I’m sitting here writing this blog entry from a little café called “Café Mocha”, which is located right on the corner of East 7th Street and 2nd Avenue. I’m sitting on the little sofa chair right by the window and as I look outside, I see the famous yellow NYC taxis zooming past, sounding their horns and trying to pick up passengers by the second. It’s all pretty surreal.
I’ve been here for about a week now, and with one more week left, I feel like there’s SO MUCH MORE I need to see. Whenever anyone says they’re off to New York for a break the first thing the person they’re talking to says is “Aaahhh, you’re gonna do a lot of shopping aren’t you!” This time last year, my answer would have been “Most definitely!”. My answer this year however, was “…Nah, probably not, you know” There is SO much more to New York City. Yes, it is one of the world’s fashion capitals, but so is London? Everything you can get over here – you can get in London. It might be slightly cheaper, but you know what? Not all that much. To be fair once you add on the tax here, it’s a wrap. The exchange rate is no longer 2 USD to a £1 GBP. It’s about 1.5 USD to a £1. The reason for going to New York is no longer just for shopping.
New York is generally just a feel-good place. Whilst I’ve been here, I’ve done quite a fair amount. I (along with my sister and some of her friends) went to the West Indian Labor Day Parade on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, which was amazing. The vibe was wonderful - from the bashment and soca sounds, to the beautiful abundance of Caribbean cuisine to the tonnes of good-looking young men. It was actually emotional. I’ve never seen that many boomies in one place. And they ACTUALLY holler. That’s the amazing thing about it. I hate to let my London boys down – but you guys are straight and utter pants when it comes to hollering girls most of them time. All I’m saying is that some of you need to be taking a leaf outta some these American boys books. Anyway, that’s another story altogether.
Another thing I’ve managed to do whilst being in New York is visit a museum, which is something I really wanted to do. My sister, her friend and I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which was wonderful and really quite inspiring! We saw a lot of sculptures, paintings and even traditional American houses that had actually been built into the Museum, which I found quite amazing.
One of the things I really wanted to do on this trip to New York was to just explore it a lot more. Be it Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens – I just wanted to walk round and explore. It is so easy to do that here, especially in Manhattan, as the whole of it is built up in blocks. I don’t even need a map (apart from a subway map, MAYBE). Once you know which way is uptown and downtown, and the names of your Avenues, you’re pretty much good to go! I really do try to walk most places as putting money on your MetroCard is a bit of a bump! It’s not really a thing though, since most of the time I’m not in a rush to go anywhere! It’s just brilliant.
One of the things I really love about NY is the people. Everyone I’ve spoken to here is extremely polite. Even strangers. It is definitely a far cry from home, I can tell you that for free. I’ve only been here for a week, and I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve been complimented. Whether it’s “Miss, you look beautiful today!” or “That dress is amazing” or “Those shoes look fabulous on you!”. Sometimes something like that is what you need to put a smile on your face in the morning! You seldom hear those compliments back at home. What I love about New York also, is that no one is “watching face”, as these young bucks put it. I know there are other females out there (namely females from London) who know how it feels to get on the bus, go upstairs and be screwed at by another group of girls. For what reason, who knows? I’m not going to lie; I’m guilty of being that female who’s given a screw once in a while (usually in defence). It’s really bad guys. An American girl has not ONCE screwed me at whilst I’ve been here – word to mother. They either notice you and smile, or just don’t notice you at all and go about their business. It’s more than a lot, trust me on it. It’s so refreshing to see everyone just doing his or her own thing and not passing judgement on anyone else. It’s also lovely to hear the words “Please” and “Thank You” actually being used. The British often do forget. It’s saddening. As ignorant as some Americans can be (it has to be said), they rarely forget their manners. It’s really nice.
New York truly is amazing. However, if people were to ask me now whether I would like to live there, my answer would most probably be no. New York City to me, seems like a really nice place to work and to build a social life. However, when it comes to thinking about the future and having a family, I don’t think New York City is somewhere I would want to build a life for my family. NY is such a fast-paced city; it means you are constantly on the go. Though I loved every minute of it, at times I found myself really longing for the chance to shout “STOP”, and take a minute to just be at one with myself, Rather than having to hear the yellow taxis constantly sounding their flamin' horns, and people bumping into me EVERY minute. I don’t like to be rushed, and I like to do things in my own time. Though I didn't actually physically rush to do anything, mentally, the city made me feel like I had to. I don’t think the culture of New York City really leaves much space for you to just be quiet, and on your own for a piece. It is because of this reason I can see myself relocating (if it is to the States) to somewhere like LA or Miami. I will be studying in the States for a year this time next year, and I hope to go to California. Maybe then, I can really start thinking about my future, and where I can see myself settling down.
