I’m writing this from my lovely new flat in Manhattan, feeling a lot more settled than I was last week. I began this week still in Brooklyn, spending my mornings hopping from local coffee shops and being kept company by my host’ s four lovely dogs. Well, three lovely dogs - there was one who clearly viewed me as a home intruder and made a habit of aggressively barking every time I attempted to enter the kitchen.
At the start of the week my host recommended that I sign up for the Broadway Lottery, a magical system where you can score very cheap theatre tickets by entering a draw. Perhaps it was beginner’s luck, but I ended up getting a seat for Six (the pop musical about Henry VIII’s wives).
The night of the show, I strutted across the Brooklyn Bridge feeling smug about my bargain ticket. I was so pleased that I decided to treat myself to a modest glass of house red at the venue. My smugness quickly evaporated the second the bartender handed me a bill for $35. I’ll say it again. $35 and that wasn’t even including the tip!
I quickly went from bargain hunter to a scammed theater enthusiast (my host later laughed and said she just assumed everyone knew not to buy drinks in Broadway). I sat in my seat, nursing my - not even that nice a tasting - glass of wine with absolute resentment.
Thankfully, the show was brilliant. It’s less of a classic musical and more of an aggressive pop-ballad battle, though I did shed a tear when Jane Seymour sang her heart out for her horrible husband. Highly recommend!
The next evening, I went out for cocktails with my host to raise a glass to the beautiful Dolly Parton. The whole of New York was grieving and the Empire State turned pink in her honour at 9:25pm (nine to five).
By Thursday, it was time to meet one of my future classmates. I’ll admit I was a bit nervous about meeting my cohort because it’s quite a small class and we’ll be working closely together for the next year, but they turned out to be top-tier, which made me really excited for orientation next week.
Moving in
Friday was moving in day. I made two agonising trips on the subway, lugging all my luggage (yup, fiddle included) from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Side note; I have a tragic track record with housing. Every time I move to a city or an island, I end up accidentally homeless for a month. So when another Fulbrighter found a furnished, in-budget Manhattan sublet, it felt too good to be true.
It almost is. Sure, my bedroom doesn’t have a window, but aside from the light-deprivation, it’s brilliant. We have our own balcony and separate bathrooms, which feels pretty luxurious for New York. Plus we’re in the Upper East Side. I should be giving full Gossip Girl energy, but last week I was eaten alive by mosquitoes, so I’m looking a little spotty (Blair and Serena would definitely shun me). The flat is about a 75-minute walk to campus, so my plan is to walk for the first week until I can’t anymore - then I’ll retreat to the underground (or take a leaf out of Mamdani’s book and invest in a bike).
On Friday night, a friend I haven’t seen in almost ten years (a lovely blast from my Canadian past) arrived in the city. I was flattered she’d come all this way to see me, until she sheepishly confessed that Harry Styles was playing in town.
Regardless, we hit up the Comedy Cellar that night, which felt like a high-end, mini Edinburgh Fringe packed with semi-famous comedians. After some Italian food near the Underground Village, we went to a local dive bar (dive bars always sound so romantic in the songs, but they’re just noisy sports bars). I can confirm - I’m still shit at beer pong.
Saturday was dedicated to a hangover and some desperate life admin. During a recovery walk, I stumbled upon a Lidl - a true gift from the heavens given the food prices here (they ain’t cheap).
On Sunday, I said goodbye to my Canadian friend and attempted to cook a comforting sausage pasta. Unfortunately, I bought some bizarre American sausage that made the entire dish taste uncomfortably off...but…hey ho..first cooked meal in the city so that’s progress.
I start orientation this week, so I’m really looking forward to that.
Still no sign of Mamdani, but my flatmate claims we live three blocks from him, so my odds are seemingly up.