2Summers in New York City
I took an Amtrak train from Baltimore to New York City.
Upon arrival, I climbed from the depths of Penn Station up into the forest of skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan. I walked to the taxi stand and told the first driver in line that I needed to go to Brooklyn.
My cab driver, a friendly young man named Mark, was a New York City original. Mark told me about his troubled childhood, how much he loves the bible, and how he “used to be gay” before discovering Jesus and starting a new life as a straight man.
I learned all of this, and more, within 90 seconds of getting into the cab.
“Can you hear me back there?” he called, peering in the rear-view mirror. “Move over a bit so I can see you.”
Mark spent the remaining 30 minutes of the drive imploring me to read the bible. My guess is 99% of his passengers shut him down rudely (which I was tempted to do), or simply ignore him (which I was also tempted to do), and he was excited beyond belief that I was even listening (I was being polite, and maybe a little curious).
I wasn’t sure how to respond to Mark. Luckily I could hardly get a word in, even if I wanted to.
“I was meant to meet you today Heather, I know it,” Mark said as I hefted my bags from the trunk. “Read your bible, okay? Just read your bible.”
I thought: New York is so much crazier than Joburg.

Although I grew up only a few hours from New York City, I’ve regrettably spent very little time there. I hadn’t been there at all since starting this blog. So on my most recent trip to the States I made a point of scheduling a couple of days in the Big Apple. I spent an afternoon in Manhattan with my father and aunt soon after flying in from Joburg, then two days at an Airbnb in Brooklyn two weeks later before flying out.
Images of New York City
I dreamt of leaving New York with a beautiful, iconic set of photos to share in this post. But I feel strangely dissatisfied with the pictures I shot. Despite being a visual and sensory bonanza, New York is harder to photograph than I expected. Maybe I just need to spend more time there on my next trip. Or maybe I’ll never be able to visually capture this befuddling, bewitching city in the way I actually experience it.
Anyway, here are my favorite shots.


Looking up at One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It was cloudy that day so we decided not to go to the top, although now I wish we had.





2Summers in Brooklyn
I was pleased with my decision to stay in Brooklyn (one of New York City’s five boroughs) for a couple of days. Brooklyn has such an interesting mix of cultures, and while it’s definitely still part of the big city it feels more liveable than Manhattan does. Depending on where you stay it doesn’t take long to get into Manhattan via subway. I stayed in Bed-Stuy, near the Myrtle-Willoughby station on the G line.






Until the next trip to New York, when my quest for the perfect Big Apple photo will continue.
I landed at Penn Station, too, and was utterly befuddled as to whether I was heading “uptown” or “downtown,” because that’s what the signs say. I asked the cops, and they gave me blank looks before asking me for the street address. BTW, Harlem is definitely uptown. :)
I like your photos. Especially the turquoise house.
Hahaha, thanks. I had also never Ben clear on the geography of Nee York before this trip. I’m much more confident now after spending a couple of days there on my own.
So sorry for people who have to walk through Penn Station as their first impression of NYC, it really is a hellhole. I am also originally from Westchester County like your aunt so I grew up pretty much in NYC’s backyard and so glad I got to commute through Grand Central instead of Penn Station. It is too bad they tore down the original station to make room for Madison Square Garden. If you google old pictures of the station, it really was beautiful. Grand Central escaped a similar fate in large part due to Jackie Kennedy’s conservation efforts to designate the station as a NYC landmark.
And it’s probably best you didn’t ask to photograph any of the Hasidic Jews you saw. Some of them actually work in my building, the men always have long overcoats, big beards, and those top hats. They tend to stick among their own and don’t really mingle with people apart from their own community, it’s pretty insular. It’d be like trying to photograph the Amish who notoriously don’t like to be photographed.
But this was a great post! It’s hard to document my city, there’s so much to see and photograph. I’m actually thinking about potentially moving to Brooklyn in the fall (currently living on the Upper West Side) which is where my sister lives. It’s such an interesting and funky borough.
Hi Amelie, thanks for the comment. I was actually thinking I really should have gone to check out Grand Central on this trip - I’m pretty sure I’ve never actually been in there. Next time…
It’s funny, I didn’t get into this in the blog post but when we drove through South Williamsburg my crazy cab driver actually rolled his window down at a stop light and asked one of the Hasidic guys what his hat was made of. The guy answered beaver fur, and then Mark asked if he could touch the hat and the guy let him! He was actually very cool about it. (I, on the other hand, was cowering mortified in the back seat.) Hahaha.
Unlike most places you’ve blogged about, there is actually a possibility that I might someday get back here! I’ve never been to Brooklyn, though, but I can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for the tour.
My pleasure. I LOVED Brooklyn - I could have spent my whole visit there and actually I nearly did.
We live outside NYC in NJ and often had the pleasure of driving friends or business acquaintances from as far away as Perth, Australia on tours of Manhattan hi-lights (best done after the traffic subsides.) it was always like kids in a candy shop, they creaning out the car widows in a constant state of awe. Love your take as well. There is no other place like it. M:-)
That’s what I always tell people in South Africa when they ask about New York. There is no other place like it. Really the best possible description.
I’ve just discovered your blog and was very intrigued by this post. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to reading (and seeing) more.
Just back from ten days in New York - Manhattan/Brooklyn. I have never walked so far for so long! It’s frantic, noisy, very polluted and quite overwhelming - even for city people like me. And if you can’t tell immediately where north, south, east and west is - you’re screwed!
Haha, I actually didn’t think the pollution was that bad! But anyway I loved all the walking - it’s the thing I miss most about living in SA.