Thursday 11th January 2017
Today was the day that we ventured furthest away from the hotel. We met a couple of our tutors in the hotel lobby and some of the other students on the trip and all walked down to the ferry port together. Once we were on the ferry, it took around 10-15 minutes to get to the other side. We went to the back of the boat as that was an outside section to look out to Manhattan behind us. The scenery was beautiful, however it was very windy!
Williamsburg is a fashionable neighborhood in Brooklyn that draws young people to its chic boutiques, trendy cafes and restaurants. Street art brightens residential walls and empty surfaces, while the waterfront provides stunning views of Manhattan. Whilst walking down a couple of the streets, looking at all of the window displays and vintage shops, we spotted a small boutique selling jewellery and clothes called Dearest. It was very sweet inside and had such a perfect minimalistic layout. We spent quite a long time looking at the jewellery in particular; it was all the jewellery I love, petite and minimal. It turned out the some of the jewellery was on sale and so we each purchased an item. I brought a petite rose gold plated simple ring that is just a plain round band. The store had this style in gold and silver plated also, however I opted for rose to match my watch.
We then found a coffee shop called the Bean. It was a very modern cafe that seemed to attract Millennials who brought their laptops to work on while they enjoyed a hot drink or food. My two friends each picked up a hot chocolate and shared a very large chocolate muffin!
After a long walk through Williamsburg’s neighbourhoods, we found a studio space that was recommended to us by one of our tutors. The space belonged to CB I hate Perfume, an innovative perfume brand that aims to create experiences with their fragrances and attempts to create tangible scents that are relatable, bringing back individual memories to the wearer. I have done a whole post on the space if you want to hear more, however it was a small beautiful workshop like room, with lines of perfume bottles and packaging on the back wall.
We were planning to work from the studio to the Brooklyn Bridge area. However, one of my friend’s feet were tired after all of the steps we had already done; this meant we had to get the subway. This was definitely the most stressful part of the trip. It took us at least 15 minutes trying to work out what lines and trains we needed to get on and where we needed to end up. The man in the booth was a very rude man and not helpful in the slightest. We eventually got our tickets and had to get on three separate trains to get to our required destination.
After we found lunch, we walked past rows and rows of beautiful houses, all different colours, until we got to Brooklyn promenade. We stopped here for a few minutes to take in the view of Manhattan; we could even see the Statue of Liberty in the far distance. We made a slow walk along the water’s edge to find the entrance to the pedestrian part of Brooklyn Bridge. After making a couple of wrong turns, we found the steps that lead us up.
Walking the length of the bridge was possibly my favourite part of the whole trip. Although there were quite a few people, I found it quite calming in some ways. Because we had spent the whole day out in Williamsburg and Brooklyn, by the time we got to the bridge the sun was setting. This was so beautiful; the golden sky made for perfect photo opportunities and also created a stunning backdrop for the Statue of Liberty. The bridge was longer than I anticipated and I took quite of lot of photos over the whole length.
Although it was getting late, my friend wanted to look for Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment featured in Sex in the City. Every exterior scene was filmed in front of 64 Perry Street so that’s where we headed. Once we found the street, I knew instantly which building it was; the one with the ‘do not stand on the steps’ sign on. I was also happy when I saw that outside the house, at the bottom of the steps, was a charity box to help a homeless charity.
After my friend had got all of the photos that she wanted, we headed back to the hotel through the Soho area. It was quite a long walk back up all of the streets, however I enjoyed looking at all of the buildings and store fronts along the way.
Rachel
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