33 hours in NYC

I was lucky enough to have a night stop-over in NYC and I made the most of it. My flight landed in at 5.40am, and I had got to the hostel, stored my bags, had breakfast and was out and exploring by 8am. I spent two hours in Central Park, before heading over to the Museum of Natural History, where I spent the next few hours. This museum is so fascinating, you easily need a full day to get around all of the exhibitions. I looked at as much as I could spare the time for (including the ‘dum dum’ Maoi head from night in the museum).

My next stop was the Highline, which was one of my favourite parts of the trip. It is an old railway, above the city, which has been transformed into a beautiful park. It has great views across the city, lots of plants and stalls selling beverages, etc. The design is well thought out, and the fact it was busy during the weekday work time shows that it is a big success.

A subway ride away is Times Square. This is the most visited attraction in any city in the world. The crazy shops and bright flashing lights attract so many people; I spent a while here looking around the nearby shops, and headed over to Applebee’s for a typical American dinner – a cheese and bacon burger with fries. Unlimited refills on fries and soda made me think about the national issue with obesity…

I had booked a ticket for Top of the Rock for 7.15pm, so I waited in the nearby Bryant Park. Finally, it was time, and I went to the top of the huge building, for a fantastic view over the city. The benefit of this building is that you have a view of the Empire State Building. Although ridiculously busy, it was such a beautiful view and the best time of the day to go, as the sun was beginning to set. After a while photographing the city and enjoying the sunset, I got a subway back to my hostel and collapsed into bed – 12 hours out after a bad sleep on a night flight, by far the most tired I have ever been.

Day two, a nice early start, up and out by 8.30am; today I got the subway to Grand Central Terminal. I must confess to being a huge Gossip Girl fan, which is a show about young people in New York who come from extremely wealthy families. Grand Central is the beginning of the show, where two of the main characters are introduced. After getting my fill of tourist photos here, I then went to the Lotte Palace Hotel, another feature of the series. Although just a hotel to most people, it is heavily featured in the show, and was so exciting for me to see.

The shops in this area (along 5th Avenue mostly) are ridiculous. Designer, expensive, extravagant. Although way beyond what I could ever imagine paying for a bag or a pair of shoes, it was great fun to look in these shops and imagine a lifestyle where this is the norm. From here I got the bus to the Guggenheim Museum. Although it is closed on Thursdays, I got some nice photos of the exterior, and was really pleased to see it, as Frank Lloyd Wright is an architect I really like.

Very close to the Guggenheim is the MET art gallery. This gallery is so versatile and large, I had a brief look in the majority of the exhibitions. My favourite was Egyptian, as it felt like a hybrid of a museum and an art gallery. This made a difference from many galleries I have been in which focus on one era, style or country.

My final stop of the trip was the Columbia University. Although I love my own University, which is very modern and beautiful, there is something powerful about such an imposing university campus. The Columbia campus has large, striking buildings with courtyards between and well-kept green areas.

Overall, my 33 hours in NYC have been the most exhausting yet exhilarating hours of my life, and I am so fortunate to have been able to see it. The first half of my scholarship has been amazing, with so many experiences, opportunities and memories. I have also met people that I hope I will keep in contact with, and will always remember, as they have made my experience even better.