I do not consider myself an expert on New York, few people could claim that privilege even if they lived there for forty years, there is always something new, different, developing in the city that never sleeps. But I have lived there on and off when I was younger, and for various reasons over the last ten years, it has become the city I return to frequently.
It is a city that in the last ten years has changed; in six weeks time will the 10th anniversary of 9/11, an event that changed the face of not only the US, but the world.
For me New York, is a place I have came to know well. To a certain extend I grow up there. Not literally, but certainly intellectually, emotionally… it is the city that has shaped my opinions, inspired me and above all challenged me.
Therefore I maintain I am not expert – but I am working on it. The more I return the more I see there is something fresh to find, enjoy and hopefully share.
These recommendations and experiences I write in the hope that others who came to see Manhattan will find it has enjoyable, interesting and exciting as I have.
Travel.
Walk; especially if it is your first trip to the city. Even if it is raining, walk. It is the only real way to see the city. Taxis are expensive, take far too much time and the cabbies can be pervy (on occasion). The subway is a great way to get from one side of the island to the other, it is the quickest and cheapest option but boy it is dirty and frequently crowded. So yes walk. You will see the sights, find little marvels that you never knew about, get pushed about by genuine New Yorkers (less fun than it looks) and probably get lost. But take comfort everyone gets lost, and unless you are in the Village it is easy to find your way back again. And worse case scenario there is bound to be a subway close by (there is one every ten blocks or so).
Cycle in the park (hire a bike). Don’t use the horse drawn carriages.
Food.
I do not say this lightly; New York has some of the best food in the world. Given that I have eaten in Paris and in Italy, the above words should be taken seriously.
Firstly breakfast – pancakes or waffles - the endless debate. Personally I like pancakes. But either way you have to have them with bacon and maple syrup. Order silver dollar pancakes because they are smaller and stay warmer for longer. Avoid New York’s version of a pau chocolat, unless in a French patrisse.
You can order food from all over the world my particular current favourite would be the famed Shake Shack burgers, they are worth the queue believe me. There is also the great Oyster bar in Grand Central, which has the best seafood chowder.
Stay away from pretzels they are not worth the $2.
It is a real shame but I have noticed that the traditional diner is dying and being rapidly replaced with either Starbucks or quasi-French cafés. Some of these cafés are nice enough (check prices before ordering) but they are not the real deal. Root out the real diners (they are still around) or if you fancy cafés – these two are my ultimate favourites. Serendipity III is only two blocks from Bloomingdales, and on my last trip I walked to it from the Met (all of 25 blocks – believe me NOT recommended in the July heat.) But finally I found it. The café looks small from the outside but it isn’t. Inside it is filled with beautiful art nouveau vases, class works and candelabras. And the food – for your first visit order a Frozen Hot Chocolate. To be honest I’ve been back a lot and I still tend to order just this. You could try for more, but don’t eat anything prior.
My second favourite café is the Magnolia Bakery, made famous by Sex in The City, but made legendary by the beautiful cupcakes they produce. They started in the Village but you can’t sit there and there’s another one on 200 Columbus Street, which has several tables. All of the staff are incredibly sweet, one time the waitress found out my favourite cupcake was the red velvet one, and she especially went and hurried up the batch for me. They have also let me taste some of the products – banana cream pie was especially good.
The best cheesecake I found was in the restaurant (it’s a chain) – Senafina (210 West 55th Street).
Order pizza – delivery – or a slice of pie (that’s what they called folded slices of pizza), they in general tend to be great at Chicken pizza. For vegetarians the options re-pizza hasn’t been quite so impressive.
Older New Yorkers rave about Grey’s Papaya, which serves hot dogs and papaya juice (mixed with various other flavours if you so choose). I ate mine although I will admit it was good, Shake Shack was a darn sight better.
Take your ID with you everywhere if you want to buy a drink.
Theatre.
I’ve been to see some great shows in Manhattan. On my last trip I went to see the musical Wicked, which was great. The theatre itself inside is painted green with incredible high arches decorated with dragons and amusing signs. I absolutely loved the experience. I will warn that the tickets were VERY expensive, and famous shows are often this way, but if you have the money it worth finding a show.
I have had the luck to see some truly great shows. The highlights include, as follows; Alfred Molina in The Fiddler on the Roof, Claire Daines in My Fair Lady and probably my favourite a far more sinister version of Sweeney Todd than Tim Burton’s. But I know these have been expensive, yet some of the great theatre in New York is free. That’s right; in the middle of the Park there is the Delacourt Theatre which every summer performs two of Shakespeare’s plays. All you have to do is queue up and you get two tickets (arrive early as on sunny days the queue is going to be long). I’ve seen some crazy plays including a musical version of Much Ado About Nothing featuring Rosario Dawson and the campest version of Henry 5th with Liev Schiber.
Theatre is such a vital part of Manhattan even if you only get to see a free performance or choose to go to an off-Broadway theatre (the Cherry Lane theatre is one I worked in); it will be undoubtedly a good decision.
Gay Pride/ Parades
As I wrote about earlier I was lucky enough to somewhat take part in Gay Pride – I believe I was mistaken for a press photographer and I got to walk along with the marchers, which was ever so fun.
Summer is probably the best time for marches and I know, although I didn’t attend many of the shows there are loads of free gigs, poetry readings and plays on in the city… especially in June and July. Look them up, some of them are really great, and the timetable can be found in the NY Times and Time Out.
Brooklyn.
In my last trip to Manhattan I was properly introduced to Brooklyn, and several of its highlights, which on previous trips I haven’t taken advantage of. I am a convert. I now maintain that if I ever move to USA I want to live as close as I can to the promenade of Brooklyn, which at sunset has the most stunning view of New York and Brooklyn Bridge, imaginable.
Brooklyn itself is vast, and I did not get to see it all. However I did make it to a gig in Williamsburg (if you see me in a video of South American band on MTV, it was filmed there), which is exactly how I imagined New York must have once looked, in the era of Woody Allen. It is certainly a little rougher round the edges – but it feels alive. There are students, no suits, cheaper food (but still delicious), music and no high buildings. Get off the subway at Berry ST and enjoy, because it’s a great place. I saw a lot of cute shops (in the mold of the Lanes in Brighton or oddball shops in London) but I regrettably did not investigate further.
The promenade is slightly more mature, but the buildings alone at worth seeing. They were (guess work on my part) built in the early 20th century, and are beautifully old fashioned so that you feel like you might be in an Edith Wharton novel.
Brooklyn is certainly younger than Manhattan (inhabitants wise) and perhaps has fewer attractions but its less stuffy, less build up and completely worth a visit. And if anyone sees a terraced house for sale near the promenade please buy it for me.
Art.
Manhattan plays host to my favourite painting in the world. It’s in the Met, which is perhaps one of the greatest galleries ever. In part because of the aforementioned painting, but mainly because the truly vast space houses some of the greatest paintings and items that I have ever seen. A day would not cover this incredible artist temple. When I visited this summer they had just opened the Alexander McQueen exhibition with a queue that was two and a half hours long, they are many things I would wait that long for, but a collection of dresses is not one of them (my friend saw them earlier in the year and said it was a great collection, but I am still glad I did not bother to join that line). There is simply enough in the regular collection to keep art fans happy.
I also managed to visit the Moma, a fine collection of modern art, but one that has never completely blown me away to the same extent that the Met does.
I did finally visit the Guggenheim, which suffered like many other modern art galleries, of believing rocks on cushions, and 4 lines of paint on a canvas are art. However the building itself was amazing (I did get vertigo a bit when I reached the top) and there was a lovely collection by Kandinsky, and few funny modern pieces, which ridiculed money by sticking fake notes to the walls of a vast room, juvenile but laugh inducing.
However the best discovery I made was the Neue Gallery. Not suitable for children under 12 (they don’t let them in, and there is a rather uncomfortable sexual element to it) but nevertheless it was a fascinating array of late 19th and early 20th century art and furniture from Austria and Germany. There is also a fabulous restaurant at the end of the gallery.
Shopping.
This city has some of the greatest shops ever, featuring new fashions, expensive designer labels, books, perfumes, gifts – you can buy virtually anything in New York. One of my favourite places is the Strand bookshop, very close to Union Square, it is filled with unbelievable finds, pretty notepads and has a sections which feel like they belong in a movie – one could wonder in and get completely lost.
It’s an old favourite but Bloomingdales is just a fail safe. There are two. One up the fifties on the East side, which is in the old famed building, has scary scent sprayers who jump on you but the best range of clothes. The other is downtown, and although more modern, and according to some fashionable, and with fewer crazier perfume sellers there is something far more reassuring and nice about the older building.
Anthrologie. Urban Outfitters. Because their stuff is gorgeous and although they now exist in the UK, in the states it’s far cheaper and the range is more extensive.
Ps… In the summer go to the park, ideally the Meadow which is in the middle, on Sunday, take a ball or a book, and suncream and relax…
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