It was worth it!
Here is what I got up to....
Tuesday
I set off on my adventures Tuesday morning (and not at daft o'clock either, woo). Flying from Manchester straight into JFK.
I know I have lots of friends who have a great interest in plane food, so here is what I got. the choice was beef stroganoff or cheese tortellini, I went for the tortellini. It came with a bread roll, radish salad and Italian dressing (did not eat, I have a condiment/dressing fear) some crackers and a little pot of laughing cow and a pack of coconut and orange biscuits for afters. The later snack was ham and cheese roll, more laughing cow and crackers, dried fruit, hand cooked sea salt crisps and a Kit Kat. Ate everything except the dressing.
It was one of those plane with shared TV screens that I couldn't see, but they showed Walter Mitty so I wasn't arsed. had NYC adventures to plan!
I arrived in NY about midday! got myself a Metrocard (did a little excitement wee, see Le Tigre's My My Metrocard) and got a subway to my B&B.
Got chatted up on the subway by a guy named Bless (as in God Bless (his words)).
Get to my B&B (3B in Brooklyn which is AWESOME by the way ad if anyone is going to NYC I recommend you stay here!) I get changed and head out!
I got stressed I'll be honest, it was super hot, busy I was tired and didn't know where I was going. it took me 20 minutes to find the subway that was like 2 minutes away!
Eventually I got on my way and went to ride the Staten Island ferry (cuz it's free and gives you a decent view of Statue of Liberty!).
That was fun and calmed me down a little.
Then I went for a owner, saw the Ghostbusters firehouse, walked along the Highline (old disused rial track now turned into fancy walk way with plants and art and stuff).
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| view from the Highline |
Went to Printed matter shop, but none of the zines were for me really so didn't buy owt.
Realise I have been awake for more than 20 hours so head back to B&B for an early night.
Wednesday
Think I slept for around 10 hours (a lot for me!) had lots of cups of Early grey tea (B&B had lots of supplies of loose leaf tea, no 'proper tea' like) and some sweet crumble and yogurt for breakfast (so good).
Headed towards east Village, but having one of those wrong days.
Screaming Mimi's- shut
Patricia Field- shut
Tea shop- non existent
Ice cream shop- shut
fleamarket- non existent
But I did get a nice raspberry cupcake, mainly because I needed to use 'the restroom'.
Thought 'sod trying to be all cool' and went to the Empire state.
That was GREAT! such a clear day and great views and NYC looks like it's not real, it's so flat and the buildings are so tall, it's like a bunch of Lego!
Went to eat at Shake Shack, which involved queuing for ages, got a chicken dog, fries and peanut butter milkshake. It was good but I think it might have given me a dodgy stomach (which I then had for the next two days).
Walked past The Chelsea Hotel and back on the Highline before heading back to B&B for a rest before I went out to see Heathers the musical!!!!
So, Heathers, it was in a small theatre, had no stage setting and minimal props. but I enjoyed it!
Ok so it was nowhere near as dark as the film and they made it a little cheesy/camp. Veronica seemed to be a bit goofy and a bit wet for my liking, JD looked far too wholesome.
But the songs were good and the lass who played Heather Chandler was amazing. Plus they got all the important lines in there, so I was happy!
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| No, I'm a Veronica! |
That was enough excitement for one day!
(my 'room mates' went to see Hedwig this night too, totally wasn't jealous (totally was))
Thursday
Finally caught up on enough sleep to take advantage of the awesome breakfasts at my B&B. Went for a 3 courser! Starting with cereal, then kale and tomato omelette and finishing with a wheatberry salad.
Headed towards Broadway as I was taking a tap dance class at Broadway dance centre! I opted for the basic class (I was glad as I waited I saw some of the beginners class, and that was no way beginners!).
It was great fun, lot's of rhythm tap and I got a bit lost as some of the terminology was American and so was all what? oh you mean that, that's not what we call it in England! but I proper enjoyed it.
Walked to Times Square didn't last long there, too busy, then over to Grand Central Station, which is ridiculously grand and huge!
After that I went to Society of Illustrators comic museum place. Which was good and saw loot's of great work.
I then thought I'm in NYC I should be all American and... go for afternoon tea (too British for my own good). Finally found a tea place and it was really sweet, Alice's Cup.
I got afternoon tea for one, which was American style, ie everything was huge, smoked chicken and goats cheese sandwich, was massive, none of that finger butty nonsense. My scone (pumpkin and glazed caramel) was like the size of my face and the selection of 4 cookies (where's the batternburg!?!) had to come home in a doggy bag for the next day, I was stuffed, so tasty though as was the tea 'alice's blend' which was green tea, black tea rose and vanilla!
Dragged my full stomach back to B&B where I met my new 'room mate'. An artist and lovely lady from Portland, Sabina. Who had come to NYC for an art opening of one of her favourite artists (like me!). Sabina is awesome and travels the world to see art and do workshops, total 'when I grow up I wanna be you' inspiration.
This was when my dodgy stomach appeared.
Headed back to Manhattan for a signing of Killjoys comic with Shaun Simon and Becky Cloonan. The signing was surprisingly quiet (it was only for an hour though) and I met a lovely young lady named Perri who was doing an internship in NYC. After the signing we ended up going for Bubble Tea and into Chinatown and had some Thai food.
I was so full though I had to come back home and lie down!
Friday
Sabina gave me a PG Tips teabag!!!! She said she was drinking Lipton (ugh) a few years back and someone said why you drinking that try this and gave her some PG Tips and now she's hooked and takes them everywhere with her.
I know I had only been out of the UK for like 4 days but that was one of the best cups of tea EVER!
Breakfast was shashunka (sp) which was spicy tomato stuff with an egg in it and some parsley and a wholewheat pitta, a blueberry muffin and cereal. so good!
Had a chat with Matt from the B&B about him touring the UK and our favourite accents, we both agreed Wakefield is up there.
Took the Brooklyn bridge to Manhattan. It was awesome, the weather was really damp and foggy so half the buildings were lost in the sky!
Went back to Chinatown so I could get ice cream from Ice Cream Factory. got a double scoop of mango and lychee.
Then it started raining and I forgot my brolly (Manc girl sin!!!). I also really needed the toilet so went to the first place I could find which was The New museum. Get dry, go to the toilet and see some art, good stuff yeah, or not.
I did not like the gallery, I think modern art as a concept is not for me! I don't know, it was just full of rich old people and art I didn't enjoy and I got stuck in the lift going to all the floors except mine for like 5 minutes! the best thing in there (aside form the toilet) were the John Waters Girls plates in the gift shop!
Tried my luck at Patricia Field again which was open and someone I knew worked there, win win! tret me sen to some awesome socks.
Wandered round some more (walked passed the Whitney just so I could say that line from Pecker!) before going to Guggenheim (which I used a free entry ticket to get in which I got given at my B&B).I didn't have a clue what was on here, but I really enjoyed it.
The building itself was a marvel, walking up w spiralling ramp looking at art til you hit like the 4th/5th floor!
There was a whole host of Italian futurism stuff, but my heart belonged to a photography/video exhibition of work by Carrie Mae Weems. I had never heard of her before, but left feeling proper inspired!
Wandered some more, passed though Central Park (feet super sore and tired at this point) grabbed some pizza and headed back to B&B.
To complete my art day I went to Williamsburg to Cotton Candy Machine to the opening of works by Jessicka Addams, Lindsey Way and Lori Nelson.
This was soooo good! Awesome art, meeting your heroes, buying great stuff, talking to people who are just fans of stuff, such a good nigh and event. And so glad I managed to finally get to Cotton Candy Machine and got to see lot's of Tara McPherson's stuff too!
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| meeting yr heroes! |
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| Sadly Tara McPherson is being blocked by someone's head! |
I was reluctant to leave but had to walk a few blocks down to see Upset!
Upset were supported by Aye Nako and Palehound. I made it in time to catch most of Aye Nako's set (which was great!) and saw Palehound (who were good) but Upset stole the show. Their record, She's Gone has been on my hi fi non stop for months and so I was glad I really got to see most of it played live. Also seeing patty Schemel play, and in a tiny venue NO WORDS!!
Such a good day.
Saturday
Only two days left and the sun was fully shining!
Breakfast was Kale frittata and peanut butter cookies which I later got told were made with chickpeas WHAT! and some cereal!
After last nights fun I was taking it easy. Before walking to somewhere in Brooklyn for a fleamarket.
It was SO HOT though I hadn't packed for this much heat. Lot's of awesome things at the fleamarket but running low on funds so just get a couple of badges, although I wanted to buy an entire box of trolls!
Pass by the B&B to grab sunglasses and leave jackets behind before making my way to CONEY ISLAND!
I love me some seaside and Coney Island did not disappoint.
As soon as I got there I got myself a bubblegum ice! walked up the pier and on the beach, but left my shoes on as I feared once out of them my blistered feet would not go back in!
Strolled along the boardwalk and tried to get on the Wonder Wheel, only it was shut until the storm passed, she said 15 minutes, then 5 minutes later it chucked it down (it's like Manchester weather, sun rain rain sun!). Luckily it only lasted 10 minutes so did get to go on the Wonder Wheel.
Did some gift shop shopping before grabbing some Popeye's fried chicken and biscuits!
back to B&B to pick up jackets before making my way back up to Williamsburg for the Kara Walker opening at Domino factory. I thought it was open until 8 but got my daps mixed up so had to hot foot it there as it was 6.
I got there in time but they had closed it early as it was too busy NOOOOOOOOOO! and it started to rain and was too windy for a brolly and my feet hurt. Le Sera were playing just down the road (followed later with a second gig in the same place, another Upset show) but my feet hurt I was grumpy and so went back to B&B to eat crisps and biscuits and read and rest and sort out all my stuff.
Sunday
Last day, so filled up on breakfast, kale and tomato omelette and mini roast potatoes and cereal (I think my massive breakfast meant I hardly ate anything else!) and Sabina gave me another PG Tips to keep me going!
I got dressed and finished packing and left my luggage in the B&B until later.
I went to Brooklyn Botanical gardens, so I could bask in cherry blossoms and walk through bluebells. Super hot and sunny again but forgot my sunglasses, got in for a student price though without even asking.
Cherry blossoms were so good as were the rest of the gardens, aside from the bluebell wood that wasn't in bloom yet :( I think I was like maybe a week early!
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| Willing the bluebells to bloom right there and then! |
I wanted to go to Brooklyn Museum too which is right next to the gardens, but wanted to make it to the Kara walker thing before I had to go to the airport.
I made it to the Domino sugar refinery and there was a big queue, I was panicking but it went super quick! And it was totally worth it the Work was AMAZING!!! I wont talk about it too much here as I will write a whole blog on the art I got to see, but oh my, I am so glad I got to see it.
I had made good time so decided to walk back via the Williamsburg bridge, which was lovely but my feet were not happy.
And then it was time to leave, subway back to the airport. The airport was so busy and confusing and left me no time to souvenir shop (so sorry to those that didn't get any!).
I made my flight though and a great trip back. sat right at the back of the plane between two northern ladies, one from Wigan one from Barnsley. Our shutter didn't work and the lass from Barnsley told the air steward 'we can't shut us window'. I nearly pissed myself, I don't know where the air steward was from but I am 150% sure it wasn't Barnsley, he couldn't understand her. But it didn't matter our cheeky northern charm and his in the air flirtatious ways meant he kept supplying us with wine and lager all flight and let us pick our meals first as by the time they get to the back there isn't any choice (by the way I had Chicken and rice, salad bread roll, crackers, brownie and snack of banana, yoghurt, dried cherries and chocolate muffin). They time flew by (LOL) having cheap laughs with these ladies (one thing I did when in NYC).
And that was that!
Had a blast and I would definitely return to NYC!
If you want to read more about the exhibitions/ art I saw GO HERE!
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