Wednesday 25 March 2015
Uptown//Downtown
" ...they must see this, these lights, the river - I love New York, even though it isn't mine, the way something has to be, a tree or a street or a house, something, anyway that belongs to me because I belong to it... "
Throwback to a month ago, when I was nosily listening into local New Yorkers conversation in order to soak up the dialect on our last full day in the city. Here we walked the New York Highline on a morning when the sun was just hitting the rooftops but was not, unfortunately enough to warm the streets.
( ^ View from the New York Highline in the process of losing circulation in my fingers xoxo )
Once our fingers had turned to ice-cubes, we were ready to wrap our hands around a cup of hot char, so we headed to Chelsea Market in an area known as "the Meatpacking District". The brownstone boasts nothing intense here; from the gentle flow of people in and out of the stalls to the cream fairy lights illuminating the dark hallways. There is a rustic ambience - the feeling you've discovered a hidden humdinger you can spend your Sunday's tucked away in. Unfortunately, it is one of the most known about markets in NYC, so there's no keeping this one a secret. (P.S. The hot chocolate from Sarabeth's Bakery is to die for...)
Our next stop was a look at the Flat Iron Building, just as the sun decided to make an appearance again, although we didn't stop here for long. As lunchtime approached, we headed to Grand Central Station to explore the market, shops and the general premises. It is immaculately kept with light reflecting into the pearly cream building from above angles.
I could people watch here all day; how fascinating it was to watch loved ones greet or depart from one another. After all, it is often said that New York is a lonely city lacking in love or friendship - but by taking a trip down here it was easy to remind oneself that it's still prominent, even in a city as big as this.
After our lunch at the Shake Shack in the food court downstairs, we were lucky enough to witness a couple getting married at the top of the station steps - how joyous they looked (even when everyone was crowding around taking photos!). Their photos and story later appeared on the "Humans of New York" page on Facebook.
In the afternoon, we were set free onto Fifth Avenue for the much awaited shopping trip. I resisted temptation in many of the shops until I arrived at Tiffany's, but more about that and Fifth Avenue in a later post (one paragraph just won't cut it!).
Feeling giddy at the though of my new purchases, I practically skipped back to the hotel, numerous shopping bags in hand, before getting ready to watch the musical "Wicked" on our last night.
New York, you have my heart and although it might be a while before I return, you leave a numinous effect on me. Is it the sweet waft of men's cologne passing me on the subway that entices me? Or in-fact, how you can be the most elegantly dressed woman one evening to the most excessively casual gal the following morning? Perhaps, it's just the association to Breakfast at Tiffany's that does it for me...
