NYC like a local
Let me start backwards… and with this view. My last night in NYC we stayed at The James, a very urban and design-led hotel in Soho. This was at the hotel’s rooftop terrace at sundown. Jimmy’s, the bar connected to the terrace, is the perfect Soho hangout for these sunny March days. It’s exactly what you picture when you think Manhattan rooftop terrace. Music, a pool, a trendy laid back crowd and delicious cocktails.
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| The rooftop terrace |
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| Jimmy’s |
Having been based in Brooklyn all week, it was fun to really feel like it was my home for that time and of course getting all of the local’s insider advice and Sarah knows all the ins and outs of what’s great to see…
Touristy things
The subway is the best way – get a MetroCard for a week, as it’s good value at $29. If you live in London, you’ll probably come back with a renewed appreciation for the tube (which I so often complain about). After a week using the subway in New York, I now feel brave enough to lick the platforms of London’s underground, for how clinically clean it feels in comparison.
Cycle around the whole of Central Park
Rent bikes in advance for a better deal – we did it online at www.cyclecentralpark.com
9/11 Memorial
Reserve a free visitor pass by booking a time slot online to visit the Memorial site at the World Trade Centre. The official and much anticipated 9/11 Memorial Museum will open soon – September 2012.
Reserve a free visitor pass by booking a time slot online to visit the Memorial site at the World Trade Centre. The official and much anticipated 9/11 Memorial Museum will open soon – September 2012.
The Staten Island Ferry
This free ‘commuter’ ferry feels like that no longer, it’s more of a tourist attraction for those who aren’t all that fussed about being an inch from (or reaching the top of) the Statue of Liberty, but would settle with a good snapshot from a short distance as you cruise by.
This free ‘commuter’ ferry feels like that no longer, it’s more of a tourist attraction for those who aren’t all that fussed about being an inch from (or reaching the top of) the Statue of Liberty, but would settle with a good snapshot from a short distance as you cruise by.
Going up which building?
I ended up going up the Empire State building and it was foggy so not much to see, but I hear the Rockefeller Centre gives you a better view all-round, with Central Park and the fact that you can therefore see The Empire State building.
I ended up going up the Empire State building and it was foggy so not much to see, but I hear the Rockefeller Centre gives you a better view all-round, with Central Park and the fact that you can therefore see The Empire State building.
Walk the Highline
On a sunny day this was the perfect thing to do, starting from the Meatpacking District and following it all the way down, stopping at various benches to catch the sun.
On a sunny day this was the perfect thing to do, starting from the Meatpacking District and following it all the way down, stopping at various benches to catch the sun.
Opera at The Met
If you can, this is an incredible experience. We went to see L’Elisir d’Amore featuring Juan Diego Florez who I learnt is the most celebrated tenor of our time!
If you can, this is an incredible experience. We went to see L’Elisir d’Amore featuring Juan Diego Florez who I learnt is the most celebrated tenor of our time!
Eating and Drinking… a few spots I loved
- Brunch at The Standard Grill in The Meatpacking District.
- Foodie markets such as The Chelsea Market and Eataly, I could just spend all day at.
- Shake Shack – for late night burgers, fries and even wine (!) in Madison Square Park. It’s worth the queue and sitting out in the middle of the park under fairy lights is pretty magical.
- The East Village and the Lower East Side were definitely a couple of my favourite areas. They both had a real outdoorsy, boutique cafe culture, and so many options to choose from. We went out one night around here, starting off with lots of wine and squash spaghetti…yes interesting, vegetable pasta – at ‘Inoteca. We then moved on to Pianos for tropical cocktails and later Beauty & Essex. Now this place was seemingly a mere pawn shop where the back door is suspiciously guarded by a smartly dressed bouncer… in actuality, behind closed doors, it’s a chic and extravagant restaurant and late-night bar, where champagne is served in the bathrooms! We had a crazy night here, sporting ‘party moustaches’, which got us a lot of free booze to our surprise.
- Jazz in the West Village? Check out the intimate Jazz bar Arthur’s for a real old school band and no cover charge.
- Lombardi’s in NoLita, claims to be the first pizzeria in the USA and one of NYC’s finest. They were damn good!!
- Katz’s Deli is famous for its authentic (and huge) pastrami sandwiches. I couldn’t have handled it so I instead went for a chilli dog, but they do look delicious, albeit a heart attack between two slices of bread.
- OMG for the love of cuteness Baked by Melissa proves that food can be utterly adorable. It’s all about button-sized cupcakes here, of all flavours and colours. At a dollar a bite, these treats don’t come cheap but they’re impossible to resist.
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Hasta Luego!