.The Big Apple.

So the question I ask myself is why is New York referred to as the Big Apple?

In the 1920's the term 'apple' was used in context of the race courses around New York, the 'apple' being the prize awarded to the winner. Continued use of the word apple in reference to NY lead to the term becoming more common, writer for the New York Morning Telegraph, John Fitzgerald referred to the NY races as to be 'around the big apple'.

1930 Jazz artists then started to use the term 'Big Apple' to describe New York City and the phrase grew further.

A 1971 campaign to increase tourism in NY adopted the phrase 'The Big Apple' on an effort to entice tourists to travel to the city, using it as bight and joyful way to reflect New York.

Since then the city has officially been the 'Big Apple'.

.Moving around the city.

The next question I ask myself is how am I going to get myself from place to place when im in city so with research here are a few options...


Yellow cabs are not in short supply in New York and is a popular way to get around, although everywhere is pretty easy to walk to due to the grid system I sure will be taking a cab just for the NY experience.

The NY city subway system is one of the world largest and cheapest, with a flat fare of $2.25 dollars.Trains are identified by numbers or letters and colour coded according to what lineon which they run. Local trains stop at every station and express trains stop at every major station. Stations are often named after the street on which they are located on and entrances are located by either a green and white globe (24hrs) or red and white globes (limited hours). So now I officially feel all clued up on the subway system and should be a bit of a pro when going down under.

The white and blue MTA buses are one of the best ways to travel across town and are an enjoyable way to go up or down town but be prepared for it not to be the fastest journey. To travel within the five boroughs the fare is $2.25 and to travel beyond the boroughs is $5.50, so it is cheap and cheerful so maybe the best options for a student alike me.

.Icons.

The statue of liberty is located on Liberty Island and stands at 305ft tall, the statue was designed by Frederic Auguste (1834-1904) was given as a gift from France on America's 100th birthday. It was a working light house until 1902 and from July 2009 tourists are able to enter the pedestal and view the statues interior through a glass ceiling.

 Times Sqaure is know as the 'crossroads of the world', best seen at night with bright lights, huge bill boards and filled with the sound and smell of New York, this destination isn't to be missed...

Originally named Longacre Square, It was renamed in the 1900s after the 'New York Times' moved there, interestingly it holds the world first scrolling electric news 'zipper' (1928). The photo below gives me butterflies inside as im filled with excitement for the trip!

Central Park is a beauty at the heart of New York, filled with a variety of landscapes, open meadows and woodland. The park offers a lot of friendly attractions too, such as Central Park Zoo and the picturesque Trump Wollman Ice Rink.

Enjoy New York from above on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, this is the highest lookout point in New York. From here by day you can enjoy the view of all five boroughs and by night the amazing sight of New York lights and the cast of shadows from Manhatten all the way across to Queens.

.Concrete Jungle.

I have so much to see in such a short space of time and so I think I will start by writing a list of the places i would ideally like to visit.. and then look at them in greater detail later in my blog.

New York Icons

(photo ops)



Chrysler Building

Empire State Building

Statue of Liberty

Times Square

Rockefeller Center

Must-see Art Collections

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Museum of Modern Art

'Japan Fashion Now'- Special Exhibitions Gallery

'His and Hers'- Fashion & Textile Histort Gallery

Gallery of Wearable Art

Art Fiend Foundation

Shopping Heaven

  Upper West Side:

Barneys Co-op High Fashion

CPW

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Rags A Go Go

Upper East Side:

Barneys New York

Chloe

Intermix

Givenchy

Gucci

Fred Leighton

Chanel

DKNY

Midtown/5th Avenue:

Bergdorf Goodman

Bloomingdales

Jimmy Choo

Manolo Blahnik

Dior

Fame

ABC Carpet

Chelsea & Meatpacking Disrict:

Alexander McQueen

Balenciaga

Comme de Garcons

Jeffery

Barneys Co-op

Apple Store

PRADA- New York Epicentre

Anthropologie

Agent Provocateur

A.P.C

D&G

Kirna Zabete

Pleats Please

Patina- Vintage Store

What goes around comes around

NoHo:

Forward - Workshop

Cheap Jacks- Huge Vintage Store

Tribeca & Downtown:

Alfie

Martin

Foley and Corinna

Marmalade

Seven New York

Stella McCartney

Food&Drink

Lexington Candy Shop

Barney Greengrass

Dos Toros Porchetta

Baoguette

Breslin Bar and Restuarant

Russian Tea Room

.Suitcase Thoughts....

Due to New York currently looking like this...

(Casual 2O inches of snow)

I will be wearing items that look like this....

My River Island collection of christmas treasures that I will definetly be taking to New York!

.Eastgate Tower.

.My New York Home:

The Eastgate Tower Hotel

222 East 39th Street,

New York, NY 10016

I am very impressed with the Eastgate Hotel, it looks fab and the location is great.
The hotel is located near the United Nations Headquarters, Grand Central Station, the Chrysler Building and corporate offices. The location offers its travellers neighborhood charm and Midtown convenience.

.Location Location Location.

New York is located on the Atlantic coast of northeastern USA, It consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island.

New York is the most populous city in the United States and has had a significant impact on global commerce, media, art, FASHION, entertainment, education, culture and finance.

.One Week Count down.

There is one week to go before I fly to the big apple and I simply can't wait!

Having never been to New York before I intend to make the most of every minute, I want to see everything and go to all the places that you 'have to go to'. Some people say that when first travelling to NY you develop either a love or hate relationship; the city can often feel very overwhelming... I understand this view and I am interested in finding out what sort of relationship I will develop with the city over the course of the next few weeks.

So before I go I intend to do a little bit of research, looking into what I want to see and experience and where I want to explore.