Oh NYC, you are as spectacular as I hoped you would be. Your vibrancy and beauty, your energy and grandeur is intoxicating.

From Soho to East Village, from Greenwich to Chelsea, Harlem, Brooklyn, the Upper East Side to Central Park, we wandered endlessly from our Midtown Manhattan hotel. Chilly, crisp days of discovery and delightful marvel… from the grand iconic skyscrapers and venerable architecture, to the intimacy of brownstone townhouses and stamp-sized courtyards. From your Dutch West India Company Fort, a few windmills and men with lofty dreams, you grew to the enclave of New Amsterdam. The local Lenape peoples had called you Manna Hata, Island of the Hills.

Governor Stuyvesant soon arrived, bringing order to your unruly colony. Tobacco, beaver pelts, sugar and slaves now passing through your shores. Yet even as wealth ensued, you fell to the British in 1664 with little opposition – your new name, a tribute to the English Duke of York.

After revolutionary war and ravaging fires, the world began arriving on your shores. Soon, the juxtaposition of poor crowded neighbourhoods, with the elegance of mansions of the wealthy merchant classes would start to shape your burgeoning enclave. Many of your iconic, grand structures are from this Gilded Age, the late 1800’s. And then with their many newcomers, you welcomed Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx into your fold to become the diverse, exuberant, city-that-never-sleeps of today.

We ferried past that welcoming symbol of freedom and liberty. When she arrived from France in 350 pieces, the Statue of Liberty wouldn’t know the enduring beacon of hope she symbolizes in New York Harbour still today. It’s believed that forty percent of Americans can trace their arrival on the continent from Ellis Island.

NYC you are familiar in our minds even without having visited. The movies, the TV shows, the music, and once you’re here it all falls into place.

The expansiveness of Grand Central Park, a lush bucolic retreat from the hectic streets.

A stroll across the 1883 Brooklyn Bridge and through its iconic Gothic arches… Manhattan’s sweeping skyline seemingly at your fingertips.

The dazzling Times Square in Midtown, the most visited place globally with 360,000 pedestrians visitors daily.

Museum Mile nestled amongst the elegant Beaux-Arts mansions flanking the Upper East side.

The salmon-hued and wide stoops of Harlem townhouses, nestled along storied leafy streets.

The beloved New York Public Library with its lavish architecture and vast Rose Reading Room… stretching two blocks with just seven million volumes to indulge in.

Cuisines from around the world, and that American icon of NYC pizza as well!

The spectacle of Broadway shows in breathtaking theatres, many now designated Historic Landmarks.

The evocative steam stacks erupting on busy streets – the largest such steam system in the world.

The opportunity to remember and honour at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum site.

And of course the friendly, hospitable people in your rich, and diverse metropolis. Thank you NYC, you are a true gem…

If You Visit…

The Guggenheim Museum is a great alternative to the more expansive museums and part of the experience is the building itself. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright it is a masterpiece, like many of the old Masters that you’ll see.

Close by on Museum Row is The Neue Galerie New York, showcasing Gvstav Klimt and other Austrian Masters. Housed in a designated landmark building, once the home of society doyenne, Mrs. C. Vanderbilt III.

New York Public Library is an essential experience with its own fascinating museum and grand sweeping architecture.

The ferry tour with Starship NYC is an insightful 90 minute tour of the Harbour, Statue of Liberty and a cruise under the Brookyln Bridge. The commentary is informative and entertaining.

Purchase a $35 bus and subway pass and traverse the entire city – easy, safe and a chance to be part of everyday NYC life.

Stroll the picturesque High Line, the former railway is now an elevated green walking space with dramatic city views. Finish with a cocktail at the iconic The Hotel Chelsea.

Admire the intricately designed cast-iron facades in SoHo and Tribeca. SoHo stands for ‘South of Houston Street’ and Tribeca for ‘Triangle Below Canal Street’.

My information for this trip was the excellent guide book, NEW YORK CITY by DK, 2025.

A few of our favourite restaurant finds…

Buvette Gastrotheque in Greenwich Village for that special night out. Sit at the bar to enjoy the action unfold.

Cafe Gitane, Mott Street, East Village. Casual but cozy in a lovely neighbourhood.

5 Napkin Burger in Hell’s Kitchen for burgers and cocktails in a cool, diner vibe… our veg burger was great.

Eataly NYC Flatiron, a vibrant Italian marketplace with an array of eateries. Also a good excuse to see the iconic Flatiron building in the Gramercy District if you haven’t already done so.