My journal from this day 30 years ago reads,
“Landed safe at JFK, took a bus to Manhattan, went to the J.W.T. Office for Lucinda’s key and took a taxi (cab) to the flat. When I arrived I couldn’t unlock the front door! Panic! They work differently here – a neighbor helped me, thank you God. Feel disoriented and insecure. Have I done the wrong thing coming here? Too Late now!’
A month earlier I had reached out to the J.Walter Thompson Company’s New. York Office for somewhere to stay while I was passing through New York. I had made a few friends over the phone and put an ad in the office newsletter. A lady, called Lucinda was getting married and with references from those I worked with, she was happy to have me stay in her Upper East Side apartment to keep it occupied while she was honeymooning.
“Manhattan is everything I ever imagined and so much more. Looks like I stepped into a movie set with yellow cabs, canyon-like streets and so, so many people. Very overwhelmed in such a busy city. Walked a ton, took the subway and enjoyed shopping for food – they gave it to me in a brown bag! Went to Bloomingdales to buy Berlin Wall dust.”
In the 10 days I was in New York, I spent hours walking through this amazing city, sight seeing iconic landmarks and taking in the American lifestyle for the very first time. Most of my life had been spent in a tiny village in England of 200 people, and the 2 years living in London had in no way prepared me for the hustle and bustle of New York. It seemed 1000 times bigger. One day after wandering around the vast Rockefeller Center, I walked into St.Patrick’s Cathedral, something I would never have done in my own country.
“I needed to feel safe for a while and broke down in tears as soon as I walked in. All my pent-up emotions came out and I prayed for the first time in years.”
Whether it was standing on the observation deck of the World Trade Center, looking up at the Statue of Liberty or walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, I soaked it all in. Eating bagels and pretzels as large as my head and being handed Haagan-Daz ice cream with the classic line, “Have a great day!” Everthing in this so-called English-speaking country felt so very different.
The deco buildings and more modern architecture appealed to me. The Empire State, the Chrysler, and Woolworth buildings were favorites. Having been surrounded by ancient buildings all my life, it was refreshing.
“Everything is so big, extreme and American. The Rockefeller Center had enormous eggs for Easter. A blow up Yogi Bear is hung outside Macy’s – such a difference to the stone lions of Trafalgar Square.”
“Watched a baseball game in Central Park – American’s get so enthusiastic over it!”
That last comment makes me laugh because today I am that crazy baseball parent, screaming for my youngest son who is a baseball-loving 2nd baseman!
A few of the girls from the New York office of J.Walter Thompson showed me some places around town. We drove to Queens, Brooklyn Heights, ate at their favorite restaurants, and saw a play together. It was eye opening to hear them share their perspectives as New Yorkers and their lifestyles compared to my experiences in London.
“There is so much more going on in New York than London. Wandered through Tribeca, sat in Washington Square – lots of crazy people. Met a Russian girl who had just landed in NY. You can feel and smell the subway through the vents. Steam really does come out of the holes in the streets here!”
New York is an amazing place. Today with COVID-19 these places I visited have become quiet. When this passes, I hope it returns to the life-filled city I remember.
After 2 wonderful weeks of enjoying New York, on April 27th, 1990, at 7am I boarded the first of many Greyhound buses and headed for the U.S. Capital – Washington D.C.