A New York Christmas

​Anyone who knows me might know that I have a terrible sense of direction. I would have absolutely no idea where north is, which is why it’s inconvenient for me when the GPS on my phone tells me to “head north”. And when I was at university, every time I needed to speak to a lecturer in their office it was like a new adventure, wandering the corridors, usually going round in circles. If you’ve ever driven with me you might have been subject to me making a wrong turn in a town I should really know, or repeatedly forgetting how to get to the same place. Maybe I’m just unobservant, I don’t know, but regardless don’t ask me for directions.

So with that in mind, you’d think spending Christmas in New York might not be the best idea for someone like me. It’s one of the busiest times of year there, and the city alone has almost twice the population of New Zealand. Surprisingly, New York is in fact the perfect place for someone like me. Granted, I was staying with the Shallcross family who are true New Yorkers and gave me the best advice, but nevertheless, this place was so easy to navigate!

My friend Maya had instructed me to get a yellow cab when I arrived at the airport. I asked her where they would be, but I didn’t need to because you cannot miss them as you walk out of JFK airport – there are dozens of taxis lined up, and all you have to do is walk up to the front of the line, tell the guy where you want to go and he directs you to a cab. So easy!

Then there’s the metro system, where (for me at least) I only had to take the 1, 2 or 3 train to get from the Shallcross’ apartment to downtown New York. Also, no matter where you get on or off, it’s the same price – so simple (and I believe London could learn a lot from that). But the best part of it all is the grid system that New York is built around. This means that the numbered streets go one way (and they’re in order), and the avenues run perpendicular. So, even when I got lost at 10th Avenue trying to find the World Trade Centre because I thought I knew better than my phone’s GPS, at least I knew which direction I needed to head to get back to 5th Avenue (towards 9th instead of 11th).

I’m sure not everyone will share my excitement at the logic of New York City’s transport and road system, so rest assured I did actually do some sightseeing. The Shallcross family (Maya, her mum Alison and siblings Anna and Eli) gave me the best advice to see the best sights of the big apple.

I had four full days in the city, and to say the weather on the first day was less than impressive is an understatement. But when you have the opportunity to visit New York you don’t really care. Fortunately, I managed to get in seeing Times Square (which was less square than I’d imagined), a spot of window shopping, lunch with Maya, the Empire State building and almost to the World Trade Centre (via my scenic detour) before it started raining. At that point the rain didn’t particularly worry me – “ground zero” had been something I’d wanted to see for a long time, and as I stood by the “North Pool” where the North Tower once stood I barely noticed the rain. It was such a moving experience, in a way that is hard to describe, standing where I knew so many people had lost their lives. Eventually I noticed how saturated I was getting, so I headed back to find the subway and get back to Times Square, where I decided it was time for an umbrella. An excessive $16 later I ventured toward Bryant Park which was deserted except for a bar, which I can only assume was usually a nice garden bar. So I took shelter and got a glass of bubbly to warm myself up, before deciding to call it a day and head back to Manhattan.

My second day of sightseeing consisted of a lot less rain and some much more comfortable shoes. I walked through Central Park, to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I took in exhibitions inspired by Egypt, Africa and Europe. I was quite amused when I saw a number of artworks by Rembrandt, because a little over a year earlier I was in Amsterdam and my friend and I chose not to pay to view his museum. Money well saved! After finding my way to the exit of the Met (harder than you’d think), I strolled down 5th Ave until I got to a few small shops…Bergdorf Goodman, Harry Winston, Saks 5th Avenue, Tiffany & co, and one or two others…After a little more window shopping, I headed to Rockerfeller Centre, and decided to go to the “Top of the Rock” – that was definitely money well spent. The view of New York was just breathtaking.

The next day was Christmas day, the second away from my family. Luckily, the Shallcrosses made me feel a part of theirs. We had the most relaxing day, eating good food, attempting to do a puzzle where all the pieces looked the same, walking through Central Park and drinking some bubbly Rosè. I also got to speak to my family for the second time in two days – once on their Christmas day and once on mine. It’s times like this that I truly appreciate technology!

My last full day in New York was Boxing Day, also known as Saturday in America. The one thing I really wanted to do before I left was to walk across Brooklyn Bridge, and Alison kindly offered to give up her day to show me around. It was incredible for me to be able to see that famous skyline, and get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty in the background. That was pretty special, but what I thought was more special was a little hidden gem that Alison showed me next. New York has a Hunger Memorial, dedicated to the Great Irish Famine. It is a small section of green amongst a whole lot of grey – it is made with stones, soil and plants brought in from Ireland and when you stand in the middle of it you have a clear view of the Freedom Tower. The contrast of two memorials representing different tragedies in close vicinity of each other was simply amazing. To end the day we walked along the edge of the Hudson River to the “Highline” – an old overground railway line that has been turned into a linear park, where the public can walk along elevated above the city. It is one of the many examples of the endless innovation that I was subjected to in New York. It is a city filled with people who think outside the box, and I was fortunate to see so many different examples of that.

My time in New York went far too quickly, but I couldn’t have had a better time. With it’s innovation, diversity, magic and of course logical layout, this city has stolen a little piece of my heart, and I can’t wait to get back to visit again.

Finally, thank you so much to the Shallcross family – you were so generous opening up your home to me, especially at Christmas time, letting me come and go as I pleased, giving me the best advice, and mostly making me feel like part of the family.

"One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years." - Tom Wolfe

That's all for now,

​Jordyn x