My final stop on my wanderings was New York. I stayed with family friends for the first few days in New Jersey – it was so great to see them and be part of a family again. It felt like being back in the America I remember from when we lived here – sitting on the porch watching the sun go down, fireflies fluttering by. I spent a few hours in the park we always walked in at Thanksgiving, lying in the sun under the US flag.
It’s very easy to get into the city from Montclair so I set about exploring. I have been to New York several times before so I have done a lot of the major touristy things, but there is still so much more to see. On my first day I revisited an old favourite – the High Line. The park runs along old abandoned railway tracks and gives you great views of many different New York neighbourhoods. Last time I was there only the first phase had been completed – it has since been extended so it is now a lot longer. I also visited a cool book shop – everything inside from posters to cassettes to zines and books was created by different artists. There were so many amazing things and they also have a studio with artists working in the shop.
When I next ventured in to the city I again saw some great art – this time at the final exhibition of a graphic design course Ben has been doing this summer. Ben’s stuff was great and I also got to see some of the work produced by other classes – everything from fashion to life drawing. There are so many incredibly talented creative people. I then popped in to The Strand bookstore just round the corner. With 18 miles of books I definitely could have spent a lot of time in there. They are definitely not Trump supporters – they were selling some great election merchandise.
For the last few days I have been staying in the city itself, a couple of blocks away from Central Park. The weather hasn’t been great – I managed to get absolutely soaked exploring the park, but I have really enjoyed being in New York again. I wandered round the park and explored the Met – they had an amazing fashion exhibition with several incredible Chanel and Dior couture dresses along with everything from an Ancient Egyptian temple to Tiffany glass and Monet paintings. I only saw a tiny proportion of the pieces on display and I was there for hours.
I spent the rest of my time in New York visiting some old favourites – Grand Central, Times Square and Union Square. I finished with an old family favourite – a 5 napking burger.
My time in the USA has come to an end. I have loved being back – seeing old friends and new, visiting new places and old favourites. I know I will be back again soon, as ever there is so much more to see.
a wandering almond 