New Yorkers feel the same degree of affection for their city as Sydney-siders for Sydney. While we were there, New York Magazine came out with an edition called, 'Reasons to love New York 2008.'
We thought we'd compile our own reasons to love New York right here...
Central Park
It’s a beautiful world within a world. Once inside it’s serene, quiet and beautiful at every glance.
Undulating hills, still lakes, bridges and pretty vistas fill the Park along with an atmosphere that cannot be described, only felt.
Central Park is massive, inhabiting a significant proportion of Manhattan and is flanked by ritzy apartment blocks of New York’s Upper Sides.
There is tonnes to do inside such as ice skating (in winter).
A visit to the very enjoyable Central Park Zoo (one of our favourite attractions).
With hibernating friends.
And lunch at the Boathouse, a famous little restaurant, made famous by appearances onscreen such as in Sex and the City, a show that has iconised New York so much that anyone familiar with the show instantly feels they are walking on set in the city.
We especially loved the Jackie Onassis Reserve.
Central Park is the ultimate contrast to the concrete jungle of the New York City.
Madison Square Garden
Visit and think about everything that has happened there. Every famous artist and sports team has made an appearance at Madison Square Garden. We did an all-access tour, which permitted us to access areas closed to the public, hear about the architecture of the main arena (whose ceiling is designed without the need of support structures allowing uninterrupted views from every seat) and discover the layer of ice that permanently lies beneath the flooring for ice hockey games, such as the one we attended between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils (Devils won 4-2).
Walking the streets of Manhattan
Does one feel a connection to New York because it has been the backdrop of so many TV shows and movies, or because it has a certain atmosphere and spirit that one cannot help relating to?
Despite all the City has endured, such as September 11 and the recent economic crisis, the city still heaves optimism and energy. The feeling of positive change was even more highly anticipated with the then-incoming Obama administration.
New York is also crammed with diverse villages, all with different atmospheres- from the skyscrapers and retail mecca of Midtown, to the concrete jungle of the financial district Downtown, to the quirkiness of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, to the hip West Village (home to the very chic Bleeker Street, below) to the quietness of the leafy Upper East Side.
New York is interesting, conceptual and different at every turn, one village morphing into another and surprises everyday such as the Morgan Museum, the former residence of JP Morgan now a museum space for exhibitions and cultural activities. It also preserves and displays Morgan’s study and massive oak library with thousands of antique books.
If you happen to stumble across the Morgan Museum, pay a visit to the Morgan Dining Room, the actual dining room of the Morgan family, now a boutique restaurant serving up quality dishes in an intimate space.
The jazz clubs
We found one called the Birdland in Midtown near our hotel. We booked dinner and the show and were treated to wonderful food and live jazz among a full house.
The Rockerfeller Centre
Forget the views from Empire State (well, more the 2-hour wait in line), the Rockefeller Centre, while not going as high, does the trick with far less crowds. It was a stunning sunny Christmas day when we made the trip to the Top of Rock.
Back on the ground, there is a tonne to do at the Rockerfeller Centre. It is home to NBC studios (which we also toured to see the set of Saturday Night Live and the news rooms), retail stores, restaurants, bars and the famous ice skating rink in winter with the massive, sparkling Christmas tree.
Rockefeller also hosts the live entertainment on New Years Eve, while Times Square hosts the dropping of the ball and the countdown to the new year.
The shopping
One cannot go to New York without shopping. It is retail heaven with endless streets filled with glittering shops, buzzing with shoppers.
Even the quieter parts of the City are peppered with shops and boutiques to discover. We visited brands synonymous with New York and American culture such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs and DKNY just to name a few, and the famous department stores such as Bloomingdales, Macys and Saks Fifth Avenue.
To avoid the crowds, avoid Midtown and shop Uptown and Downtown. South Street Seaport is a great place to visit too for big brands and better quality souvenirs (if you are after them).
As you can probably guess, we did our fair share of shopping...The happy holidays
If you don’t like crowds, we probably wouldn’t recommend visiting New York during Christmas, but it really is a wonderful time to be in the city. Everyone is in a great mood, despite the bitter cold, there is plenty of snow (Central Park looks amazing covered in the white stuff) and the stores look amazing shimmering in Christmas lights and the spectacular window displays and decorations.
New York's New Year Eve was a bit disappointing. The weather (the -17 degrees wind chill) and the police searches at every entryway to Time Square (this cause long lines to get in and no option to get out, not even to go to the bathroom, so don’t even think of drinking anything for 6 hours), changed plans to visit Times Square to see the ball drop.
But watching TV from our warm hotel room, showed us being out among the crowds might not have been as good as it seemed be. Firstly, the weather (already discussed). Secondly, Carson Daly is a dry and uninteresting host (after 10 years at the helm, he seems to be over it by now). Thirdly, the ball is tiny, relative to the massive mediascape of Times Square. Fourthly, the live entertainment is at Rockefeller Centre (not Times Square). And finally, it’s more confetti than fireworks when the clock strikes midnight, so if you like your fireworks a la Sydney, it’s a bit disappointing.
We don’t want to finish this part of the posting on a negative note, so we’ll reiterate that the holiday season is a lovely time to be in New York City for its spirit and celebratory mood.
The arts
Everyone knows New York loves its art and there is no shortage of galleries and museums. MOMA, the Guggenheim and the Met were too crowded for us to really enjoy this trip, so we spent time at the smaller, lesser known places like the previously mentioned Morgan Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum and the Museum of New York.
The architecture
New York is grandiose and breathtaking in its architecture. Here are a few samples we toured.
The art deco Chrysler Building
The Flat Iron
Inside the Guggenheim
Grand Central TerminalThe United Nations
When you step inside you really do feel inspired for knowing that the UN advocates for a better world. We were fortunate enough to visit on a day when we could tour the UN and we learnt a bit about how the UN works, runs and also got to visit the very famous General Assembly where many great movers, shakers, thinkers, diplomats, politicians and celebrities have convened to discuss some of the world's most weighty and critical issues.
The food
London can be a disappointing gastronomic experience at times, but New York hit the mark all the time for us. We loved:
The Magnolia Bakery: Coffee and cupcakes (especially the sickly sweet snow cap cupcake for winter)
Dean and Deluca (Midtown and SoHo) : Coffees and cinnamon loafs at this deli started most of our mornings
Good Enough to Eat (Upper West Side): A top brunch place on the Upper West Side filled with the aromas of home cooking and great service
Birdland (Midtown): The food is just a good as the live jazz
The Morgan Dining Room (Midtown): An intimate, white linen and silver dining experience
5 Ninth (Chelsea): Took our fancy after bypassing the Parisan bistro Pastis due to long lines. Don’t mistake 5 Ninth for being a non-descript terrace house because the pancakes are oh-so good.
Jackson’s Hole (Upper East Side): People watching and snow falling on the Upper East Side from our corner booth was enjoyed with huge servings of food at this sincere and unpretentious bistro
Corner Bistro (West Village): The rugged pub in the West Village serves up big burgers and efficient service for just $6.00
Dylans Candy Bar (Midtown): If you love candy, chocolate and colour, Dylan’s Candy Bar is like stepping into a fantasyland. You can find anything and everything candy here, with a café on the top floor and mini attractions throughout the store
Pretzels and hot dogs (on the streets): Piping hot food on the streets are great fuel for pavement-pounding in New York City.
The Icons
Immortalizsed onscreen, all the famous New York sights that haven't been mentioned thus far.
Plaza Hotel
New York Stock Exchange
Guggenheim Museum exterior
Carrie's home in Sex and the City
The Statue of Liberty
Where the Twin Towers once stood
Brooklyn Bridge
A view of the city from the Empire State Building And finally (more reasons to love New York) because…
- Dogs in Juicy Couture coats and boots to keep warm and dry
- Obama-rama (paraphernalia) spotted the streets
- Ridiculously over-the-top infomercials that play constantly on TV, such as the one for the Snuggie, a blanket with sleeves so it doesn't fall off when you are on the couch and trying to keep warm.
Jay Leno did a fabulous skit on the Snuggie while we were watching TV one night and we couldn't stop laughing - Jamaican buskers on the subway who ask for a smile if you don't give them money
- Limos out number cars, but nothing can out-number yellow cabs
There are too many reasons to love New York. No doubt be many more reasons on our next adventure (and yes, we already complied a list of things to do upon our return!).
