It is better to travel well than to arrive – so said Buddha (apparently…). Well, I’m not sure I would 100% agree here, but travelling in style definitely has its perks. On boarding my plane to JFK, I cosied up in my British Airways club class booth, sipped my champagne and enjoyed a moment of peace after a couple of weeks of trying to cover two time zones at work, pack up my life and say goodbye to friends and family.

I enjoyed a delicious meal, far from the usual fare we are served on aeroplanes, starting with watermelon and feta salad, followed by beef with béarnaise sauce, potatoes and vegetables, and finished with dulce de leche ice cream. (see below).

 On arrival in JFK, I piled my (many) bags and guitar onto a trolley and hailed a cab to take me to my apartment in Midtown. The taxi driver put the radio on and “Best of my love” by The Emotions came on – it felt like I was in some corny film with this being the soundtrack to the start of my life in New York…

 My apartment is a short distance from the Empire State Building, with a view of the Chrylser building from my window so no complaints there!

I forced myself to do some unpacking and stay awake until around 10pm New York time, before passing out and then waking up starving at 7am. I showered and headed out in search of food, grabbing a cwoffee at Dunkin’ Doughnuts and then strolling up to Grand Central Station, enjoying the Sunday morning quiet. I went for a pastrami and swiss cheese pretzel roll- it turns out that Joey was right in Friends – the Americans definitely know how to make a sandwich.

Grand Central is where I will be commuting from to work every day and it definitely exceeded my expectations! With its arched ceilings, marble and chandeliers, with a selection of bars and restaurants, I’m sure there are worse places to start you day!

From there, I wandered to Bryant Park, which sits just in front of the Public Library. At 9am, it was relatively quiet, with a few people sitting on the many tables eating breakfast, enjoying a bit of greenery amongst the skyscrapers. 

Bryant Park

 I can definitely imagine myself coming back here for some peace and quiet on the weekends and also having a go on Le Carrousel.

After trying out a lively church that meets in a hotel ballroom near Penn Station, I stocked up on some food and toiletries, but it seems like you don’t get big supermarkets in New York so you end up paying much higher prices as a result. I was ready for lunch by this point and head out to get some Chinese food, along with a fortune cookie at the end- mine read: “Winning starts with beginning” – fairly appropriate for a new start in a new city. I had debated going to a place called Sarge’s deli- basically made for me- but having had pastrami for breakfast (which is their specialty), I’m going to save this one for another time. I can see why most people eat out here- you can almost buy a whole plate of food for the cost of one ingredient for a meal.

I went to check out the public library after lunch but unfortunately it was closed due to Labor Day weekend- unofficially the end of summer although it was still about 30 degrees today. However, I had some great bonding time with the two fierce lions which guard its entrance (Patience and Fortitude) when I ended up sheltering (along with about 80 other people) as the heavens opened for a huge storm, complete with thunder and lightening- who says it only rains in England?!

New York Public Library

 I’ll end with one last picture, which made me laugh as I was heading back to my apartment – short and to the point.

More exploring to come….