hebebarlow

A day of walking in NYC – part 2!

I then headed over to the Empire State Building which felt like a very long way away in the heat! I only saw it from the outside but in all honesty, for me it was one of those things where I simply wanted to be able to say that I had seen it. Sadly there were no gigantic gorillas climbing it, but it was still incredibly impressive! Standing on the street looking up at its 102 stories, it’s not difficult to believe that it was the tallest building in the world for nearly 40 years!

From there I headed over to Grand Central Station, another site which I wanted to tick off my New York bucket list. Built over 100 years ago in 1913 I have to say that I thought the building was quite attractive. With high ceilings and chandeliers it’s easy to imagine it in the days when rail-travel was the height of fashion. I was quite surprised by the decorative ceiling, which shows an intricate map of the stars. The view is referred to as a ‘god’s-eye view’ which means the image is seen from the point of view of a deity – if the artist assumes they have the knowledge only god would have. Sadly my photos of the ceiling didn’t come out very well, but even if they had I definitely think that’s it’s something that everyone should go and see for themselves.

Next stop? New York Public Library! I have to admit that I love libraries. I was that child that would get the maximum number of books out on the first day of the summer holiday, and then would try and read as many as I possibly could over the next couple of months. My love of reading hasn’t faded, although perhaps the quantity i’m able to get through has! The New York Public Library was founded in 1895 and is the largest public library system in the entire country. It’s a beautiful building, although perhaps its best known attraction for tourists are the two marble lions which guard its entrance. The lions have had a number of nick-names over the years, but are best known as ‘Patience’ and ‘Fortitude’. The names were given to them in the 1930s by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, after the qualities he believed the citizens of New York needed to be able to survive the economic depression.

My day of walking finished with a visit to the Rockefeller Centre. Built during the Great Depression in the 1930s it was the first project that combined offices with areas for entertainment and retail. It’s also famous for the 360-degree view which can be seen from the tri-level observation deck of the ‘Top of the Rock’. The views from up there are meant to be absolutely stunning and it is definitely somewhere I want to do another time I’m in New York!

Outside the Rockefeller centre there are around 200 flags arranged around a square. These represent the countries which belong to the United Nations. Being the geek that I am I have to admit that I had a walk around and tried to identify as many flags as I could (the number was sadly very small). I have to admit that whilst of course it does have an important reason behind it, I also felt that this display brought a nice bit of colour to the area.

My last confession for this post is the fact that one of my favourite parts of the day was as I was walking back to my hotel. I stumbled across a jazz group playing on a street corner and stayed there listening to them for a while. Without sounding too soppy or corny, I felt like they sort of symbolised New York for me. Most of the time I have no idea where I am or where i’m going, but suddenly without realising it, in the middle of all this noise and chaos I stumble across something truly incredible!

‘One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.’ Henry Miller

A day of walking in NYC – part 1!

I started my first full day in NYC by tagging along with the family I was staying with. We began by going for breakfast at a diner in the meatpacking district, a neighbourhood in Manhattan which unsurprisingly, got its name from the fact that by 1900 it was home to over 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants.

We then went to go see the Brown Building, which is now part of New York University. The reason this building is significant is because on March 25th 1911 it was the location of a fire that killed 146 people – the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of New York. The majority of the victims were immigrants of Jewish or Italian descent who were working as garment workers. Many were young women, with the youngest fatality recorded to be just 14 years old. One of the reasons the fire was so deadly was because the owners had locked the exits and stairs (apparently a common practice in those days). The fire resulted in legislation which required factory safety standards to be improved, and it also contributed to the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.

Despite the sad history of the building it was interesting to go see it. I like to find out the history of places and I think that it’s important to remember tragedies like this so that we can understand where our progress stemmed from. Whilst a plaque is the only visual commemoration to the individuals who died, I would still recommend paying a visit to the building if you are in the area.

Anyway, on to happier things! The Brown building is just off Washington Square park, so I had a little wander around there. It was a nice area with some different views of the city and lots of places to sit in the sun or have a rest. There were tables for people to play chess (which in all honestly I had thought only happened in movies) and even areas specifically designated for dogs which, as a dog owner, I think is a really good idea.

From there, I decided to go to the High Line. This is a 1.45 mile stretch of abandoned railway, elevated 30ft off street level. The railway was used from 1934 – 1980, but was reopened to the public in 2009 as a strip of parkland within the city.

I’m personally really glad that I visited. I walked the length of the line and it was gorgeous. The quiet greenery is in sharp contrast to the busy streets below, and the skyscrapers above. There are walls of art and sculptures along the rails, and even an area where visitors can create their own fantasy city out of white lego bricks! There are numerous benches and seats to rest on, and lots of stalls selling refreshments, which means that it’s a great place to have lunch, whether you’re buying or taking you’re own food to have a picnic. I love that the residents of New York came together to make something new and beautiful out of the old, instead of simply abandoning it forever, and I think that it’s something that everyone should go and see if they have the chance. Here’s the website address if you would like to learn more about the highline!

http://www.thehighline.org/about

‘We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.’Jawaharial Nehru

Broadway

Now, as well as being a self-confessed history geek, I am also a self-confessed musical geek. It seemed obvious therefore, that I had to go and see a broadway show whilst I was in New York! In Times Square it’s possible to buy discounted tickets to go and see a variety of shows – which is possibly as exciting for me as every Christmas and birthday i’ve ever had rolled into one!

These billboard type things (no idea what they’re actually called – sorry!) tell you what percentage of the original price each ticket is being sold for. I suppose it’s then up to you to decide whether you want to go see a particular show no matter what the price, or whether you make your decision based on which ticket is cheaper.

I decided to go and see Les Misérables. I’ve never seen this show live, despite loving the music (I can pretty much sing every single song off by heart) and the film. It also meant that I was able to tick two things off my bucket list at the same time (go see a broadway musical, and go see Les Mis live!)

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The show was, of course, spectacular. I’ve seen a lot of musicals over the years at the West End in London, but this definitely ranks up there with my favourites. There were a couple of small details that annoyed me (like the child actors still having american accents) but these were honestly me just being a complete perfectionist and probably wouldn’t be noticed by anybody else. Whilst I wouldn’t describe the ticket as cheap it was 100% worth the money and I am indescribably happy that I have finally managed to do this!

‘We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment.’ Hilaire Belloc

Let New York Begin!

From New Jersey I travelled to New York City! I have to admit, it was only this summer that I learnt that New York is, in fact, NOT the capital of New York State. One of the girls from Camp goes to college in Albany (the actual capital of New York state) and she informed me of my mistake. Apparently a lot of Americans are also unaware of this fact, which made me feel a little bit better about my ignorance up to this point!

Once again I’m sofa surfing with friends. Although, perhaps that’s not quite the right way to describe it since I’m staying in a four star hotel at the moment. Believe me when I say, this is not the kind of place that I would be staying if I was paying for it myself, so i’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can whilst it lasts.

The great thing about the hotel is that it’s located only a half hour walk from Penn station. As soon as I dropped my bag off I decided to go out and explore around Times Square, only nine blocks away from the hotel.

Being a self confessed geek, I love to have a proper read of my travel book, or look up the history of places online. So here comes the geekiness! Times Square – sometimes referred to as ‘The Crossroads of the world’ – stretches from West 42nd street to West 47th Street. The Square got its name in 1904 after The New York Times moved its office there. Formerly, it had been known as ‘Longacre Square’ when it was named in 1872 after Long Acre in London. In 2009 the area was made a pedestrian only area, apparently in an effort to ease traffic congestion. (It also means that it’s possible to take pictures without the fear of being run over by an unnoticed car!)

I did, of course, go into the most important shop on Times Square – DISNEY! Because honestly, i’m a child in an adults body. An adult who was kind of upset that there were no dresses in her size, and that she couldn’t buy any of the stuffed animals because I have no room in my suitcase (it will simply have to wait until another time)!

Whilst I’m sure that the area has become increasingly ‘disneyfied’ over time, it is no less impressive. The gigantic, flashing billboards are always the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Times Square, and they certainly did not disappoint. The seemingly never ending crowds of people, the flashing signs and colours and the background of cabs and people is exactly how I had imagined New York. In short, Times Square did not disappoint! It’s very obvious to me why Times Square is near the top of every ‘must see’ list for New York, and it certainly has a place up there in mine as well!

‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.’ Mark Twain

A new day, a new state!

After Fishkill I spent two nights sofa surfing in New Jersey. One of my primary school teachers (in England primary school education goes up to the age of 13 in case you don’t know how it works) moved to America with his family years ago. When my mum put a post up on Facebook asking if anyone would mind me staying with them for a few days he agreed to let me stay for as long as I wanted, which was incredibly generous of him! It was strange, even though I hadn’t seen him in seven years, my first instinct when I saw him was to say ‘hi sir!’

His family live in a town called Randolph, which is in Morris County New Jersey. It was a real pretty area and whilst I was there the weather was absolutely beautiful. They took me to my first baseball game, which was to see the Somerset Patriots. It was actually Star Wars night there (I have no idea why) which meant that sometimes you would turn and see someone dressed up as obi-wan or a Stormtrooper which was quite amusing.

As the rules were explained to me I guess most of my comparisons were made to rounders (a sport traditionally played in England by girls, which seems to have some similarities). It was great to see a traditional American sport (even if my interest did begin to waver during the second hour of the game). It also means that I can take something else off my American bucket list!

‘Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.’ Benjamin Disraeli

The real travels begin

Camp has now officially ended and so my real travels can finally begin! Whilst at camp I decided to go on a trip with a company, instead of organising everything myself. I decided this partly because it meant that I could see a number of places in the US (even if only very briefly), and the fact that it means that I don’t have to worry about organising how I’m going to get to places and where i’m going to sleep each night. The company i’m going with is called Trek America, the website is below if you’d like to have a look.

http://www.trekamerica.co.uk

I decided on the trek called ‘Atlantic BLT’ which goes to nine different places in 13 days. This suited my time frame, and also you you sleep in hostels and hotels on this trip instead of camping, which I have to admit I don’t enjoy doing for more than a couple of nights at a time. The only slight problem was that the tour closest to the end of camp was fully booked, meaning that I had to keep myself busy for about a week before the tour started. Of course, this isn’t a problem with New York City so close by!

The night camp finished I stayed one last time with Lyanne in Fishkill. She and her dad then very kindly agreed to drive me to another friends house in New Jersey – seriously, these people are incredible!!! And so, my American adventures could officially begin…

‘Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less travelled by.’ Robert Frost

My first diner!

Well, another day off! I started my day by being taken to my first American diner! I can’t quite believe that I was in America for almost a month before going to one, but at least it’s something else I can take off my American bucket list! We went to the Red Line Diner, which was a five minute drive away from Lyanne’s house in Fishkill. Once again I can’t really compare it to anywhere else yet, but I thought that it was a fab place to eat. It was exactly how I imagined a diner to be since it certainly seemed to fit the stereotype given off by movies!

For breakfast I had three chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries. I must confess that perhaps my eyes were a little bit larger than my stomach on this occasion. I managed to finish two of the pancakes, although I couldn’t even manage to make a start on the third one I was so full. The pancakes were good, although I have to admit that they weren’t the most delicious that I’ve ever eaten in my life.

I would definitely go back to this diner though. It was a nice place to eat, the service was quick, the staff friendly, and the food was good enough that I want to have a second helping!

‘Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Adventures in Poughkeepsie and Beacon

For lunch, Lyanne wanted to introduce me to Hibachi food for the first time, so we went to a restaurant called ‘Kobe Hibachi Sushi Asian Cuisine’ in Poughkeepsie. In America, ‘hibachi-style’ refers to Japanese teppanyaki cooking, which is where gas-heated hotplates are integrated into the tables people eat from, with the chef cooking in front of the diners – often in a dramatic fashion.

Although of course I don’t have anything to compare it to, I thought that the meal was fantastic. The restaurant was a great blend between modern and stereotypical Asian design. The food was delicious, and I thoughtthe show that our chef put on was very impressive. One of his tricks was lighting a volcano shaped stack of raw onion hoops on fire, which the childish side of me was delighted by!

I also experienced deep fried ice-cream for the first time, another American delicacy that Lyanne insisted that I had to experience. I must confess that whilst it was good fun to try something new, it’s probably not something that I would order on a regular basis!

To give us some time to digest our food we then headed over to the local mall, Poughkeepsie galleria. We didn’t spend much time there but there was a good selection of shops, and it’s definitely somewhere I would go again if I wanted to have ashopping afternoon. I actually spent most of my time in a shop called ‘Travelling Buddha’ which sold oriental clothes, jewellery, decorations etc. I found a cute little anklet there which wasn’t too expensive, so it definitely gets a thumbs up from me!

We ended our day in Beacon, a city in Dutchess County, New York. It seemed like a really cool place, with lots of arty styled shops, and there were even art exhibitions all over the streets which made it really interesting to walk around. The highlights for me were probably a shop called ‘Hudson Beach Glass’ which unsurprisingly, sold objects made out of glass. My favourite finds in there were the glass animals (specifically the birds) which were hanging up in the shop windows. There was a variety there, including owls, parrots and kingfishers. It’s the type of place where, if it was in England and I was able to take it all back home with me safely, I would spend far too much money!

As I said there were lots of art exhibitions all up and down the street. Sadly I don’t know who they were done by, or if they’re for anything in particular, but they certainly made the street more interesting.

I didn’t actually get to see a huge amount of Beacon. We didn’t have much time there and, according to Lyanne, most of the places she wanted to take me were for food – a slight problem since we had already eaten so much that we could barely walk. It was a great place to spend a couple of hours though, and if you’re interested in slightly odd, artistic places then I would definitely recommend it as a place to check out for an afternoon.

‘Not all those who wander are lost’ J. R. R. Tolkien

Fishkill, New York

Last week I spent my day off in Fishkill, a town in Dutchess County, New York. One of my friends from camp, Lyanne, lives there, and she suggested we visit so that I could see some of the less touristy parts of New York. Whilst of course I love being able to say that I’ve seen the main sites when I visit a new place, I also enjoy seeing things more off the beaten path, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to me. I must confess that the first few times I heard her say the name of her town I thought that I must have misheard, or that it was some sort of strange nickname she had for where she lived. But no, that’s actually what the town is called!

We started our day by going to the Walkway over the Hudson. This is a bridge spanning the Hudson River, and is 1.28 miles long. I found out that it’s actually the longest, elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. In my opinion, in terms of the weather it was a perfect day to visit. Although beautifully sunny, there was also a nice cool breeze, so whilst we were warm and could enjoy the sunshine, we weren’t overheating. The views over the river were quite pretty, and we spent time looking at the houses and buildings built alongside both banks of the river. We felt particularly jealous of a house with a very large, crystal clear swimming pool which looked particularly inviting. I actually felt that the best view was probably as yo reached the centre of the bridge, as you were also aligned with the middle of the opposing bridge, which provided a great photo opportunity.

Check out the website for the Walkway over the Hudson!

I would love to go back for a photo opportunity during a sunset or a sunrise as I suspect that the view would be truly gorgeous. However, I must confess that during the day it wasn’t the most astounding view i’ve ever seen in my life. Despite this, I would still recommend doing it if you’re in the area and have a spare couple of hours. It was a lovely relaxing walk, and of course you don’t have to go the full distance if you don’t want to. Bikes, rollerblades, skateboards etc. are all allowed there, and I saw a lot of families taking advantageof this. As I said, the views weren’t the most stunning in the world, but I’m still glad that I went there. It was some good exercise and I took some nice photos, and of course it’s something I can say I did in New York which is slightly different from what anyone else will have done – something that I always like.

‘A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.’ Lao Tzu

My introduction to America

Well, I’m happy to say that I can finally cross another country off my travel bucket list. I’ve been in America for just over three weeks, although it honestly feels like i’ve been here for far longer! This summer I’m working at Tyler Hill, a sleep-away camp in Pennsylvania. I heard about the camp through my Mum, who worked here thirty-one years ago whilst she was at University. I decided to apply to the camp and have my own American adventure – and so here I am.

The camp is truly beautiful and I feel like I’m gradually getting to grips with how things work around here. I don’t get much free time which means that sadly I haven’t had many opportunities to take many photos of the camp so far. However, I’m hoping that one evening i’ll have a chance to walk around and get all the photos I want. It also means that I haven’t had much time to work on this blog – so I apologise for the slight backlog!

logo56918_3-2 The one downside of working at camp is that, whilst I’m in America, I don’t actually get much time to travel. Our evenings off are only for three hours, so most of our time is split between stocking up on supplies from Walmart, chilling somewhere getting food and taking advantage of the free wifi, or going bowling. However, we do have one 24 hour period off a week, which I’m determined to try and make the most of. Although that’s slightly problematic as none of my close friends have a car at camp! It’s not the end of the world though as the camp is organising three day trips for us on our days off so that we always have an option to do something. Next week the trip is to a water park which I’m incredibly excited about – there are some things that I will just never get too old for!

I was very lucky however as during our day off last week, one of my friends invited me back to her home in suburban New York. She convinced her parents to drive to camp and pick us up, and so I was able to spend the day being shown around Fishkill New York!

‘The journey not the arrival matters’ T. S. Elliot