On the 4th November 2022, 25 Year 12 and 13 students, along with several members of staff went on the ‘trip of a lifetime’ to New York City.
We got some of the girls to write a blog about their experience, one we are sure they will never forget!
Day One
Although travelling is always everyone’s least favourite part of a trip, this was an exception. With a long journey ahead of us, we got to school at 1:50am and said our goodbyes ready to get to New York. After a 40-minute flight to Heathrow from Manchester, and a 7-hour flight to JFK, we were anxious to get into the city, but we still had a coach drive from the airport to our hotel; the drive allowed us to see both the rural and city side of New York, driving through Queens and Manhattan, being able to see the NYC skyline from afar. It only built up our excitement even more for the trip ahead of us. Arriving at the hotel at 5pm, we got ready for our first evening in New York.
Nadirah Year 13
On our first night, after getting settled at the hotel, we headed out on a walk to Times Square. Times Square was so busy and filled with crowds. There were lots of people dressed up as different animated characters, people dancing, and people performing. All the buildings had billboards on them which lit up the entire place - it was amazing to look at all the different photos and ads on display. It looked so different to any place I had been before which was amazing.
We had some time to have a look around the shops and just explore the place, and we were able to sit on the famous Times Square red steps. I found the experience so amazing as Times Square is such a famous place that I only see in movies, so actually being there felt like I was in a movie! We went to Ellen’s Stardust Diner for dinner. This diner has been popular on social media because of its waiters and waitresses. They are all upcoming Broadway stars, so while eating, we got to watch free performances of songs from musicals like Grease and also sing along. It was such a fun experience, as they were all so talented and interacted with us while performing, we all had a good laugh! The restaurant looked like a classic American diner, and the food was also classic American food like burgers and fries which was yummy!
Evie Year 13
Day two
My favourite part of the trip was visiting Liberty and Ellis Island. The boat journey was amazing as it allowed us to see the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline from the sea, even though I was very scared of dropping my phone into the water while trying to take some pictures! We explored Liberty Island first and were able to see the Statue of Liberty much closer than on the ferry, it was so much bigger and more detailed than I was expecting. After getting back onto the boat and buying an obligatory Statue of Liberty souvenir, we arrived at Ellis Island. Ellis Island was fascinating as it was America's largest and most active immigration station from 1892 to 1924. Learning about the process that immigrants had to undergo in the hope of entering America was both eye opening and thought provoking. We had the opportunity to see real records and quotes from people who went through Ellis Island as well as numerous exhibitions. I loved this part of the trip as we got to really understand the significance of this historical site.
Katie Year 13
One of the most amazing parts about being in New York was the feeling that you were on a movie set everywhere you went - I felt this especially when walking past the Brooklyn Bridge. It is essentially a background character in so many movies and TV shows, so to see it in person - even from a distance - was so surreal. However, I think we all felt the opposite feeling when seeing the Ground Zero memorial. The astonishing and heartbreaking 9/11 memorial was extremely impactful and it is a beautiful tribute to those who lost lives and loved ones to the attack. There is a definite sense that the loss felt by the city is made visible through the waterfalls in the monument. The quiet museum was a stark contrast to the bustle of busy New York, so it lends itself to contemplation and remembrance which is so vital when considering the awful events that took place. In the evening, we had dinner in the Hard Rock Café - I really loved being surrounded by the relics of rock history. It was such a fun experience and - of course - the music was great.
Raphi Year 13
Day Three
On the Sunday morning we took a short walk to the Empire State Building. We entered the building where we walked through a small display all about the Empire State Building, before we reached the lifts which took us to the 81st floor. From here we could see the majority of New York and buildings such as the Rockefeller Building and Central Park. Then followed by another short lift journey we made it to the 86th floor, where we stepped outside and were greeted with an even better view. Following our trip to the Empire State Building, we went shopping to the Hudson Yard Mall. Here we spent two hours having lunch at places such as the Shake Shack and going shopping in a wide range of stores like Zara and Pandora. We followed this with a trip to Macy’s. With nine floors of clothes, shoes and sweets, making for a perfect afternoon out in New York.
Lili Year 12
We started the night by heading to Bubba Gump Shrimp in Times Square. It is in an amazing location and we all thoroughly enjoyed our food there, with me personally choosing the pasta. I loved going to Times Square as it was always so lively and loud. We then headed to the theatre to watch Wicked on Broadway. This was definitely my favourite part of the trip as the cast was so talented, they had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, the atmosphere in the theatre was amazing and you could tell everyone there was really enjoying it. During the break I bought a rather expensive Wicked t-shirt to remember the night, it was entirely worth it. The show unfortunately went by in a flash and we had to head back to the hotel with a nice walk back through Times Square for the last time. Willow Year 13
Day Four
I really enjoyed walking down the infamous 5th Avenue and being able to spot famous shops on each side, as well as landmarks like the Public Library and Chrysler building. Each shop was below a skyscraper which towered above us making us feel small in this very happening city. At the end of 5th Avenue we reached Central Park where the city landscape gave way to luscious greenery. It was a stunning site as we saw postcard worthy views of lakes edged with trees advertising autumn in full colour, framed by an impressive skyscraper backdrop. It was a welcomed change to the built-up city and the sheer enormity of the park was incomprehensible. I especially loved hearing the sound of a jazz band playing near a beautiful fountain as you meandered through the park. We then visited the Rockefeller Centre which had a Christmas ice rink at its base. It looked amazing. We also visited Bloomingdales where we all loved seeing the beautiful clothes and shoes spanning all nine floors! I feel very privileged to have seen all of this as it is something I have always wanted to see and something that not many people have actually witnessed for themselves.
Amy Year 13
Coming home
Our journey home started with a bus back to JFK at 4.30pm. With our last views of the NYC skyline we felt really privileged to have had such a fantastic experience at the same time as experiencing mixed feeling about going home – excited to see family and friends but a little sad that the adventure was nearly over. We flew out of the airport at around 8.30pm. The flight back from New York is much quicker than the journey there – just five and a half hours. Just enough time for a film and a bit of sleep to try and stave off the jetlag. The trip to New York was fantastic. We saw so many famous attractions and ticketed them off our bucket lists! We won’t forget the sights, sounds and smells of New York in a hurry. We have made great memories we will never forget.
