I looked
at it (if
you’re a child reading this or offended by swear words, watch at your own risk
haha)...
So I found out that this painting is pretty much a giant piece of
propaganda, for a start, it was midnight when he crossed the Danube. There are
never giant shards of ice in the Danube. There would be no American Indian on
the boat. The boats would never hold that many people. George Washington would
not look that amazing as he’d been fighting for days prior… LOVE IT! I find
propaganda so interesting! The funniest part however is that when I looked at
old George, my eyes were immediately drawn to his cherries. Yes, it is as dodgy
as it sounds. Back in the day, they would carry their pocket watches in their
pants pockets, often decorated and hung out a bit for easy access (no matter
how I write this, it still sounds dodge). So George apparently had cherries in this
pic, but the placement makes it look like his balls, so much so that in school
textbooks and any other reproductions (so much innuendo in this paragraph haha)
they have to remove the cherries from the picture. I guess they don’t want
school children giggling at the cherries of the founding father of the USA!
Washington crosses the Danube or AMERICA F@#K YEAH
Look closely, you can see the cherries
Shitty photo but good for scale purposes haha
Continuing with the ball
related art history (It’s my blog and I can art history if I want to, so suck
it up)… this was another…questionable picture...
Crooked shot but it's gets all the goods in! haha
This was actually
commissioned by the young man with all the swag resting on the piano. The half
naked man next to him is the God of Music (Apollo) and the weird looking
man on the floor is the man who just challenged him to a musical duel. He lost,
he picked the bag pipes (which, lets face it, he was doomed from the beginning) Apollo had the much easier on the ear lyre. As a result of losing,
the man was skinned alive (explains the red tinge), tied up and castrated. The
bagpipe lying limply on the ground next to him is representative of his now sad
sack… too much?! Sorry, this is art people. The funny thing is, the dapper man
who commissioned this bizarre painting was actually one the top sopranos in
Italy at the time. And of course, to preserve their angelic voices the sopranos
were castrated before their balls dropped. Why on earth he would want a
painting like this I do not know… He’s like “So hey Guiseppe, I’d lika pictura
ova me, and Apollo where he wina a musical baaattle and the other guy ee getssss de
balls chopped offa becausa he picka de stupido bagpiiipes. And I ama there but
I justa looka magnifico” (note: this is not racist because I am part Italian haha).Art history class – over. I apologise
to my Grandmothers who may be reading this for the over usage of the word balls
and general innuendo. Sorry :)
Oh I forgot to mention they have a freaking rooftop bar with the best view of
Manhattan. It was packed and if I wasn’t such a loner it would have been the
coolest place to hang!
From the bar on the top of the MET - Amazing views
Entrance Hall
Some other personal favourites...
Taxidermy deer covered in glass balls...one of the strangest things I've ever seen
Look at the detail! Insane!
I took a sneaky pic of this man sketching one of the statues. Incredible talent.
Like a sir!
This was so scandalous when it was first painted - her strap was falling off her shoulder in the painting. They did another one so she didn't look like such a harlot.
Love the facials and the fact that the devil is actually what looks like a dinosaur from those claws
The face - amazing. She's got so much sass!
Unfortunate family portrait. The faces make me laugh so much - terrible scale and they all look the same!
On the MET steps, at the top, GG style.
Later I went to grab some food
and wine from the bar next door and I got freaking ID’d! Let’s not forget that
the drinking age in the USA is 21. Jeeeeeesus! Though I am writing this from
Europe where I NEVER get ID’d it’s fantastic! While I was at the bar, sat alone
just happily writing, the (drunk) couple next to me prodded me and the
conversation went something like this. Bare in mind that most of this was incohesive…
Also note that while one was talking to me, the other spent their time staring
intently at whoever was speaking.
HIM: You writing a novel?
ME: No just writing my travel
journal
HIM: You by yourself? (incredulously)
ME: Yep
HER: Wow that’s so cool
ME: Yep (politely trying to end
the convo and carry on eating my dinner)
HIM: You not got a man?!I hope you don’t mind, she don’t mind
(putting his arm round his girlfriend, she nods) but you’re an attractive girl.
You should have a man.
ME: (I give him a brief “why
I’m single” run down) I’m fine really!!
HIM: No, no! You deserve the
one, don’t give up! My ex wife cheated on me and then I found this one and I
love you, don’t I (to her; she nods enthusiastically) and you’ll find him and
don’t give up. A girl like you shouldn’t be here alone. You’ll find the one,
it’s ok. Don’t feel down. You’ll find him.
ME: (having just explained that
I’m not looking for a boyfriend currently and I’m happy alone) Umm thanks…
I really don’t know how that
escalated so quickly…ok I do – alcohol. On their part not mine haha. I just
love how so many people are so shocked when they find out I’m alone and don’t
have a man to “look after me”. So funny but also quite sad, are we still at
that point where women can’t do “scary” or “crazy” things without a man there
to save them?!
That night I hung out on the hotel’s
rooptop with the walking group crew and just enjoyed the lights of my last
night in NYC.
Rooftop selfie
Day 5
My last day in NY was pretty
rushed, my flight was at 7:30pm to I had to leave pretty early to arrive on
time and avoid the crazy rush hour traffic! In the morning I took the subway
(of course) to soho expecting to find a hip neighbourhood. Sadly it was
Saturday morning so there was no-one around except for the bums. It’s kind of
funny, walking around soho that Saturday morning was the first and only time in
NY that I felt any kind of unease. It was probably just because NY is busy all
the time and there’s always people about but because of the time and day, it
was just me and a few early risers, and all the bums. Funny how things work,
walking around the streets, lost at midnight, I felt as safe as kittens (why is
that even a phrase?) but broad daylight, residential area, uneasy. Weird. Anyway
I spent the morning walking around, soho has some amazing buildings but I’d like
to go back and give it another try when it’s actually awake! Reluctantly I
caught a taxi to the airport where I got my first glimpse of living with
Spanish. The taxi driver was Mexican and he was playing Spanish music, then he
turned to another station and it was a world cup match, all in Spanish. I was
surprised and impressed that I picked up on it but then it’s not that hard when
people are screaming GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! I’ll give you one guess what that means
– yep, goal. Easy. Now I’m actually in Spain I just feel like a dumb arse. My
Spanish is so crap. Anyhow, I got to the airport and was gonna get Shakeshack
one last time but it was too far from my gate and I was so sad! I was planning
on sleeping on the plane but then I ended up sitting next to two Welsh boys who
were hilarious and we spent the whole 7 hours playing the in flight trivia. We
were the only people on the whole plane playing it… quite sad but we had a ball
haha. So when I finally arrived in London I was pooped. Hadn’t slept for about
a day and had to endure the torture that is Heathrow customs. I think I went
through about 6 different border control gates, and had my picture taken the
same amount of times. Before you think it, no it wasn’t just me haha. Heathrow
is just cray cray!
Old police building
Soho architecture
Very Parisian!
I love the water towers, they remind me of Looney Tunes
My fave - The Chrysler
Last glimpse of NY :(
Eventually I arrived in
Manchester where my Grandma and Uncle were waiting for me. It was so great to
see them! Two hours later I was in my hometown and ready to start the European
part of my adventure!
I’m sorry I’m a useless blogger!
I never know where my next internet connection is coming from and also, lets
face it, I’m just enjoying myself far too much to sit in front of my computer
for ages. And I like to write a lot (as you can probably tell) so it does take
me a while to write and then sift through my 100’s of pictures. Currently I am
writing this on the bus from Barcelona to Zaragoza where I will be living as an
au pair for a year. By the time I post this I will have met the family and
hopefully be happy haha. It’s a nice distraction writing this as the bus is 3h
45m and the man next to me has smelly breath hahahaha. Hope he can’t read
English! I’m super nervous about this…what do I do when I get off the bus? Are
we like HEEEEYYY! Are we like nice to meet you, shake hands and all that? Do we
do the Spanish kiss kiss thing? ARRRGGGGHHHH. Who knows?!One thing for sure though is that
Spanish countryside is amazing. So different to NZ and England. It’s mainly a
blur of sandy colours and green with the odd little town here and there. Each
one has a bell tower (campostela?), it’s pretty cute! This feels more authentic
than Barcelona did but that’s another post – once I catch up on the many others
I’ve missed eeeek!
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