New York was never at the top of my destinations list. Mainly as the more I travel the more I realise how non-cityish I am. And New York is a pretty big city! The first day confirmed my feelings towards it. I wandered around in the drizzling rain and cold (although quite a nice step up in temperature from Iceland!) just checking out the city centre. Being on a super tight budget meant that I had to be choosy about the tourist attractions I went to. Aka look at them from a free distance... I walked along 5th Ave where all the fancy stores and flash label brands are, getting knocked over by tourists with the traditional dangling cameras and guidebooks in their hands as they swarmed to Times Square and the Empire State Building. All in all, my first impression wasn't that great.

BUT, when I left 5 days later I had a totally different view of the city. I think the best thing about New York is that there is definately something for everything. My New York wasn't the shopping or the sight seeing. Nor the shows on broadway or the fancy restaurants. Nope, my New York was not that. My New York was:

- the random markets. I loved walking around a corner to find a fresh produce market in a square somewhere or a crafts market in a park. Market atmosphere is always great and here was no exception.
- the friendly people. I had heard so many bad things about the attitude of the typical New Yorker but I was pleasantly suprised by their helpfulness. From the guy who I asked for directions at the airport who was heading the same way I was so showed me right to my subway stop to the hilarious lady at the laundromat to random people I got chatting to on the subway. Even when I guy whacked my legs purposely with his umbrella on the bus which was followed by a lady coming up to me to see if I was ok and to explain the guy wasn't very stable.
- Harlem. This was where my hostel was and I thought it was great. Such a diversity of cultures, people selling home-baked goods on the side of the road, specialty food shops for what seems like every country in the world, random parades, so many languages. Very cool!
- Central Park. Loved it. Lots of people running, cycling, rollar blading, walking rat-dogs. I sat and did some of my latest assignment under the shade of a big tree for a few hours.
- The Met Museum of Art. This was my one splash out and was definitely worth it. Absolutely giant and you could spend hours or days wandering around as there was so much to see. I stuck to the American wing, European paintings and the Pacific area (where I saw many artworks from Papua New Guinea and wondered if mum was seeing them too!).

I did manage to resist buying an 'I heart NY' shirt, a keyring, a giant pencil or a mug of New York. But, it was a cool city, you just have to find the right part.