New York City
Let me tell you straight on: I freaking loved this city.
I can’t really describe what is it that makes this city so special and attractive but heck I love it.
Is it the interesting mix between the water, skyscrapers and a giant badass park ? The arts ? The emblematic monuments ? The cosmopolitan interactions ? Its people ? I think it’s all of those things together
Anyways, here is a a travel log of my few days in New York City.
01/07
It is 718 and Margrit (One of my roomates) closes the door behind us. Direction new York for some new adventures.
The next few hours are going to be rough. We are going to Detroit then we split up. My plane is leaving SF at 10pm for la Guardia New York City and is supposed to arrive at 8:59am. American call it a “red eye” when leaving late at night to get somewhere early the next morning.
It feels great to go away for a few days. Everyone at the office was gone, one after another during Christmas holidays and it is my turn to take some days off hehe. A routine needs to be broken up from time to time (otherwise how do you even know it’s a routine ?).
We walk to McArthur station and get on the Bart. We though about getting a Uber but I’m broke so not today. Counter to what many people suggest and say, the Bart ain’t that bad. I find it actually quite decent.
You know what they say, what is better: the journey or the destination ?
I heard Brad Pitt said at a ceremony once, it is the company. I’m with him on that.
01/08
I used to think SF/Bay Area area was The fastest paced place in the states. That was up until 11:05am this morning. The air is filled with this electric vibe that can’t be describe with words. The American dream is real for many but you also have homeless and crackhead once in a while.
It is noon and I m sitting down at the new York public library. I am surrounded by portrait paintings of diverse men and women that have made history in this country. There is a lot of them (George Washington photo + library photos).
Anyways time to get going. On the streets, food trailers all around the place, funny smells and people. Amongst many, one image stuck in my mind. You know those archetype of the financial crowd in new York city . They carry a bagel or a salad, usually groups of 3 to 4 men in their 50’s ish.
It was funny to come across those men I assume work for financial institutions. Again, clichés exist because they are true.
I pop in a deli on 9th avenue to get a cheap ass chicken roll and head for Hudson yard. This place really just is a big ass mall. I swallow my lunch and get some much needed coffee.
While waiting for it to cool down, I sat and started reading the first page of Kerouac: On the road. A book that a good friend of mine suggested I should read.
Drank my black coffee to the very last drop and left this warm place for the cold streets of NYC – although very sunny. Direction the high line.
A nice and easy walk that gets me to Little Island, where I can contemplate the sun setting down behind New Jersey.
On the way up to times square, I walk through the cute Chelsea neighborhood. Times square is pretty cool too -especially when you can walk without bumping into people.
This mythic scene is to be seen but, at the end of the day, it’s just some big screens. It wasn’t my favorite part of new York but I get people saying there is something special there.
My cousin (Pierre. Pierre MONHAROUL) registered for a draft this morning and got us Broadway tickets for 45 bucks – The Michael Jackson show. Before going to this Broadway show, we stop at little Italy pizza. The new York pizza is a real thing. We take two slices of the cheapest one – cheese -and it was pretty damn good.
Walking out of the theatre, I got a small on my face. What a freaking performance. Those people could; act, sing and dance better than anyone I had seen. And guess what, some of them were 8 years old.
01/09
I got off a good start this morning. First, I had forgotten to set an alarm. I get up at around 1030am and go for a run. Then, I go for a 7/8km run without even taking a look at a map before. Because you know, my orientation is pretty great. 12km later i realize that I am in the Bronx and ask people for direction. I m an idiot. Thank God people were nice and helped me out.
We often make fun of Americans and their very linear and grid-like way of laying out neighborhoods, streets or even entire cities, but I gotta say it is pretty handy when you get lost. The island is made it so both streets and avenues are numbered (for the most part). Streets run east and west, with the numbers ascending as they move north -or uptown. Avenues run north and south, their numbers ascending from east to west. for example, first Avenue runs along the East River, while 12th Avenue, on the other side of the island, runs along the Hudson River NYC Street Numbers: How Manhattan’s Grid Works | StreetEasy.
At 5pm, I am back at Hudson Yard to see the Edge. One of the most famous viewpoints in NYC. The same view point that most teenager vibe posters I used to have in my room. This happened to be a very good time I believe. I was able to caught the great sunset looking west but also capture new York city in the dark – or rather the lights. Everything is so tall, it is truly wild. Especially when you compare the heights to New Jersey.
Later this evening, we go to a Jazz bar called Village vanguard to see Kris Davis Trio. It was like those talented musicians did not know what they where doing. After each note and beat, my listening sense gets confused. My ears are expecting something that would make sense and it just does not happen. I guess we could call it an organised mess.
Not my thing yet. But look : English, hiking, reading, enjoying spending some time by myself and many other things did not use to be my things. Everything changes. Let’s just hope it’s for the better.
01/10
Pretty good day where I visited the American museum of natural history and strolled around central park for most of the day.
At evening time, we went to one of my cousin’s friend’s for a some drinks before heading to a charming roof-top bar downtown.
It is probably 2am ish when I head back home, and there is still people on the subway and the streets. No surprise when you are in The city that never sleeps.
Talking of subway, they have a pretty great system set up – no wonder if you gotta move about 5.5million commuters every single day on the island Facts about New York City subways and buses… They have local and express lines that allow you to move real fast up and down Manhattan.
What is even better is that you can directly pay with your card on your phone. Plus, the most you can pay is 34 bucks over 7 days. That means you only pay for the first 12 times you use any MTA transportation -buses or subway- for one week. And you use it a lot !
01/11
Today, Salomée is arriving from Washington. I pick her up at Penn station and we stroll up around NYC to end up on 5th street, the most famous street in the world I heard -definitely not as impressive as the Champs Élysées if you ask me.
Later today, my cousin and I are going to see a basketball game at Madison square garden. The most famous arena in the world – looks like the US got it all lol. Of course I do not have the budget to go see the Nicks, but university games are a great alternative. Tonight, saint John university receives Villanova. The stadium is crowded. Definitely not as fast as the pros but still fun. The vibe is pretty cool too, lots of alumni cheering for their old school. So fun for those 20yo students to come and play before 80 thousand people. Cheerleaders are unreal, the school orchestra is badass, they have an insane merch and the mini games during times out are sick (you can win 25k if you score from middle court). Kinda wish we had that in France.
01/12
This morning, direction Brooklyn. First, we meander through the gigantic skyscrapers in the financial district. Because everything is so tall, after a few days it just becomes the norm. We jump on the subway and cross the bridge. We stop by a cute coffee place and spend the rest of the afternoon strolling around Williamsburg streets, popping inside cute shops, enjoying the cool street art.
Even though we are having a lovely time, we gotta make it on time to time square. At 6:30pm I am back in Broadway to see the musical comedy Aladin.
01/13
Today the sky is overcast. We go to the Met (the Metropolitan Art museum). American museums are huge and one could spend the entire day it. I believe this one is the 4th largest in the World – By Floor area. What is even more fascinating is that they got so much stuff to show, from all around the world. I sometimes wonder if they don’t have more stuff than the actual countries where the history was actually made. /ri
3 hours just were not enough to see it all but I gotta go at the very bottom of Manhattan to catch a ferry for Liberty island.
Lady Liberty is just stunning -I even got to go inside her head :). Very touristy but so much more than a big girl. A symbol.
Back on Manhattan, we go to the 911 memorial museum. It is definitely a must do and the experience is breathtaking. Like anyone else on the globe I knew the story but hadn’t realized how traumatizing this event was for Americans. In daylight, in one of the busiest city on the planet on a random day. Could have been today afternoon somewhere else. It is wild. And thinking about it happening in your country really makes you think. You will get goosebumps.
We then went for dinner in Chinatown, in a restaurant called Shu Jiao Fu Zhou. To end the day, we went in a nice speakeasy bar in Chinatown. I recommend you definitely check out those bars if you go to NYC. They don’t look like much from the outside -if anything at all, but the vibe in there is sick.
01/14
My flight is at 11am but before, one last run through central park.
Here is what makes it magic; the sun is slowly getting up and the golden light coming from the East finds it’s way through the tall buildings and the naked trees, making everyone in a good mood. The sky is clear and blue. People come for a walk, a run or just swing by on their way to work. For a moment you get out of the city as you get deeper into the park (never completely since you are in the heart of it). The entire city is getting ready for the day. Ready to get some shit done. This is to me one if not The greatest activity I got to do during this trip.
After a week and around 459 pizza slices, I gotta say, I found NYC very much more active than San Francisco. Before you say anything, I know; Two different coasts and histories but still, some extra life in the city would not hurt SF. This will also force me to go back in San-Francisco and maybe rediscover the city.
Now, I only stayed in NYC a week and definitely think I could stay there longer. I wonder what is it like to stay there for an extended period of time. Do you eventually get tired of it ? Do you get fed up of the noise, the speed and busy life of the city ? Is it even good for you ?
I don’t have the answers but it doesn’t matter. I love the vibe. This city and its people are great, they are alive.
