My first day in New York was perhaps the most unforgettable. There was something about having breakfast in Dublin and, just a few short hours later, getting stuck into lunch in Brooklyn that made my head spin. Kathy Rose and I crammed a lot in, thanks to a mix of serendipitous wandering and a beautiful day that was too good to nap through. Browse some pics from day one after the jump, if you’d like…

We wandered around Crown Heights and eventually made our way to DUMBO – a really lovely, atmospheric neighbourhood with incredible views of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. While sitting there treating ourselves to a Shake Shack milkshake, we spotted a queue and investigated: turns out there was an East River ferry about to leave. I grabbed us tickets (not even knowing where it went) and we hopped on just as the sun was setting, which yielded beautiful views (and an encounter with a green-haired Jared Leto, believe it or not).

We ended the day – which felt more like a day and a half to me! – with a margarita at the Hudson’s tequila park (with some tacos on the side. Of course).

Coming up: My favourite Brooklyn souvenirs, a wander around Williamsburg and a (very short) walk on The Highline. I can’t wait to share more pics!