I visited New York City the summer after I graduated from High School. I was 18 and had no idea where I wanted my life to take me. I knew that I wanted to explore more of the world and always had a camera attached to me. How could I make those things happen? It took me a long time to get there, but this trip really set the course for how I have lived my adult life. I came back and started to photograph landscapes more. I submitted the photos to the Utah State Fair and actively started searching for opportunities to display my photographs. My cousin got wind of my pursuits and gave me an all-nighter session on the benefits of owning your own business and how I could easily start my own photography business. After that night it was on! I registered my business as BEM Photography, LLC and started to take portrait photographs of my friends to get more experience, and the rest is history. Even though this trip was back in 2009, I had to add write about it, because it was such a pivotal moment for me. The details may be fuzzy, but I still remember the energy of the city and how contagious it is!
We stayed in Newark, New Jersey and took the train into the city. This was the cheaper way to go and also allowed us to experience public transportation like a New Yorker. I remember being blown away at how fast you could hop from state to state. From Salt Lake City it takes 2 hours driving time to get into another state, and I thought that was fast. 20 minutes on a train and you are at the World Trade Center going up an escalator into Manhattan.
Walking the streets I was memorized by how close the buildings were to each other and how beautiful and ornate the architecture was. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The west coast is full of new shiny buildings, but NYC was full of old brick and stone that had stood the test of time.
We saw so much in the 3 days we were there. If they had a Fitbit back than, I would have crushed my step goal every day from all of the walking we did trying to save money on taxis. We were determined to hit as many of the "must-dos" as we could. I don't remember what order we did all of them in, but I know we tried to keep things as close together as possible during the day so we weren't spending a lot of time in transit from one place to the other.
First up, I remember Central Park. How can you not go to Central Park?! It is an oasis in the city and so incredibly big it almost seemed out of place to see that much greenery amongst all the buildings. We stopped by the imagine memorial for John Lennon and saw the hotel he was shot in. Those places always give me an eerie feeling. But the imagine memorial was such a special place to pay homage to an iconic person.
Grand Central Station is somewhere else I really wanted to see. I can't exactly put my finger on why I was drawn there. But I felt like seeing everyone on their way to a new destination fills me with such excitement, I knew I had to witness it in real life. It also could be that Madagascar had just come out and when the animals are loose in the building was one of the best scenes. I told you I went there a LONG time ago.
The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island are a great way to get out of the craziness of the city and view it from afar. I loved seeing the Manhattan Skyline. We were able to get some history on how immigrants were welcomed to the US and some of the not so great things that happened. Historic places like this are one of my favorite things about exploring a new place.
Fifth Avenue is what fashion dreams are made of. Everything was so glamorous. Going into Saks Fifth Avenue was a little intimidating. But diamonds are a girls best friend and you have to go and admire all of the shiny things. Another thing I wanted to do was eat in Little Italy. It was so long ago, I can't remember the name of the place we ate, but it was delicious. I loved seeing Frank Sinatra everywhere, one of my favorite singers.
Of course you have to visit art museums while you are there. I went for the Museum of Modern Art and on the way I saw that there was a Museum of Sex, you have to right? MOMA was so beautiful and filled with art that was not what you would expect to see. But it also hosts Van Gough and Monet. I adore Monet and was loving life seeing these paintings up close. The Museum of Sex was just that. They had old sex toys and displays of different animals. I was so immature and spent the whole time giggling. If you can be mature you can learn a lot about the history of sex.
Rockefeller Plaza was something that I didn't think would be as memorable as it was. We did the Top of the Rock, which was absolutely terrifying to me. I am scared of heights and getting into an elevator that shows you how high you are about to go about killed me. Let alone stepping out onto the roof to view the city from an aerial view. Thankfully, I was able to gain my confidence and ended up enjoying myself and getting some amazing photos of NYC. Looking at it from the top it gives you another perspective of how close together all of the buildings really are.
I am a huge yankee fan, so of course, we had to go to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. It was so fun to see the old stadium in contrast to the new stadium. I also liked feeling the vibe of another area of NYC. The Bronx has some grit to it compared to Manhattan and isn't as crowded. I loved it and wish I could have explored more.
Last, of course you have to see Times Square. It's the gathering place for all significant events, we all love to watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve. Washington Square Park was something we stumbled upon. I was in heaven. When Harry Met Sally is one of my top 5 favorite movies and being in the place they first stop at in New York was my fan girl moment. In this same area we walked down the street where Carrie Bradshaw's house is in Sex & the City and also visited the sex shop where they discover the rabbit. It was a blast to see all of these famous places. This is the magic of NYC, everyone is drawn to it. There is so much history, beauty, and wonder. If it's on your bucket list, go immediately.
Comments