New York

If I'm going to be brutally honest, I had quite low expectations for New York. I really wanted to go, but I thought I might find it a bit too commercial, a bit too busy - you're all probably aware that I'm always more of a fan of smaller cities full of independent businesses and small cultural hubs. Despite that, I loved every second - even the wild & scary moments.

The whole experience is really hard to articulate because so much happened, I saw so many things and experienced so many emotions - all with some of the most lovely and supportive people. Whilst travelling in such a huge group (with others from my university course) had definite disadvantages and anxieties attached to it - and I'm not afraid to highlight some parts that were more difficult for me - I wouldn't have changed any part of it. So here's the trip, complete with photos, which I felt worked as a rather wholesome way of documenting my adventures, both for my pals and my own personal perusal in the future.

We arrived on Monday 18th March after a very long and tiresome journey. We had a lot of difficulties with security and delays on the plane- but Emma, Char and I were raring to go and see the city as soon as we threw our stuff into our hostel room. Cue 'it's fun to stay at the YMCA'...

We'd planned to go to the Rockerfeller Center - home of the ice skating rink in Elf, lots of restaurants and bars all in a huge tower. It's also home to Top of the Rock, where you can see the New York skyline. You're taken up in a huge glass elevator which all felt a bit Tower of Terror-esque. Or Willy Wonka to Char and Emma, but I seem to find the ominous vibe in anything. Next thing we knew, we were on the 70th floor.

It’s very hard to articulate the view at the top of the Rockerfeller tower, especially at 10pm. You think you know the New York skyline and I was preparing myself to be a bit underwhelmed- but suddenly you’re up there, 850 feet above the city, and all you can see is little flurrying lights. The whole skyline is ablaze with little lights that dance around each other, flicker and blur into one. The Empire State is your familiar beacon and you feel a haunting sense of déjà vu. You’ve seen this skyline in every film and TV show, but suddenly it feels very real and tangible. You almost forget it’s a real place. Char, Emma and I just stared in shock out the window before we even got to the real view. Naturally, we took tons of pictures, but none of them can really sum up what we saw and the visceral fixation I felt. You’d think somewhere so built up and commercial would feel falsified and superficial, but there’s a definite vibe, and you really feel a ‘Something’ (yes, with a capital S). It’s really quite beautiful. Being a wannabe poet, my poor girlfriends had to deal with overemotional me being a bit overwhelmed by the view & spluttering (in as cringeworthy a way as you can imagine) ‘I just feel so many words, but I just can’t make them into lines.’

Maybe one day those words will manifest themselves into a poem. But at the top of the Rockerfeller Centre, during this whole emotional moment whilst we looked at one of the most sought-after and infamous views in the world, Char came out with a the best line of all:

“Y’know what - this is all really bad for the environment.”

Back to earth with a bump. I was completely reminded why we’re mates, and put right back in my place.

On our way back, we walked through Times Square - again, somewhere I thought I’d be underwhelmed by (and yes, it is just a glorified Piccadilly Circus) but you’ve seen it everywhere, and suddenly you’re breathing its polluted air and being blinded by its LED walls...it's pretty sick.

Being amongst those skyscrapers and following the little grid system is surreal. It’s actually a bit depressing if you think about it - the UK was formed mainly as settlements , so roads sort of developed as places did. NY was built for a purpose and built with a system in mind and everyone’s going around following the system and part of me deep down just wanted to walk diagonally just to feel a sense of autonomy. You don’t get desire paths there- a real British home comfort, which made me feel more out of my depth than I should have. I've just realised how much I'm overanalysing the emotional and psychological effect of the grid system in the USA. It's really not that deep, but it's definitely quite an interesting thought. However, this whole system with all its traffic lights did mean we could loudly yell 'I'M WALKIN' HERE!' in atrociously mediocre attempts at New York accents at any given opportunity. It never got old.

Until it did.

On Tuesday we were up and out pretty early, grabbing breakfast at a nearby deli to go on a bus tour of famous TV and film locations around New York. I was rather disappointed that the local deli didn’t offer a decaf roast (I mean come on. I know it’s New York, but not everyone can handle that much caffeine) but my muffin was second to none, so I forgive them.

The film and TV tour was great - led by our tour guide Max who gave out tootsie pops (so American) for those who got his quiz questions right. To see where the marshmallow man stomped his way through to Central Park in Ghostbusters, little flurries from scenes in The Devil Wears Prada and the climax of Elf were filmed was pretty cool. Even though anyone who knows me will be aware that I think Friends is the most overrated show of all time, I even quite liked going to see the eponymous apartment. Though naturally, I had to make our group photo outside it a LITTLE bit more me (cue slightly off Abbey Road poses).

We had a few hours spare to get a classic oversized slice of pizza from Luigi’s and have a little wander around before heading off to WNYC, a talk-based radio station and one of the most listened to stations in America. We had a really interesting and in-depth chat with two producers Annie and Bethel, and Tony who manages on-demand content. We spoke about the direction of the radio industry, the process of coming up with innovative and thought-provoking topics for shows and the generational differences in listening style. Although I am a music radio fanatic through and through, I loved having an insight into how a NY station is ran, particularly as WNYC is a public station (funded by donations/sponsorship) in a media landscape so dominated by commercial radio. Also as a fun fact- all stations east of the Mississippi begin with W, all that are west begin with K - eg KEXP. #weirdfactoid

By this point I was desperately craving my first beer in the city, and wanted to go for a proper American meal. After a quick nap at the hostel (this became a daily occurrence), we headed to Ellen’s Stardust Diner, where they sing and dance on the tables as you eat. Not my typical vibe, but hey, it's NYC, baby! My French toast was phenomenal, I enjoyed a Brooklyn lager (appropriate) and one of the first songs they sang was from Mulan, so I was actually truly in my element. Dom got to sing Grease to the whole restaurant (thankfully they chose him, because he knew every single lyric), and he may or may not have left his number for the rather attractive waiter who got him to sing. Yes Dom! The whole experience was so cheesy and naff in the best possible way - and was a far cheaper way of seeing some amazingly talented performers who will probably all end up on Broadway (you work at Ellen’s with the intention of being scouted out, and all tip money goes towards singing and dancing lessons. So our kind of spenny meal was ultimately for a great cause.)

After a few beers in a trashy Irish bar (necessary), we headed back to the hostel for a so-called ‘early night’ , ready to be in the studio audience for The View (like a US version of Loose Women) the following morning!

It was an early start getting to The View - and there was a lot of waiting around, as is expected with TV. There were multiple benefits, including the fantastic lighting in the studio (aren’t we vain) and the fact that Dom managed to represent us all having a chat to Whoopi Goldberg in the ad breaks...she even shouted us out on the live show (as Birmingham University, not Birmingham City University, but we’ll let it slide.) Again, go Dom. Yes, there is a hell of a lot of us. Try find me.

The rest of Wednesday was ours to roam freely, so we took a nice trip to Brooklyn. We took the subway (being the cool, cosmopolitan individuals we are) and had a wander around Target (after making about 3 different Vine references...naturally). On our walk towards Brooklyn bridge, we splintered off a bit. Emma went to get herself a tattoo - yes, I know, and I spotted a cool-looking bar called Hollow Nickel. Luckily, Char was up for getting the authentic Brooklyn experience, so we went in together. A real alternative haven - exposed brick walls, grassroots art, craft lager on tap and good tapas food, I happily ate some quesadillas and nachos with a Brooklyn Lager, and a few other crafty beers I wouldn’t be able to name. It had to be done, and was probably one of my favourite moments of the trip. It was beautifully sunny that day and spirits were really high as we were beginning to find our feet in the city.

Somehow, Dom found us the most beautiful view of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge, and we took some amazing photos. Again, the view seemed to appear out of nowhere, and I was a bit overwhelmed again (but that may have been the four beers helping). Here's Dom and I being a bit adorable.

That evening, we headed to Bubba Gump’s shrimp co for some frankly pretty overpriced and substandard food. But I did enjoy the decor there and got to make way too many crap and obscure Forrest Gump references so not all bad. Like peas and carrots again! But wouldn’t say it’s the ultimate place to visit - especially the one in Times Square- and there’s next to no veggie food ... lame.

12 of us were up early on Thursday morning - our last full day, to see Strahan & Sara - your US equivalent of Phil & Holly that goes on air after Good Morning America. I preferred this to The View, they brought dogs on stage in swimwear, fed us all amazing vegan food and chatted to us in the ad breaks. They wanted the crowd to have really high energy, which we mustered successfully, and Michael Strahan was great to chat to in the ad breaks... even offering me a job as a dog handler for the show. I found this extremely difficult to decline. Imagine if I just sacked everything off, moved to New York, lived in Brooklyn and worked as a dog handler on one of the most-watched chat shows in America. I wouldn’t be doing too badly for twenty one.

I’ve seen Graham Norton be filmed, and the main difference with American TV was the fact they went to an ad break every 7 minutes, which got old pretty quickly. I don’t know how they hack that many commercials over there, I’d just lose my patience altogether.

After a quick trip to Lush NY to see my Lush family over the pond and taking Jemma to the Apple store to get a brand new iPhone (they’re miles cheaper over there), I had one of my best culinary experiences in New York, an incredible bagel at Build A Bagel on Lexington Avenue. Envision this: cream cheese, tofu and spring onions piled high on a sesame seed bagel. TOASTED. It was absolutely huge. I don’t even like cream cheese that much, but it was unreal and they even offered vegan cream cheese, so it was a win all round.

My final media-style trip was to Warner Music Group on Broadway. I was fascinated by our chat with Lori Feldman who helps run the syncing and promotion part of the company - essentially, she’s sent a brief for the sort of track a production company want for an advert, game or TV show- and she has to find the perfect track for it on their roster. This is an actual career, and it sounds sick. We had another chat about radio promotion with Tommy Nappi, a VP, the importance of live sessions and authenticity arose as a topic alongside adapting to the new radio landscape. Authenticity....live sessions...hipsters... hey, I can talk about that!

And of course, I had to get a good photo with the Warner music sign as they’re obviously going to sign me as one of their major up-and-coming rappers in a matter of months...

That night, Emma and I continued the music theme and headed out to a gig in Brooklyn with the whole gang of lecturers with us. I’d said from the outset, since I decided I was going on the trip in October, that I wanted to experience a gig in NYC, so this had been a long time coming. We were going to see a band called DILLY DALLY - who I’d describe as post-punk. Kind of a female-led Pixies? It was absolutely tipping it down the entire night, meaning that getting our tickets from the box office (seeing as they hadn’t sent us e-tickets as promised) turned out to be quite a soggy affair. I don’t think my passport will ever fully recover from the shower it received. Before the gig, Emma and I decided to just find a random bar to drink at, with no prior plan. Emma’s haphazard methodology resulted in another great quote of the trip.

Emma: Okay. Let’s find a bar. Pick a number between 1 and 4.

Me: 4.

Emma: Okay...that means West!

Me:

Emma:

Me:

Emma: This seemed like a great idea until I realised we don’t have a f***ing compass.

Eventually, we found a Thai restaurant that happened to have a POOL in the middle. Yes, an actual pool, with flowers floating through the middle. It was pretty alright. So lesson learned: just do no research and find a random bar that looks cool, and it may work out perfectly in your favour.

After sinking a few pints and our lecturers joining us, we went to the gig. I mean, the band could’ve been dreadful. I was at a gig in Brooklyn. I had some really great and deep conversations with my lecturers, and a proper laugh. This actually really meant a lot to me, after all, I'm about to graduate and might not see them all for a while (or ever), so solidifying that they genuinely thought I was a pretty safe individual to sink a few drinks with was really lovely. We met the singer after the gig whilst we were all a bit tipsy, and got a nice photo. I’d say the band weren’t the best I’d seen them - they lacking energy a little bit, but they could have played an awful set and I still would’ve had the best time. Here's Music Industries lecturer Matt Grimes, me, Katie Monks (lead singer and guitarist from DILLY DALLY), Emma (chaotic friend) and Poppy Wilde who lectures in Media and Digital Cultures. Also - Music Hall of Williamsburg is a fantastic venue if you ever have an opportunity to go.

That night ended with Emma and I in another trashy bar to meet a load of friends, and bedtime being around 5am. It was our final night after all.

Feeling a bit worse for wear the next day, we felt IHOP (the undisputed place to get pancakes) was the best option. I have to say, they were pretty unreal and I kind of wish I could have them every day. Perfectly fluffy. Here's Dom and I looking a bit under the weather...but still very much up for our pancakes (...well, I was. And he did finish his omelette and hash browns. Again, go Dom). I look back on this photo with a sense of bitterness, because I was too hungover to fully appreciate the highbrow cuisine in front of me.

We’d planned to go to the 9/11 memorial and museum that day. Even though we weren’t feeling 100%, we wanted to stick to our word. Emma, Dom and I went together on the subway, all feeling a bit tetchy, nervous and headachy.

Then when I got there and saw the large square fountains where the towers once stood, I suddenly didn’t feel hungover at all. It was completely sobering. In one of the busiest cities in the world, everything felt silent. It was jarring.

By the new World Trade Center, they have constructed two huge square fountains that lie about 30 feet deep in the ground and serve as memorials. The names of all the victims are engraved around the edges.

You can sense the torment and pain felt there and deep down you feel something. You look down at your feet and know someone completely innocent died there. That someone jumped from above to die more quickly. That someone from the emergency services ran into the building knowing they may never run back out of it. And you hear sirens in the distance from the ambulances driving around the city, you close your eyes and it all seems very real and recent. I was brought to tears, watching the water flow down the side of the fountains with such a sense of melancholy and quiet resilience.

And then you remember how whilst the victims of this tragedy get this worthy memorial, innocent people die every day in other countries, and we don't say a word.

The museum was fascinating and overwhelming - you really need to mentally prepare yourself for it. I’m so glad I went but would love to spend more time there to fully take it all in.

That was the last thing we saw before heading back to the hostel to grab our bags and leave. Tired but happy, I looked at the New York skyline one more time on the coach, knowing I’d be back at some point. I really fell in love with the city, completely unexpectedly. You wouldn’t ever think it to be my kind of place, yet it completely was.

But most of all, through the whole trip, we all really had each other’s backs. With such a mixed bag of us, we all had different things that made us tick. Some had severe plane anxiety, some struggled with public transport. Personally, the things that make me anxious are unexpected changes, being out of routine and a lot of social anxiety too. Being around a huge group all day every day was really really difficult for me - but it got a lot easier when we arrived and splintered off into little groups. I like having my own little routine & going away does really mess with that; I am a homebody at heart who loves her home comforts.

I remember seeing a massive group of other students that I know, but not all necessarily well, arriving at the airport and my heart thudding in my chest. I hate pre-established groups of acquaintances. I never thought I was a socially anxious person as I’m so gregarious, seemingly confident and generally really happy when around other people, but that feeling of dread and nervousness I always dismissed as general anxiety. I was so fortunate to have friends on the trip who could sense when I’m feeling anxious or down & would gently nudge me, check I’m okay and give me a hug. Dom would just be able to say 'Ella, you're anxious. Come here,' and knowing someone was aware of it just helped. I was blessed with the best roommates in Jemma, Emma and Char.

Kind of rambling at this point, but if you can take anything from this let it be that you will continue to surprise yourself every day. Whether it's that you really like sushi, have fallen in love with a city or have realised you can handle 6 days straight in a huge group of people, you can hack more than you think. Your comfort zone is there for a reason, and beyond it is there for a reason too. If we don't challenge ourselves, we don't really know what we're capable of.

And that was New York (what a city) and not really overrated at all. Sorry this has been a longie. Thanks so much for reading.

Hugs,

El xxx