Quick Field Notes From New York: Part One

Mapping My First Three Days in the States.

In Before New York, I wrote about my long-awaited trip to the States, a journey I had been planning for a full year. America, with its diverse and beautiful places, has always seemed like one of the greatest adventures I could embark on.

I don’t have many wishes when it comes to places I want to see in New York, which might seem sacrilegious to the touristic eye. I’d just like to walk often in Central Park, and I’d really like to end my first evening with a slice of pepperoni pizza from Joe’s Pizza. As for experiences and people, I hope to meet someone new every day. I believe that conversations will help me map New York and Austin in ways that go beyond the automated interactions I might have with these cities. As I write this, I’m still awaiting boarding at Schiphol airport.

1435 Broadway, New York - accepting gifts

As soon as I check in at the Renaissance Hotel, I realize I have two options: crash and succumb to my first-ever jetlag (I’ve never crossed so many time zones before) or grab my purse and walk ten minutes to buy a slice of pizza. Hunger and thirst win, so I head to Joe’s Pizza. New York is definitely one of the craziest cities I’ve ever had the chance to walk through—similar to Istanbul—crazy in the sense of loud and hectic, but also so rich in sensory input. As I walk, I realize that despite my sensitivity to noise, the city’s pace envelops me. I become a different kind of walker—somewhat hurried (though still much slower than most)—with my attention drawn to everything around me. I feel very tired, but so damn good.

When I approach Joe’s Pizza, I’m greeted by a very long queue. At first glance, I know that if I stay, I’ll be waiting at least half an hour. So, I stay—half asleep, half very much stimulated by the ongoing hustle and bustle around me. As I wait, a woman approaches me to ask about the line, and soon, a man in the queue joins our conversation. Ten minutes into our chat, we’ve only moved about three meters, but I already know that Rafaela is in New York only for the weekend, with a full list of things to do that she generously shares with me. She talks about her love for the city and confesses that it’s her fifth time here—she keeps coming back to see more. Her husband and baby are back home in Massachusetts, and she tells me her husband strongly dislikes New York. Meanwhile, the man who joined our conversation shares that he’s originally from Poland but has lived in New York for over thirty years. Ironically, he’s never had Joe’s Pizza.

Rafaela showing me her New York list

I order two slices of pepperoni pizza, and as I try to pay, the Polish man kindly offers to cover my order—and Rafaela’s too. At first, I try to decline, but I recognize that this is a gesture of kindness, and I gratefully accept. As we thank him and say our goodbyes, he wishes us to “enjoy New York”. Rafaela confesses:

“I should learn to say yes to gifts more often. It’s just hard for me to do.”

We hug as if we’re old friends and part ways—she’s off to her next destination, the 9/11 Memorial, and I’m heading back to the Renaissance Hotel with my two slices of pizza, ready to dwell in the aftermath of these encounters.

462 7th Ave, New York - thinking good thoughts

I wake up at four in the morning, craving coffee. Jet lag makes me feel slow, almost sedated, but I’m also acutely aware that I’ve finally arrived in a place that has felt so out of reach for much of my life. So, I get dressed and wander the early morning streets of New York. I order a medium Americano from the only coffee spot open this early—a Starbucks around the corner—and I sit, trying to take everything in. It starts raining—drizzling, pouring, then drizzling again—and it doesn’t stop all day.

The highlight of my day is a good conversation with a friend and another iced Americano. There’s something so pleasurable in exchanging ideas and stories. This experience encapsulates exactly how New York feels to me for the first time: it washes over me, too rich to be fully processed. I’m very slow, not entirely alert, but fascinated. That fascination fuels my body and I keep walking, keep observing.

Since I arrived, people have asked me:

“Is New York what you hoped for, what you dreamed of?”

My answer for now is, “I don’t know.” It’s different from my dreams. Lived experience is messy, unpredictable, very human. It requires surrendering a lot to our environment. To surrender to New York means to be completely swallowed by it.

What brings the city closer to how I’ve always imagined it are the people and the spontaneous conversations that arise. Here, people initiate conversations, ask questions, listen, and then say goodbye and part ways. I love that. I rarely experience this in Europe, but on just my first day here, I’ve already spoken with several people about both nothing and everything.

Tonight, while waiting in line at Whole Foods, I had a brief conversation with an older woman. She was surprised to hear that I find “this dirty, loud city” so compelling. I return to my hotel feeling grateful and crawl into bed with a book I bought from Strand earlier today: Servants of the Map by Andrea Barrett.

“What was a map, but a way of organizing wonder?” - Andrea Barrett

Central Park, New York - looking for conversations

I’ve been rained on for six hours since eight in the morning, and even after arriving at the hotel to rest, I still feel the rain deeply embedded in my bones. Yet, I return feeling satisfied because I finally took a long walk in Central Park, followed by another rendezvous at Strand bookstore and a spontaneous shopping session at an outdoor market—which felt like one of the most autumnal things one can do on such a day in this city.

Central Park

By now, I’m quite sure that I don’t like Midtown. The flashy, colorful, huge billboards in Times Square give me a strange form of anxiety—it’s one of my least favorite parts of New York so far.

The Upper West Side, on the other hand, felt more intimate in its interactions. The outdoor market was located in this area, where I bought apples and maple syrup candy, all while savoring the smells of petrichor and fresh produce.

The highlight of this day was discovering Vivian Gornick’s writing:

Tomorrow, I’m heading to Austin for five days, and I will return to New York on Saturday evening to explore more places and to seek more conversations.

Thank you for reading! As always, I welcome your comments, questions, stories.

p.s: If you’re in Austin or nearby, I’m hosting this in person salon on Thursday, the 3rd of October.

🧡,

Patricia