New York is probably my favourite city anywhere in the world. So much city packed into a relatively small space. It's big AND tall. It's almost like a nation unto itself. Kind of like America, but even better. Nothing beats seeing the New York skyline for the first time. It's a city which boldly announces itself, but needs no introduction.
These photos and tips are from a visit where we pretty much followed our noses around the city last September. There are an infinite number of places to see and things to do, so these are just to help you make a small but significant scratch on the tip of the iceberg. We were staying with friends in the uber hipster neighbourhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but the extensive subway system makes it easy to get from place to place.
#1 Take in the view of Manhattan from Brooklyn. There are several places along the East River in Brooklyn to take in the breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline. These shots are taken from East River State Park in Williamsburg.
#2 Wander the streets of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Discover great coffee and eats, vintage stores, street art and just about everything in between.
#3 Ask locals where to eat and find great hole-in-the-wall places like Vinnie's Pizza (This branch is in Williamsburg, Brooklyn). It looks like the kind of place you want to avoid as if your life depended on it, but the pizza is top notch and great value.
#4 Get lost in Central Park. Central Park is huge. It's 183 acres of green-ness, an oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. My advice is to pick a section and enjoy that rather than trying to see every corner, which will exhaust you unless this is the only activity for the day. When we visited there was a stage ready for the Pope to speak the next day. So, go to Central Park and follow in the pontiff's holy footsteps!
#4 Visit Times Square, but don't stay long. Times Square is the equivalent of Piccadilly in London. Alongside the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, it's one of NYC's icons, with its huge screens and big crowds. In my view, it's worth seeing once, it is a little impressive but you feel a bit like you are in something created for tourists and the bombardment with advertisements is overwhelming and almost feels a little violating. It's good for some photos though. I recommend not to eat around here as everything is more geared for tourists and you will be overcharged for underwhelming food. Instead, do a bit of research ahead of time as to where the hidden eateries are (see #3 above).
#5 Enjoy Yoga in the heart of Manhattan. Ok, so yoga is not my thing, but it seems to be really popular here. So much so that they have huge yoga sessions in parks. So if it's your bag, bring your yoga mat and sweatpants and join other like-minded people, and get photographed by people like myself
#6 Spend some time wandering around Manhattan and see what's happening. There's always something happening. We stumbled across a big queue of people lining up as far as the eye could see, weaving in and out of blocks and streets. I thought it was a new store opening, but after seeing some nuns and asking people, I soon realised it was a queue for the pope who was performing/preaching at Madison Square Gardens.
#7 Walk the High Line The High Line is a 1.5 mile linear park built on an elevated section of a disused railway line. It was pretty crowded when we visited, but enjoyable all the same. Just being a little higher than street level helps you lift yourselves out of the stress of the city somehow.
#8 Reflect at the 9/11 Memorial. It's a sobering thing to stand at the very spot the twin towers once stood and view the poignant and beautiful memorial waterfalls that have been built in the footprint of the towers. The names of those killed in this world-changing event are engraved around the edges of the memorial. I can't think of a more fitting way to remember this event. There is a museum as well, but we didn't have time to visit. There is a new tower that has been built near the site, known as One World Trade Center, or The Freedom Tower. It is the largest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.
#9 Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
This is one of the most iconic structures in New York, with black and white photos of this on probably at least every other friend's wall across the globe. The only way to appreciate it is to walk it:
#10 Discover DUMBO, Brooklyn. If you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan (#6 above) then you will find yourself in the district of DUMBO. It's not named after the animated flying elephant, as I first thought, but is an acronym which represents "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass". It's a trendy new district which includes some good coffee at Brooklyn Roasting Company and lots of boutique shops and independent cafes. And you also get this famous view of the Manhattan Bridge
