So if you told me I would be visiting New York at 19, I wouldn't believe you. I always looked at travelling as something that you had to have so much experience to do. So you didn't get ripped off by locals, or so you knew all the safe areas, or you knew all the tourist attractions. I guess I never pushed myself to travel and see different places.
My friend Fallon who I was working on the ski resort with was a huge traveller, she has seen 23 countries! She asked me if I wanted to go on a trip to New York with her. I really thought wow, I can do this, I can go on a trip to New York. So of course I said yes.
Growing up as a kid, my family was large, 7 people. So for us to take overseas trips was impossible and too costly. We used to just travel within New Zealand, which is nice because I feel like I have seen my own country from top to bottom.
My parents believed when we left home, we could earn our own money and travel. That way we will appreciate it so much more because we worked hard for this travel. I think also we gain more because we see it when we are adults and not kids.
So I have ever since I can remember holding a camera, and that love has turned into a big passion of mine. This holiday was filled with photos and videos and fun!
I was talking to this guy in the elevator about his camera and how amazing it was. He then saw me on the top of this platform taking a photo of the landscape, and offered me to try his fish angle lens! Which was amazing!
We stayed for 3 nights in a hotel literally one block behind here, it was a 50m walk to the heart of times square. I don't know how Fallon does it but she gets some hectic deals!
The tradition top of rock photo, with the binoculars.
I love this photo, I composed one like this for Fallon and asked if she could take one for me. I think edited it Black and White to give it a lot more moodier feeling and evoke some deeper emotions.
This is Fallon and me. We don't have many photos together because we are always taking photos of each other and filming.
Brooklyn Bridge I would say was one of my favourite attractions, along with Top of the rock. We only got to walk half of the bridge because it was on our last day. But I learnt how to balance my big camera stabiliser and I walked it across the bridge and got some really nice footage.
I really had no idea how big New York was. You have New york, and then many many suburbs. Brooklyn, New Jersey, Bronx and Queens just to name a few. I definitely felt like I didn't cover all of New York, so I will be back.
Inside the World Trade Centre, I loved the architecture in this building.
At central station, home of gossip girl. When Fallon told me that I had no idea. I don't watch TV or TV shows. So when I got back to biggie, I began watching it and sure enough the opening scene was at grand central station. That was pretty cool because I had been there.
The world trade centre from the outside, I thought it was just so beautiful, with all the surrounding skyscrapers.
The American flag blowing in the wind. We went to New York in the beginning of March. It was so so cold, I was wearing thermals and my snowboarding jacket. The day we left it snowed. But of course this is the cheapest time to travel.
Inside the world trade centre, this had many nice shops in it.
Our second accomodation I booked through Air B N B. I booked it in East Harlem to my knowledge was in Upper East Side a good part of New York. But after we arrived we knew that wasn't the case. I remember walking back from the Subway, and there was a car playing very loud music and having hydraulics.
There was a bunch of men huddled around the front steps of a house, probably dealing.
Plenty of run down basketball courts and more abandoned shops.
I almost loved that we stayed here because it gave me a real feel how americans live and their culture. When I was in Time square its just glitz and glam, lots of lights and many tourist. I also loved all the fire exits because I have seen so many of those escape action scenes in movies where they run down these exits.
Myself in Central park, we walked only a tiny but of Central park, it really is so big, but beautiful. I would like to come back in a different season, because ours was in between seasons, winter to Autumn. So it was all dusty and no green.
I don't know if you can tell, but this is at 5pm and it looks super cold. Because it was!
World Trade Centre in the evening. They also have these waterfall memorials for the twin towers with all the parks of the people who lost their lives. I found this so interesting and touching. We visited the 9/11 Memorial, and if you are a history fan like I am! Leave a whole day for this museum, their is so much content, videos, photos, information. We had to leave because we were doing Brooklyn Bridge as well, but I could have easily been their all day.
The city hall, this is right next to the Brooklyn Bridge and has guards at the gates.
We literally were a 50m walk to this part of Times Square. Was the best location we could have asked for.
On top of the world, or top of the rock!
My top 3 things to do in New York
-Top of rock
-Brooklyn Bridge
-9/11 Museum and Memorial
All of these I highly recommend, they were my favourite. I wouldn't bother with Empire State building it doesn't have nearly as many viewpoints as the top of rock and it has an awful fence blocking any good picture you are trying to get. It is also a lot more expensive.
Top of Rock : $39 US
Empire State Building $60 US
My cousin is actually living in New York on campus. She is on a full basketball scholarship. So I haven't seen her for a couple of years so I had to met her. I watched her play basketball, after we got stuck in New York Traffic for 90 minutes.
She was such a star in her basketball game, I was extremely proud of her!
Here is the map of the surrounding suburbs. So we spent most of our time in Manhattan, but travelled to the Bronx to see my cousin throw it down on the basketball court. Did I mention they wan! Even better!
We were trying very hard to brunch in New York, but didn't find it had a cafe culture quite like Sydney. There would be one good juice bar here and a good cafe 30 minutes walk from there.We found this crepe cafe, that did gluten free so we went there. It was ok, the food wasn't anything special. I just loved the interior with the exposed walls.
Dannng! I love this photo, it just gives you a visual idea of how big and beautiful New York is. This is a big lake in central park and that is Harlem on the other side.
Attempting more brunching, but we only found quick and go coffee bars in the middle of NYC for all the cooperates who never have a minute to spare.
Yes! We went to a broadway show. Boy, they were not cheap, and yes I am not looking as glamorous as I should. But it is freezing, and that is my snowboarding jacket. But I brought some heels to dress up my jeans.
Fal and I had been out the night before so we struggled to stay awake in the show, but still loved it.
Catching the Lens flare on the Empire State Building on our last day. What a trip.
Beautiful sunny days, but as you can see from what Fal is wearing its still bitter cold.
In the middle of Central Park.
East harlem, I love this photo because I find you can really grip how the suburbs of New York is and how they live. Fire Exits, rubbish on the ground, old style barber shops ect.
Thanks New York for having us, hopefully next time I visit it is slightly warmer. Until then
xxx
