New York

New York is delight and distraction. It is everything that London is but more. Busier, brighter, louder. The sky is more blue, less grey. Every landmark, from every New York-based film and sitcom I have ever seen, is within sight. At the Wolcott Hotel on 4 West 31st Street, between 5th Avenue and Broadway, I meet sixty-nine other interns from the September intake. We are from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. A twelve-month adventure to embark on. Together. We learn to navigate the Manhattan Grid Map. We enjoy the view from the Empire State Building. We shop in Bloomingdale’s and wander through Central Park. We visit the Museum of Modern Art and go to concerts at Madison Square Gardens. We watch baseball games at the New York Yankees stadium and stand in silence at the Ground Zero Memorial. We ride yellow taxis around the city and take pictures with obliging NYPD officers. Together, we discover the magic of the city.

 

New York takes on a different character with every passing season. That is the beauty of the city. Every three months, separate and distinct. In autumn, I enjoy the warm days and the changing colours of the leaves. The spectrum of oranges, reds and browns, a gift from nature. A beauty to behold. On the weekends, we go apple picking upstate – because we can. The New York Halloween Parade is entertaining and theatrical, if somewhat alien to me. A pagan festival, never really marked in our household. It forces a memory of Eimear’s mum opening the front door to trick or treaters, a witch’s hat on her head, their black cat on her shoulder.

In winter, I discover the power of the wind tunnels that whistle through corridors between tall buildings. The city drops to temperatures that I have never before known. Running over Brooklyn Bridge carries with it a warning of black ice. My heart aches for the homeless who shiver outside the subway stations, missing teeth and shelter, frozen fingers and toes. The disparity between wealth and poverty is so extreme – too extreme. I eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving and enjoy the elaborate window displays of the department stores at Christmas. No expense or effort spared. New York knows how to do ‘festive’. It is just like the movies.

In spring, the city reveals a vibrant palette of colour. Flowers blossom and beautiful window boxes appear here, there and everywhere. The sun shines brightly and constantly, making sunglasses an essential accessory to every outfit. The city’s temperature normalises pleasantly and I enjoy brunches and walks and outdoor markets. On Easter Sunday, I visit St Patrick’s Cathedral, alone but not lonely. I thank God for this incredible year so far. It is in spring that I start to consider, seriously, a career in law. I am working and studying and socialising in this city, and I am surviving! New York has energised me. I will apply to study the law conversion course when I get back to London. I submit my application online.

Summer establishes itself with heat and humidity, oppressively so. Air-conditioned buildings provide intermittent relief. A unique moment when rooftop bars offer their space for cocktails and incredible views of the city. Pool parties, barbecues and outdoor cinemas, a few of the pastimes indulged in these months. Central Park, Bryant Park, Prospect Park, they all come alive. Outdoor concerts and festivals draw fun-loving crowds of which I am now a part. The highlight of my summer? A Café Wha? boat cruise along the Hudson River. Live music, an intimate venue. The rhythm gets me as I dance the night away. The sun refuses to set. I want this feeling to last forever.

 

In New York, there is not one single magpie lurking in any background, foreground or in plain sight. At the top of any apartment or commercial building, on any sidewalk or subway station platform. It does not sit on telephone wires, electricity pylons or tree branches. I do not think the magpie inhabits this city at all. Its absence makes me feel alive and free.

I leave my heart in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But it feels so good to be able to say that my year in New York was the #bestyearever.