It’s been 10 weeks since I first began my New York adventure. I can honestly say it’s been the best few months of my life (so far) and I will be devastated when the time comes for me to leave. However, the Big Apple, like anywhere is far from perfect. Seeing it through the eyes of a local rather than a tourist has meant I’ve come to terms with a lot of my movie expectations being shattered in exchange for a less glossy reality….
Here are a few images I had in my head that were swiftly dashed.
Hollering a yellow cab would be easy as this.
Unfortunately, the reality is far less glamorous and a lot more life threatening as taxi drivers in NYC stop for no one.
They speed along the roads, and are genuinely responsible for the majority of noise pollution on the streets of New York – they use their horns more often than their brakes.
2. Everyone would be as glamorous as Blair and Serena.
Nooooo. Wrong again.
New York, despite its reputation for being the epicentre of Fashion is actually far from glamorous. I think I’m possibly in the 1% of women who wears heels on the subway and honestly, part of the 0.5% who don’t look like they’ve just stepped out of an old black and white movie or sepia photograph. But I have refused to let NYC change me. I’m happy to be the Elle Woods in the sea of Harvard law students.
3. Everyone is super friendly
Wrong again, I’m afraid. In general New York is actually quite unfriendly because it’s always in such a rush; nobody has the time for idol niceties! I mean, like anywhere there’s a mix of incredibly lovely people and not so incredibly lovely people. The unfriendliness is not really offensive, on the contrary I find it really amusing to observe those in a rush huffing as they speed past a dawdler and honestly, on many occasions I’ve found myself to be one of them! – I mean, what is it with people who just stop dead in front of you when you’ve got places to be? Sometimes I just wanna……..
….yeah you get the idea.
However, I’ve been happily surprised on countless occasions by a stranger’s random kindness. When people aren’t in such a hurry, they tend to sparkle.
4. Every street corner will look like this
Oh, if only? Unfortunately like any huge city, the streets are not paved with gold slabs and dazzling fairy lights which is, I suppose, the image we have in our mind when we picture the Big Apple, that stars in so many iconic blockbusters and TV sitcoms.
When you’re not a tourist, you’re given a real taste of some areas that are not so photogenic or Instagram worthy.
5. Everyone lives in awesome apartments with their friends
In reality, most apartments are so overpriced that many people are forced to have roommates they don’t get on with, or reside in areas far from they’re ideal location, on high alert 24,7 for cockroach and rat infestations. Don’t cover that in the TV shows, do they?
And finally, the last expectation ->
6. Pictures, videos and travel guides can prepare you sufficiently for the experience you are going to have, residing in one of the craziest, most diverse and beautiful cities in the world.
Despite coming with a few naive expectations that have not been met by the reality, speaking honestly from the bottom of my heart, this city has given me far more than I could have ever hoped for.
It has shown me what it truly means to be spontaneous and how lack of planning can often result in the most precious memories. New York has inspired me to become more visionary, teaching me that I should never be afraid to live in the person that I am and even more, that I should be proud of who that person is. The Big Apple has changed me for the better and nothing could have prepared me for that.
So, all in all, the reality of New York is far more profound and sacred than anything you see on the movies. You can’t expect anything, because it’ll surprise you every time.