The Wynter Diaries
By Wynter Muro
It is always the same dream. I am in the city… and I belong. Manhattan is mine. But then, I always wake up the same old Wynter Muro. In San Bernardino County, California.
Except, this time, my dream was my reality. I found myself waking up in my hotel room with my two best friends sound asleep. Welcome to the Wynter Diaries.
This past January, I traveled 2,741 miles away to my dream state, New York. Now, I am no stranger to the wonders of one of the boroughs that reside in the city, but this time, I traveled with more intention. I was set to attend the orientation of my novel journey that is taking on my Master’s in American Journalism at New York University (NYU). And being the traditional journalist-lives-her-best-life meets coming of age film enthusiast that I am, I was clearly ecstatic.
Through the four days that I got to relish in all the intricacies of Manhattan, there were numerous memories that I curated which involved the coolest dive bars, yummy food-spots, NYU’s campus and so much more. Having walked an average of 20,000 steps each day, I was truly able to capture the essence of what these streets signify and mean, for someone completely enthralled by the city.
Firstly, I finally got the opportunity to visit my newly acclaimed University’s campus. I was in awe at how drastically different NYU is built in comparison to most Californian Universities. The campus is spread out throughout Greenwich Village. My favorite part of campus? Most definitely Washington Square Park. I am a sucker for a nice study spot or even just a place to relax and take in the atmosphere. I previously had the privilege of visiting the park last summer, and I will note, I think I like it more when the fountain is on, and the weather is warm. Nonetheless, it felt so nice to see other students lounging around, making stories of their own. The area has a personality for sure, and it was one that I admired.
As a fangirl at heart, I devoted some time to check out a few notorious spots favored by my favorite artists. In honor of Taylor Swift, I visited the famous bookstore, “Housing Works Bookstore” or as many Swift enthusiasts may know, the bookstore from the “All Too Well: Ten Minute Version, Taylor’s Version” music video. Inside this place, one could find just about any genre of book, ranging from romantic novels to even cookbooks. There is also a wall filled with a variety of purchasable CDs and Vinyls for all music lovers to sort through. Just above the main floor, up a beautiful spiral staircase, there is a small section of items such as clothes, shoes, etc. that are formerly loved and awaiting to be adopted by someone new. Nestled in the back, the bookshop also has a small cafe that customers can get a warm drink from.
Speaking of artists and their inspiring endeavors of New York City, I took to Chinatown on my last day: This was brought on through my desire to explore the location, Magic Jewelry, that Lorde gets her aura not only photographed, but also read to her. For those who may not know, the Grammy Award-Winning singer has made it tradition to do so right before releasing an album. I had to try this place out. The owner is by far one of the sincerest individuals I have met thus far. The process went fairly quick: I sat down in the seat that was placed in front of the camera, my hands were positioned on top of the marked areas, and I awaited my fate with the click of a button. After my photo developed, I was provided with a scarily spot on reading that dealt with bits of myself, my past, present, and even my future. Whether one finds it merely silly and unfulfilling, I found it quite interesting and honestly just fun.
In light of a good time, I made it my mission to discover some of the coolest dive bars. And I would argue that I ended up being pretty successful in this. Located on Church St. within Tribeca is Belle Reve. Initially, my friends and I were trying to come up with a bar in the spur of the moment, without a true thought. It was late, and it was only mid-week so our options for uncovering a nice spot were pretty sparse. Through deliberation for our next short journey, (which in the city, meant a 10-minute walk away), we decided on Belle Reve. This spot featured some of the funkiest decor which I personally loved. None of it really made sense together, but that is what it made so neat! The menu featured an array of cocktails with sweet little nicknames. And of course, as does any great place, they had the tastiest wings I have probably had in a while. The sauce was perfect, to say the least. The crowd was also a nice addition to the atmosphere. Not too many people and the people who were there seemed to have meshed with the vibe perfectly.
On the topic of good food, on our final night, my friends and I had a casual dinner at a local food and bar spot named Phebe’s. Our original plans had consisted of dining at a nice pasta restaurant, but unfortunately, we had underestimated the influx of people who would be having the same idea as us on a Friday night. Without a fret though, we made a walk to the aforementioned food spot. Phebe’s featured a variation of different food platters. Might I add, the salmon was insanely delicious! But, my favorite part of this place was honestly a moment in time that might have passed others fairly quick yet stuck with me: My favorite romantic comedy of all time is “27 Dresses” and for those who have yet to see this gem, there is a scene in which the two main characters are left deserted at a random bar in New York. In this scene, they are soaked from the rain and have their mood instantly brought up as the speakers played Elton John’s, “Benny and the Jets” where the pair then do a karaoke of it and draw in the attention of all who reside in the vicinity. With this being said, they played the exact song in this place! I freaked both internally and externally because it just made sense to my brain.
And so, this city was no longer a fantasy to me, as it once was when I was fifteen years old. Throughout my teenage years and even now early into my 20’s, many of those who know me, or have known me, were always intensely aware of my dreams of whisking away to NYC. I can confidently say that I have never felt more in tune with one of my idealistic characters, Carrie Bradshaw, as I did when I was walking the streets of Manhattan. And as she puts it, “I knew now I wasn’t searching for something or somebody here. I was searching for me, who I was, who I wanted to be.” And this could not have rung truer. This is my love letter, and personal ‘Thank You’ to New York City, for giving me space to find myself as I intend on navigating it through visitations, and soon, through living in it.