Something About New York

Theres something about New York that gives off an indefinable quality of excitement.

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Maybe it’s the inexhaustible rows of yellow cabs or the unrelenting noise of hooting cars, squealing police car sirens and the incessant high decibel chattering of hordes of high-octane people with a mission.

Or perhaps it’s the atmospheric steam rising up from the manholes or the highly visible presence of cops in their dark blue uniforms complete with truncheon and gun. For me it is the adrenaline rush of being on what feels like the set of the tv series NYPD Blue.

There is so much to do in New York that first time visitors should land in New York running. On arrival, drop off your luggage at your hotel and head immediately for the Empire State Building. It may sound touristy, but trust me, it a high-speed educational. It is the tallest building in New York (now that the twin towers no longer grace the landscape) and a trip to the Observatory on the 86th floor gives you an unparalleled view of New York City – quite a feat in a land with the world’s tallest skyscrapers, each a manifestation of the world’s biggest egos; look out for the American Icons of the Rockefeller Centre or the Trump buildings each competing to touch the clouds. Head phones guide you through the landmarks with a little history thrown in by – quite aptly - Tony an immigrant Italian cab driver; apt because, in essence, the heart of New York’s very being beats with the rhythmic wave after wave of immigrant culture from practically every corner of the globe.

From the dizzy Observatory heights you will get your perspective of this dense, compact city and its clearly delineated quarters: Uptown, Downtown, West Side and East Side all neatly contained within an easy to navigate grid. Soak it all in while you realise that New York started life as a fishing village on the Hudson River, that Times Square is not really a square and Coney Island is a misnomer.

Another mind-blowing vista is from the newly opened 'Top of The Rock'. The centre famed as an innovative urban project combines 14 buildings housing the infant radio and TV industries some 60 years ago. Underground is a lattice work of interconnecting hallways of shops and cafes. Though not as tall as the Empire this 70th floor top deck of the Rockefeller centre gives a 360 degree view over the Hudson, East Rivers and Central Park.

On ground level, take in the city with a half-day New York Visions coach tour. The tour passes through all the quarters while the knowledgeable guide imparts interesting snippets of information about the villages. For instance Bill Clinton has his office in Harlem and the Financial District is home to the famous Wall Street and in China Town you can haggle with the Chinese vendors and admire the statue of Buddha. You will see the serene Central Park (where Paula Radcliff recently won the New York Marathon) and 5th Avenue, which has been dubbed the Museum Mile because it is home to at least twenty-seven museums including the famous Guggenheim and the Frick Collection. Towards the end of the tour ask to be dropped off at Pier 17, an area once alive with the sound of working fishermen, but where you can stop for lunch and enjoy the view of the river and the impressive Brooklyn Bridge.

You may be tempted to visit the world famous Statue of Liberty and the immigration museum on Ellis Island. For 60 odd years Ellis Island was an immigration station for 12 million people. It was their first US port of call and the Statue of Liberty was the first landmark they saw as they sailed into the harbour. But the queues to catch the ferry over to the island are too long for comfort and security is understandably but frustratingly thorough; and in any case, the crown of the statue is no longer accessible.

A better alternative is to enjoy a leisurely dinner and dance boat trip on the World Yacht, which passes by Ellis Island giving a fabulous view of the statue and her cone topped with an orb of glowing orange light as well as the entire Manhattan skyline.

Combine this with a visit to the museum of Lower East Side Tenements where the phrase ‘melting pot’ was coined and where the pot still simmers. New York’s compelling and sometimes heartbreaking immigrant history is told through film, visuals and tenement tours giving insights into the go-go-go mindset of the city folk. What’s more a visit here gives the opportunity to explore the Lower East Side and the bordering eccentric China Town. The area, famous for tradesmen dealing in fake Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton bags, is fast becoming very trendy and those with a taste for cutting-edge fashion and great bargains will love this section of the city.

One thing you must do is catch a Broadway show – but do as the locals do and buy your tickets at the Times Square Booth where tickets can be up to half price. If you like musicals, plump for 42nd street. This slick, thunderous, toe-tapping show is based on the 1933 Busby Berkeley movie that captures the thrilling experience of being in New York.

But Broadway is more than the a place to catch a show. It's a monumental urban highway that stretches diagonally across Manhattan from Bowling Green in the south to 262nd street in the Bronx where the island itself meets the water. It would be a grave omission not to take in a few blocks side-tracking every now and again to visit some of the gems located along its stretch.

The first few blocks of Broadway are the island's financial district home to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. Shopaholics will see the world-famous Bloomingdale's and serial Seinfield watchers must visit Tom's restaurant featured regularly in this sitcom, for an early supper.

To end your break to New York on a high note, spend your final night luxuriating with a cocktail at the Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of the Rockefeller Plaza. Take delight in the panoramic sparkling city stretching out into the velvet night for this is the last image of New York you will have. The question is, can you resist the temptation of ordering a Manhattan?

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