New York City: Day 1

“Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream” 
― Jack Kerouac
This for me was the only way to take in everything New York had to offer. The bright flashing lights, the passing police cars whizzing past with their sirens a blaze. So many new sights and sounds, smells and tastes. So much to see, so much to do and 3 days to do it in. It began after a 12 hour, over night coach trip up the East Coast which I,  mercifully, spent in a deep sleep, my head squished up against the window only to wake up to a buzz of excitement and the beautiful, hazy sunrise illuminating the New York skyline.
Shortly after arriving at the hostel and a quick coffee and croissant later we were out in the morning sun and ready to explore!  The hostel was only a street away from the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot so the first port of call for a manic Beatles fan was neighboring Central Park and the imagine memorial. In Central Park the sun was shining through the trees onto the New Yorkers going about their daily routine, walking their dogs and going for their morning jog. Weird, I know.
As the sun rose higher in the sky so did we has we got into the lift of the 1,454ft Empire State Building and headed to the top. Prone to minor, miniature, ever so slight panic attacks when faced with dramatic drops I was a little apprehensive but fortunately the heavy duty security railings calmed my nerves and I was able to peer over the edge and look down at the dramatic skyscrapers that had previously loomed over me. The feeling of being able to look down on such an enormous city as if it were a town made of Lego was magical.
Hours flashed by as fast as the adverts in Times Square and before we knew it our stomachs were signalling that it was time to find somewhere to eat. The restaurant of choice was called the 'Stardust Dinner' on Broadway where we spent the rest of the evening being serenaded by NYU graduates hoping to break it into the big time whilst we chomped away on our burgers. At one point I peered over the balcony we were seated at the sneak a peek at where the singer was before, all too late, realising that he was stood right in front of me giving me my very own rendition of Greece Lightnin' while I smiled awkwardly in a way that I hoped conveyed "I really appreciate your singing to me but please God go and sing to someone else". Thankfully his attention soon switched to someone else and I was able to enjoy from afar!
Laughing and chatting we emerged from the restaurant into the bright lights of Time Square illuminating the city in such a way that you couldn't tell if it was night or day.  We looked at each other and ginned, staring up in awe at all that surrounded us. New York is magical!