This semester, I have been quite the traveler. From a planned visit to unexpected hurricane evacuations and interviews, I keep finding myself back in the Big Apple, ready for my next adventure exploring the city.
Although I have been slacking on updating my travel adventures, I figured I would lump all of my New York escapades into one blog post – so bear with me as I try to recount some of the most memorable experiences of this semester.
SEPTEMBER
Escaping Hurricane Florence, I fled to New York City – which actually was almost half the price of evacuating to Chicago conveniently enough.
First stop: Harry’s. Harry has been my best friend since the first week of freshman year at Elon and has been a huge player in my love for NewYork City. After coming to visit him in Summer 2016, I have not been the same – I caught the lovebug for New York. Harry’s a dope DJ – check out his newest song, a remix of Tequila by Dan & Shay – so we often spend time listening to his new beats and other emerging DJs’ music as well.
Walking around Astor Place and NYU’s breathtaking campus, I find myself more and more intrigued by the Lower East Side. I didn’t spend much time there living in Midtown this summer, so it was nice to walk around and admire all of the tall, embellished buildings towering over the one-way streets.
While I’ve been to New York when it’s pretty cold, September was still scorching. I ran in Central Park one morning and accidentally came out up on 70th Street and 5th Avenue. Left with no choice, I ran back to Midtown exploring streets and quaint areas of the Upper East Side. Serena Vanderwoodsen and Blair Waldorf’s playground.
Cannot forget the amazing meals of the September trip! We went to Brooklyn Cider House, where each Basque-inspired (ugh Spain!) course comes with a new flavor of refreshing cider. Our waiter turns the faucet and we catch the cider in our glasses! Such a unique experience.
Brooklyn Cider House 
If you love me, I will light the room
After our cider-filled dinner, we head to a trendy bar in Brooklyn with a giant movie screen that also plays classic movies. Never would have expected to find a bar – with a giant screen to say the least – in this warehouse like building, but it ended up being such a fun night!
The next day consists of exploring downtown Manhattan. Starting at the World Trade Center, I felt a humbling realization of the tragedy that occurred 17 years ago. Looking up at the looming building, the memorial engraved with the victims’ names, and the winding line of tourists for the memorial museum, I can’t help but feel a hollow emptiness in my stomach.
World Trade Center 
Afterward, we walk to Battery Park and subway to Little Italy to get cannolis during the San Gennaro fest. The eating continued later that night with Flex Mussels happy hour and Black Tap’s Brooklyn Blackout chocolate (aka heart attack) shake.
Cannolis and gelato? Yes please! 
Brooklyn Blackout at Blacktap in Midtown
On a scorching Sunday afternoon, we took the train out to Jersey to see the Jet’s game! We had passes to watch the warm up on the field which was amazing to see how large these guys are up close. We stood next to some children and it was incredibly sweet how many players came up to high-five the young boys in Jets jerseys.
OCTOBER
Soon I find myself back in New York City for my only actual planned visit of the semester. Arriving back from the airport, I am greeted with a home cooked meal and a nice bottle of red wine. We walk to Bryant Park to try the sugar-loaded waffles and gaze up at the twinkling skyscrapers towering above us.
The next morning, I wake up and go for another run in Central Park. The leaves aren’t quite turning yet. The next day, I wander in and out of shops on Fifth Avenue before getting Sweetgreen to-go and eating lunch outside at Bryant Park with my work friends. Nothing compares to a cool lunch out on the grass.
Saturday is a day of food! We went to the Infatuation’s EEEEatscon and tried every type of food imaginable!
Brussels sprouts, vodka pizza, and chocolate milk ice cream oh my! Sampled Walter’s original chicken-lamb-beef hot dogs, Rubirosa vodka sauce pizza with pesto drizzle, Du’s Donuts, Tanoreen’s Brussels sprouts, Ample Hill’s chocolate milk ice cream, Sir Kensington’s organic ketchup, and Dominique Ansel’s rosé whipped yogurt! Delish!
Tanoreen’s Brussels sprouts 
Rubirosa’s vodka sauce pizza 
Du’s Donuts
Sunday, we get brunch with Harry at Cookshop and walk the High Line until it ends and continue walking along the Hudson pretty far downtown.
As always, food is a common theme – which is going to have to subdue when I have a real post-grad advertising budget. Regardless, we love finding affordable oyster happy hours, such as Crave Fishbar in Midtown East with a cute patio to enjoy oysters and wine with a view.
Finally, we get a New York style, thin crust pizza at Vezzo in Kips Bay and go see Venom on the Upper West Side.
NOVEMBER
In town for 20 hours for an impromptu interview, we make the most of the day! As always, I walk up and down Fifth Avenue before saying hello to summer work friends.
Finally, I meet up with Harry at Bryant Park Grill for lunch only to spontaneously run into Rebecca, my best friend from grade school who happens to be wandering around Bryant Park at the same time! It’s so great having my worlds collide.
Best friend from grade school! 
View outside the New York Public Library that borders Bryant Park
The next day, we finally get to see Central Park explode in autumn colors.
We watch the bubble man and walk about two miles in the park before heading back to Midtown.
The night ends with me ordering a ridiculously expensive Lyft to Newark… highly do not recommend flying in and out of there.
DECEMBER
On Thursday night, I arrived in my favorite city in the world just in time to visit the Rockefeller Center and the famous Christmas tree. Hundreds of people swarmed the center as a long line for the ice skating rink accumulated down to Fifth Avenue.
Sak’s you outdo yourself
Afterward, we subwayed down to our dinner on the Lower East Side at Lil Frankie’s. Arriving about 15 minutes early, we went to Julia’s Vintage, a cute vintage shop with slightly used items and handmade jewelry to kill time. We found a beautiful handmade necklace with a turquoise eye charm. Legend has it, the evil eye is a curse cast upon individuals when they are unaware, causing misfortune and bad luck. Charms resembling eyes such as my new necklace are called the “evil eye” and protect against these bad vibes. These charms are commonly found across West Asia in countries such as Greece, Italy, southern Spain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and many others. Having this eyelet protecting me gives me a resting sense of peace and tranquility in this crazy world.
At Lil Frankie’s, we complimented our meal with Abruzzo wine – Grandma’s roots! The restaurant makes the pasta every morning by hand and creates the dishes by order – so of course we had to try it! We split the Penne Pomodoro, a classic tomato and basil dish, and for the main course, we shared the vodka pizza which is to die for, before finishing the night with an amazing tiramisu.
Friday, after a day of r&r, we went to Westchester for an amazing steak dinner at Lenny’s steakhouse… As I review my weekends in NewYork City, I have realized that all I really do is eat, eat, eat…
Saturday was Santacon – a bar crawl during which Manhattan-goers across the island dress up as Santas, elves, reindeers, and co to tromp drunkenly around the city. While I have experienced this in London, the NYC Santacon wasn’t quite as cultural and we opted for pizza and pasta from our favorite hole-in-the-wall corner stop, La Vera, instead. Maybe next year we will experience Santacon to its fullest. In the meantime, this day will be remembered for light flurries, memories with my best friend, and good eats.
For dinner (yes this is basically a food tour of Manhattan),we went to Delicatessen, an upscale minimalist restaurant with Harry. Sharing tuna tartar and salmon tartar, we soon enjoyed our incredibly meals of steak frite, Norwegian salmon with crispy brussels sprouts and squash, and pasta with red wine braised short rib. By the time dessert rolled around, we had absolutely no room for it.
Sunday’s day of resting and relaxation consisted of brunch at Barney Greengrass (best bagels ever!) and a dinner at Flex Mussels. We love the happy hour oyster special at the bar, as well as dipping melt-in-your-mouth bread into the classic mussel broth.
AIRPORT FIASCO AS REQUESTED BY GRANDMA
What could be more entertaining than a weekend in New York? Maybe spending 8 hours in LaGuardia Airport. More of that to come per my Grandma’s request – Merry Christmas Gram!
While I thought that my New York City adventures ended after a filling night at Flex Mussels, oh boy, was I wrong! I arrived at LaGuardia on time for my 12:30 pm flight back to Raleigh – thinking that I could make it back in time to prep for both my final and yet another interview on Tuesday. By the time I had nearly found a seat to wait in, my Raleigh Durham flight had been cancelled due to the snowstorm attacking North Carolina. Normally, the state gets about six inches of snow a year… The triad received nearly a foot this past weekend.
Panicking, thinking that my interview was still going to take place, I left my coat somewhere in my haste and lost it forever. Since my flight was cancelled and I had to wait to take a connecting flight to Columbus at 3:52, I had many hours to search for my missing jacket. Searching in the bathroom, walking from terminal to terminal, checking security and the lost and found, annoying every single Delta agent, I still could not locate my missing Zara jacket.
Granted, it was an inexpensive, but cozy and warm, black winter coat with a furry black hood. However, I bought it in Spain at the main Zara on Placa de Gracia, and it was such a fiasco trying to get it in the first place. I remember trying it on and sending a photo of myself in it to nearly all of my friends asking their opinions. I couldn’t decide whether or not to return my navy blue jacket for this trendy, cute black jacket. Deciding I could not live without this form-flattering winter coat, I bought both coats and gave the blue one to my sister for Christmas.
Unfortunately, my coat was never found. After hours of checking back in at the front desk, it was gone, lost, with no hope of ever seeing my average Spanish run-of-the-mill Zara fast-fashion jacket again. To whomever stole my jacket, I hope you enjoy my gloves and chapstick lodged inside my pocket. I know I wish I still had them. One Delta agent broke the news tome. “Honey,” she said, “you can file a missing item report, but honestly, a lot of people come through these terminals. Someone probably saw it and thought, hey what a nice Christmas gift!” So, merry Christmas ya filthy animal to the LaGuardia winter coat thief. You win!
My 3:52 flight was delayed which inevitably would lead to missing my connection. Rather than being stranded in Columbus, I switched my flight to 4:30. That flight was delayed to 5:30, then again to 7:30pm. Absolutely desperate to get home but afraid to drive in the engulfing darkness on I-40 on black ice, I rescheduled my flight and ubered back to Manhattan.
“Long time no see!” Sam grinned as I dragged my carry on back into his apartment. Excited to be back, but tired from my complete L of a day, I sank down on to the couch, ready to succumb to the day. LaGuardia: 1, Ashley: 0. Lucky for me, he cooked me a nice steak dinner tossed in a red wine and onion reduction glaze with avocados and Asian pears.
I woke up and arrived at the airport early on Tuesday morning to check both Delta terminals for my jacket. No luck. It’s a goner for sure.
My flight took off with no problems that morning. My car, in fact, was not knee deep in snow and ice, allowing for easy navigation off the seventh floor parking garage rooftop! God bless!
All in all, an eventful weekend, filled with tears, cravings, and emotions of every kind. Overall, I’d have to say I’m pretty thankful for every opportunity I have had to explore New York City this past year. The exposure to the city has genuinely proved to me how much I belong here and keeps me counting down until the day I can have a 10019 zip code too, and call the big city my home.
ALWAYS ASHLEY 
Absolutely fantastic!!!! I loved it!! Thank you for my wonderful Christmas Present!! So exciting, so informative, such deversities, from Central Park to great NewYork restaurants, wonderful friends and an Airport Nightmare! And great photos!!!!! A fantastic literary presentation!!! Light of my life, you really shine!!❤️ Gram 12-15-18
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Always well written, very entertaining and SO Ashley too! Had me laughing, especially with the coat thief comment-LOL! Love you my dear!
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