Thursday - Epic day

Well, I'm lying. Not technically Epic. That afternoon, Tim goes to the convention centre near Hell's Kitchen, and I walk with him. He's there for a Graphic Novel presentation, about how important they are to the industry, the rise of Japanese imports (Manga) and so on. We had a latish start because our feet were already feeling the strain from yesterday.

Leaving Tim at the convention centre after a breakfast of overpriced Starbucks and bran muffin, I head back up the road, ignoring the many taxis in front of the building. Well, it didn't feel that far when I walked down the hill...such as it is for New York.

I'm halfway to Madison Square Gardens when I realise I have to find somewhere to rest, and luckily I'm pretty much at Macy's!

The plan today had been to look at all the shoes, clothes and girly stuff that I've been eying since I arrived here. Sadly, by now I don't feel good at all. My screaming feet rule out the shoe-shopping - even though I force myself to the top floor at Macys and go 'oooh'. As for buying anything else...I get a little overwhelmed. I wander around Macys a little longer, debating whether I should buy any MAC eye shadow or a skirt just to have the Macys bag!

Then suddenly it's almost 3pm, and I'm due to meet Tim at the hotel by 6pm. And I haven't eaten yet. I should mention here that neither of our phones have been set up to work in AMerica - no voicemail, and Tim's we only switch on to call abroad. I'm pretty tired and hungry by now anyway, so I decide to return to the hotel and relax in the sweet sweet warmth of our room.

In retrospect, I really shouldn't have eaten that falafel from the New Jerusalem diner, which sets off a headache an hour later. I conk out to the sound of Seinfeld on the telly (which has HBO, yay!) and wake up about fifteen minutes before Tim gets back.

The shopping day is a bit of a bust, but the nap has helped, and we hang out together for a bit with me reading the literature from Tim's meeting, while he relaxes and tells me about it.

Just over an hour afterwards, we pluck up the strength to go looking for food, and go to 'the biggest TGI's in America', which is within walking distance within Times Square.

Here, we have delicious Jack Daniels sauce smothered steaks, tender and juicy! The couple Long Island teas (not iced for some reason) smooth out the end of what was an annoyingly ragged day.

To make the ending a total no-brainer, we visit the cinema next to the Hilton. It's showing new movies, Ghost Rider and Epic Movie. For some bizarro reason we pick the latter. It's lame! No surprises there, but we go to sleep untroubled by things like, er, plot or narrative structure. And Kumar's in it...

Oh, and even more bizarrely, my Comic Con pass puts me down as 'creator'. This could be embarrassing (!) but it's also a good sign for the future.

Wednesday - Shopping and Soho

We're delighted that the Subway was so simple to use, and this morning we bought a one-day metro pass to save our feet. Our plan is to take another look at Greenwich Village. I love this part of town as its buildings are more of a European size! There's a greater sense that's everything's within comfortable reach, and it's full of interesting shops. After dinner at a comfortable chain restaurant named Chicago..something, we find our way to St Marks Comics, along St Mark's Street. I pick up a cute Thunderbirds model. As I buy it, the girl behind the counter compliments me on my hat! Tim admires the comics and statues but doesn't buy anything. St Mark's is also home to some famous music shops and several of the grungier boutiques.

That day we also find a pub in Greenwich that is definitely fond of An American Werewolf in London. See the picture below. The fangirl in me cheers loudly! It's not really a pub you'd go into, though...the locals were unfriendly in the film! Seeing it here baffles me all the same.

The Slaughtered Lamb Pub. Providing the oppertunity to quote-til-annoying 'Where's the Lamb?'. Look, just go and watch American Werewolf in London, okay?

After a pleasant afternoon in Greenwich, we explore New York's Forbidden Planet (another comics shop) Virgin Records, and a gaming shop - all as research before the comic convention.

Then we take the subway back to the Rockefeller Centre.

Our feet are throbbing at this point. We notice that lots of people have the black Ash Wednesday cross on their forehead, probably having gone to the ceremonies after work. That means it was Shrove Tuesday yesterday. I feel very pancake deprived!

Absolutely exhausted, I get pizza slices and a gooey piece of cheesecake from the pattisserie in Times Square, and try to plan what I'll do tomorrow.

Tuesday - Liberty Island

Beautiful Statue of Liberty. View from the side of the island where we arrived on the ferry, and the black thorns look a bit like barb wire surrounding her. Very deep. I like her toga.

The front of the Statue in all its glory

The Statue of Liberty

The days are going more quickly! After an easy-going start and a good breakfast we're out into the surprisingly non-freezing streets. Cheered by the increased warmth, Tim and I go to Madison Square Gardens to try and get tickets for that night's Knicks Game (basketball, for those who don't know, like us!). When there aren't any tickets together left - and we did try and buy earlier, but non-Americans aren't allowed - we take the tour again. Hopping out after the World Trade Centre site, the bus eventually brings us around to Liberty Island. Here we can swap tickets to catch the ferry over to Liberty, although the guy we're supposed to swap with goes AWOL and we have to wait for the next bus to appear - after thoroughly searching Battery Park - before the guy appears and we can get aboard.

The ferry ride was fun and not too crowded, so I take loads of pictures of Liberty as the ferry circles the island and drops us off on the opposite side. It's an impressive site - Liberty is frozen in a half-march towards NYC, and the details of her robes as they flow are something I've never seen before. I continue taking hundreds of pictures. The sky is overcast but the air's considerably warmer - if we'd come here yesterday it would have been really bleak.

The obligatory gift shop turns up some fridge magnets and mugs, inside what feels like a marquee. I'm still searching for a baseball but there still aren't any. I'm saving my t-shirt money for one of those $10 for 7 shops I've seen all over the place near Times Square.

Me and pet hat in front of Liberty. Expert photography c/o Tim

The real headache comes when we leave the island. It's almost 5pm when we leave, and getting darker and cooler again. This wouldn't be a problem if there was a bus waiting to collect us, but it doesn't show for ages. When it does turn up, there's no room ,adn people are hopping mad. We give up on the tour bus and head for the tube. The tube is easy to use, and we're back at Times Square in ten minutes! And we're warm!

We return to the hotel room that evening to check our photos of Liberty and relax til tomorrow.

Monday

Empire State!
Well, first of all, we get tickets with a travel company, who turn out to be the least-reliable bus service in New York. Their guides are okay, though. The tour takes us to Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Soho, where I get pics of the Bitter End club where Woody Allen and Joan Rivers got started. Apparently there's an Apple store in the area, which we eventually find. And thank heaven we do, because I, sadly, was starting to feel like I'd lost an arm.

Then we find a stop where we can hop back on the bus. At this point, we are still too nervous to use the tube. Believe me, not as bad as you'd ever imagine (given that it's scary as hell in most movies, it isn't remotely as intimidating as you'd think). I spend a lot of time here staring longingly into clothes shops. Greenwich is home to all kinds of designer boutiques. There are so many shops with so many PRETTY things!

Well, shoes first, and Old Navy jeans so I can have a non-shredded pair. And Tim badly needs some that aren't totally wearing out. men and clothes....dur.

It's still President's day, too, so New York isn't going at full throttle. By the evening we've meandered our way back to the Empire State, ever glad of a lit from our tour company, and they drop us off at the lobby. With their tickets we hop ahead onto the shorter line. Tim is briefly stopped during the mandatory security checks, mainly because they don't scan coats separately in the Emprie State but make you walk through repeatedly. Tim finally takes out the English money in his pocket and we're through to the first of two sets of elevators.

The elevators really aren't designed for masses of tourists! We squeeze in with the others and got up the first level and out at a floor that still looks like it's being built. Signs promise further dvelopment. My ears have almost finished popping, and we go past a big green screen where our photo's taken. Which we don't ever buy (me looking squat in my new hat, and Tim a taller dark shape huddled beside me. Not out mpst photogenic hour). So, we hustle to the top - the observatory on the 82nd floor!

We may have chosen the COLDEST day so far to go up here, and the wind doesn't let you forget it. People peer over the edge beyond the bars, staring across Manhatten. it's very impressive,. The Flat Iron - my favourite building - looks perfect at the foot of the Empire State. We wander around the truncated space - where half the platform is cut off by ropes and warning signs. This isn't so clear from inside the shop where loads of people try and force their way out the locked side marked exit.

I confess I don't entirely enjoy it up there. I'm glad to have gone and seen everything, I just felt claustrophobic and a little numb from taking everything in. We must walk four or five miles, or more, each day we're here, and there's a lot to absorb. I get a few souvenirs, though. It's an illusion of having a piece of the man-made mountain to take home. I understand the reasoning behind getting tat from these gift shops, now. I lived in Cornwall most of my life, and never saw the point of the touristy crap in shops, but now I really get the 'But when will I be here again?!' principle.

So, tat bought, Tim and I go to the Heartland Brewery restaurant at the foot of the Empire State, and refuel. Two delicious steaks marinaded in Jack Daniels sauce later, we're pretty satisfied with our day and head back to the hotel to collapse.

Monday - Pictures from the Tour and the Empire State Building

The view from the top of the Empire State Building. A gorgeous late winter afternoon

Entrance to the Empire State Building, as seen from our tour bus

The staggering height of the Empire State. We could see its lights from Queens as we drove from JFK airport

The Bitter End comedy club, where Woody Allen and Joan Rivers had their starts

A dizzying view from below the Empire State Building. Obviously.

The amazing Flat Iron building, my favourite piece of New York architecture.

Empire State!

Well, first of all, we get tickets with a travel company, who turn out to be the least-reliable bus service in New York. Their guides are okay, though. The tour takes us to Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Soho, where I get pics of the Bitter End club where Woody Allen and Joan Rivers got started. Apparently there's an Apple store in the area, which we eventually find. And thank heaven we do, because I, sadly, was starting to feel like I'd lost an arm.

Then we find a stop where we can hop back on the bus. At this point, we are still too nervous to use the tube. Believe me, not as bad as you'd ever imagine (given that it's scary as hell in most movies, it isn't remotely as intimidating as you'd think). I spend a lot of time here staring longingly into clothes shops. Greenwich is home to all kinds of designer boutiques. There are so many shops with so many PRETTY things!

Well, shoes first, and Old Navy jeans so I can have a non-shredded pair. And Tim badly needs some that aren't totally wearing out. men and clothes....dur.

It's still President's day, too, so New York isn't going at full throttle. By the evening we've meandered our way back to the Empire State, ever glad of a lit from our tour company, and they drop us off at the lobby. With their tickets we hop ahead onto the shorter line. Tim is briefly stopped during the mandatory security checks, mainly because they don't scan coats separately in the Emprie State but make you walk through repeatedly. Tim finally takes out the English money in his pocket and we're through to the first of two sets of elevators.

The elevators really aren't designed for masses of tourists! We squeeze in with the others and got up the first level and out at a floor that still looks like it's being built. Signs promise further dvelopment. My ears have almost finished popping, and we go past a big green screen where our photo's taken. Which we don't ever buy (me looking squat in my new hat, and Tim a taller dark shape huddled beside me. Not out mpst photogenic hour). So, we hustle to the top - the observatory on the 82nd floor!

We may have chosen the COLDEST day so far to go up here, and the wind doesn't let you forget it. People peer over the edge beyond the bars, staring across Manhatten. it's very impressive,. The Flat Iron - my favourite building - looks perfect at the foot of the Empire State. We wander around the truncated space - where half the platform is cut off by ropes and warning signs. This isn't so clear from inside the shop where loads of people try and force their way out the locked side marked exit.

I confess I don't entirely enjoy it up there. I'm glad to have gone and seen everything, I just felt claustrophobic and a little numb from taking everything in. We must walk four or five miles, or more, each day we're here, and there's a lot to absorb. I get a few souvenirs, though. It's an illusion of having a piece of the man-made mountain to take home. I understand the reasoning behind getting tat from these gift shops, now. I lived in Cornwall most of my life, and never saw the point of the touristy crap in shops, but now I really get the 'But when will I be here again?!' principle.

So, tat bought, Tim and I go to the Heartland Brewery restaurant at the foot of the Empire State, and refuel. Two delicious steaks marinaded in Jack Daniels sauce later, we're pretty satisfied with our day and head back to the hotel to collapse.

Sunday

So...tired.....

We conk out and relax until midday, when we struggle out to the FlatIron building, and make the mistake of trying a White Castle burger meal deal (damn you Harold and Kumar)!! Not. A. Good. Idea. Consequently, unable to eat anything else all day... Feel better after a gallon of green tea from Starbucks, then we walk back via the beautiful Chrysler Bulding, and walk down an Avenue that's surprisingly sheltered from the Arctic winds. A nice second day in the city, and we promise ourselves a proper tour tomorrow.

We're here!

My first site of the classic New York Central Park horse and carriage ride (as seen in Ghostbusters)

More lovely snowfields in lovely Central Park West

Me, wrapped up warm on our first trip into Central Park

It's the stone Lion outside New York Public Library on 5th Avenue, very close to our hotel. The lion is also in the very first shot of Ghostbusters. See a theme developing?

We're here! Look - yellow cabs! (Outside Central Park again).

Tim and I landed in New York on a dark Friday evening. As we landed, the orange lights surrounding the river looked like molten lava trickling into the city. While the plane searched for aparking space, it was shocking to see the enormous piles of dirty grey snow that looked like sand at first, all over the runways. It took a dispiriting hour and ahalf in a lengthy que to get through customs, and then we grabbed our cases and hailed a cab.
Getting to Times Square took about thirty minutes. We went through a tunnel from the Queeens side of town. The cab smelled a little ripe, with a background soundtrack of reggae and kettle drums as we caught glimpses of the glittering Chrysler building, and the impossible-to-miss gleam of the Empire's spire on the island.
Leaping out at the Hilton, it was all a big as we had expected, and the neon was even brighter. It reminded me of the late-night mini-cities outside Universal Studios, only much much colder and less crowded!

DAY ONE:

Saturday.

Tim and I walked for ages, originally intending to head for Madison Square Gardens, for some reason we took a detour and wandered around Central Park. It's covered in snow, and there were sledders of all ages hurtling down the banks towards some extremely sturdy trees. We watched the extremely tame squirls (sic) for a bit, and enjoyed the fresh air and the excercise.

Much excitement came from seeing both the Tavern on the Green, and later the New York Public Library from Ghostbusters (tick those off now)! We had a decent breakfast, and didn't feel remotely hungry even before the show this evening.

This evening we went off-Broadway to enjoy the last performance (for now) of Evil Dead: The Musical. Possibly THE FUNNIEST SHOW EVER! We were exhausted after our hiking all day, and our feet had almost recovered by the time we went out. We were glad we found the energy, because the show did not disappoint. Aimed squarely at those who've seen the original movies FAR too often (hands up, the two of us) it's a good-natured piss-take of all things Deadite, with a wonderful actor playing the doomed Ash, and musical numbers that will stay in your head, so that soon you're urging others to JOIN US and catching this whenever you can! Not quite as bloody or noisy as I was really expecting, the blood eventually flowed and cheerfully spattered the first tthree rows of the audience! They were all wrapped in plastic. Tim and Iu were quite far back, but that just meant we screamed encouragement even louder. The makers got it all right - especially the use of important quotes, taking the piss out of dumb decisions, and highlighting a latent homoerotic attraction between Ash and the other bloke in Evil Dead 1....hmmm, something I'll have to rewatch....

Then, still not hungry but full up on mini-Oreos (ah hah...) we staggered back to the hotel and fell asleep to the sound of CNN.

Last night...at last

Well, this whole week has been interesting. From an insane drive to tidy up the house (where did that come from?) at the weekend, to suddenly getting the offer of a job interview in London (woo hoo!), it's all sort-of piled up at once. We can only hope that this is a good thing, but I can't worry about any more right now because - we're leaving tomorrow!

Yup, the 9 days left has shrivelled to mere hours, and Tim and I will be across the Atlantic this time tomorrow. This is good, and I'm even almost packed, and then we'll be off!

I may want to invest in some thermals to avoid bulking up, however, because this is the weather report for the next ten days: COLD! According to www.uk.weather.com at least. And this chilly picture from the New York Times!
It's starting to look like something from The Day After Tomorrow!
Okay, minus the icy tidal wave...and Donnie Darko. Hehe.

I'm feeling very tired though, and it's too bad that Tim's still finishing his work. Deadlines are a bitch right before a holiday! I hope there's a chance to relax once we actually reach the city.

So...where's my passport again?

A week before the trip 16-27 February 2007

First of all, I'd like to clarify that the 'Haunted' reference in this blog is only to tie it with 'Jo's Haunted House' and what I hope to be several other blogs in order to spread my creative juices all over this tiny section of the vast internet.

It might work, it might not, and I could change it to something else entirely, but I'll stick with 'Haunted' until a more vivid word gets my attention.

So, boyfriend Tim and I are due to visit New York City in exactly 7 days.

Getting There


Taking a Virgin Transatlantic flight on the 16th February, and then staying at the Hilton Times Square until Monday 26th February.

This site is more for friends and family than anything else, and also for me to think about what I'm doing and discipline myself into keeping a journal like this. It'll be a little piece of proof that I can do it. I think this means I'll be visiting the Apple Store in New York every couple days! Or at least writing down more than I did on the LA trip!

Reasons for Trip

• It's New York!
• I've never been there before
• Tim hasn't been there in 10 years
• There's a BIG comic convention !
• There are shoes as far as the eye can see...
• It's New York!!!!!

It's also the setting for almost all my favourite movies. Unlike LA, where everywhere seemed vaguely familiar in a 'it was on 24' kind of way, New York contains dreams. Bear with me. It contains the films that have been created inside it, from Breakfast at Tiffanys to Leon. Oh, and definitely Ghostbusters!

Site that will be extremely useful: Movie Locations ! Where I've just read that Mary Jane from Sam Raimi's Spiderman worked at the Moondance Diner, 80 Sixth Avenue at Grand Street. I think we'll be eating there! Particularly during Comic Con week !

Another Sam Raimi connection comes from the show we've booked to see on the first night there. It's the last showing of Evil Dead: The Musical . It is about the only thing that would make me willingly attend a musical!

Another comic book link for the visit is the picture Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth.

This is at the Museum of Modern Art, and it's got a link to Preacher, as well as being a very cool picture in its own right.

I can't wait, and I'll be adding updates as often as I can.

Or I'll be enjoying myself too much until I get back!