USA | New York City — November, 2013

Following a short stopover in Philadelphia, I arrived in New York. Unsure about public transport or shuttle options, I found a flyer listing taxi fares to Upper Manhattan. The cost was reasonable, so I jumped in and gave the address of the hostel. The driver asked for the cross street, and after a moment of confusion, I quickly realised this was standard in New York. Thinking back to years of television and movies, I replied with confidence: 103rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Bags dropped, I booked a walking tour for the following morning and headed to bed, unaware that Boston would go on to win the final game of the World Series that night.

The next morning began with a walking tour led by a local New Yorker. A subway ride downtown followed, passing the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot, before continuing on to Central Park. Autumn was still in full swing, with rich reds and oranges filling the park. After the tour ended, a small group wandered down Fifth Avenue toward Times Square, where flashing billboards and screens surrounded us on all sides.

A rest back at the hostel followed before getting ready for the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, one of the main reasons I had come to New York. The parade kicked off at 7pm and featured an eclectic mix of floats, giant puppets, and elaborate costumes. While wandering the streets, I spotted Richard Kind out and about, which was a great and unexpected celebrity sighting. No costume had come together for me that year, something I regretted after seeing the effort on display. Next Halloween. The hostel’s Halloween pub crawl followed and made for a late and memorable first night out in the city.

The following day required a bit of structure. The sheer size of New York felt overwhelming, so a plan was sketched out with key locations marked on a map. A subway pass sorted the logistics, and the Empire State Building became the main focus for the afternoon. A City Pass made skipping the line easy, and the views stretched endlessly in every direction. Sunset followed downtown, bathing the city in warm light before heading back uptown.

A new hoodie was picked up on the way back to the hostel before heading out again, this time to the Barclays Center. Watching the Brooklyn Nets take on the Miami Heat marked my first American sporting event. The atmosphere was electric, made even more special by seeing LeBron James play live.

Saturday brought another trip to Brooklyn on a hostel-led walking tour. Conversations along the way led to plans for a New York Rangers hockey game that evening. Tickets were booked at Madison Square Garden, followed by a late lunch in Times Square and then straight to the rink. Hockey proved fast, physical, and addictive to watch. One Rangers player scored three goals, triggering a traditional hat trick as hats rained down onto the ice.

A long night out followed, and Sunday started slowly. Plans to visit the Top of the Rock at sunset fell through after discovering it was sold out. A wander through downtown filled the afternoon, followed by another relaxed hostel pub crawl to round out the weekend.

Monday began with a visit to the 9/11 Memorial. A nearby church where firefighters and police had slept during the aftermath was the first stop, followed by the memorial itself. The experience was heavy, emotional, and deeply moving. That evening, the Top of the Rock finally worked out, offering an incredible view as the city lit up below, with the Empire State Building glowing in the distance.

Deciding to extend my stay in New York came easily. Plenty remained to be seen, including the Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Liberty Island, the High Line, Chelsea Market, and an NFL game. Days were spent moving between museums, with MoMA standing out in particular. Seeing Van Gogh’s Starry Night in person was a highlight, alongside works by Warhol and Monet.

Liberty Island and Ellis Island followed later in the week, offering a powerful look into the city’s immigrant history. Wall Street was explored on the return journey. Wandering filled the remaining days, along with two Broadway shows, Newsies and Big Fish, time spent in Hoboken across the river in New Jersey, and an NFL game watching the New York Giants take on the Oakland Raiders. One lingering regret was missing Waiting for Godot starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, a realisation that came too late. Grand Central Station became another highlight, its vast interior and constant movement capturing the rhythm of the city.

Eventually, it was time to leave. A flight back to Nova Scotia marked the end of my time in New York and the beginning of a new chapter in Canada.