The city that never sleeps
Back in 2016, I was living in Canada and I had two great friends with whom I used to hang out every day. In one of our meetings at our usual coffee place, we decided to plan a weekend trip to visit somewhere new. And then she came to our mind: the gigantic and gorgeous New York City. So it was settled, we all wanted to go there (only one of my friends had been there before) and we would have the chance to see a lot of these iconic places we usually see in movies.
So it was a Friday night, we took the bus for our 6-hour travel and we had planned a very detailed and fast-paced itinerary to fit all the places we wanted to see. We arrived there a little bit after 4 a.m. and it was just perfect. I mean, the city is not super beautiful at this time, there’s a lot of garbage on the streets and the smell is not at its best, but I got to see the city change through the whole day and her vibes for each moment.
It was 4 a.m. on a Saturday, I was at 8th Avenue with my backpack and it was overwhelmingly exciting. We had a quick breakfast at a McDonald’s and started exploring some parks nearby. We walked around a few places and then we arrived at Times Square. I’d never understood what was the big deal about it but, at the moment I got there, I just knew it. There was this vibe with possibilities and greatness that I can badly explain. We hang out there for a while and then moved on to follow our itinerary: we walked through the 9th Avenue, visited the Rockefeller, passed by a lot of magazines, and, finally, arrived at our Airbnb. It was just enough time for a quick shower and abandoning our backpack and then we were back in the street. We moved on to the Central Park, Columbus Circle, Lincoln Center, and then ended up back at the Times Square. And there she was, even more magic and breathtaking that I could ever imagine. I thought she was amazing during the day but, at night, with all those bright lights and energetic people, she becomes magical. I was taken by a feeling that anything was possible at that moment.
Our first day was as exciting as it was exhausting: we walked over 12 miles (20 km) to cover all our itinerary and I only realized how much it was on the next morning.
Sunday morning, beautiful day. Backpacks on and we headed to Roosevelt Island. To be honest, it was all about the tramway, I had never ridden one of these before, so it was a short and objective adventure. So we rode both ways of the tramway very quickly and then we went on to the subway. Next stop: Long Island ferry. Again, our goal was not the island itself, but to get a closer glance at the Statue of the Liberty. Yes, it was a very low budget trip, we were college students who wanted to see as much as we can but with no much money to spend. So we found alternatives to cover as much ground as we could. After that, we moved on to the Battery Park, the Financial District, Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Macy’s. Then we made our way to the Empire State and the Madison Square Garden. Finally, we were back at Midtown Manhattan, having dinner at Chipotle and waiting for our bus.
We went back to Montreal on Sunday night, slept on the bus, and arrived there around 8 a.m. It was Monday so we just had time to drop by our apartments, leave the backpacks, take a quick shower, and head to our research internships.
After all, it was an intense, insane, and unforgettable weekend. We did so many things in such a little time but it was all just perfect. Of course, I would like to go back to NY and take my time to visit all neighborhoods, eat at nice places, and enjoy things a little slower. But this first trip was the perfect presentation: I’ve met the city that never sleeps in a big hurry, with no long stops and no time to waste. As insane and intense as it was, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
