Arriving in New York City on a crisp winter’s day reminded me a little of England. It was certainly a far cry from the humid, rain swept and – at least recently – seldom sunny Sydney. The sky was a beautiful pale blue and as we waited in the very long taxi queue at JFK we could see our breath…justification at least for the lumpy sweaters stuffing our backpacks. Dan of course was immediately happy to be in cooler climes, me, well I’m a sun bunny so I just grin and bear it. But hey, we were visiting the big apple again and at the start of an amazing adventure!
You can’t help but love New York . . . . it has a unique vibrancy; it’s quirky and cool, it’s frenetic, and it’s sometimes rude and abrupt, but that’s all part of the charm. Even in the taxi queue. After an age waiting in the chill, we were finally on our way.
Harlem, despite having a bit of a rep, was a fantastic, lively and hassle free place to stay. Sure, it’s a bit edgy in places, but we never felt unsafe or unwelcome as we pounded the pavement to and from our B&B.
Having been to NYC before, we were on a highlights mission this visit, starting with the rooftop bar at 230 Fifth Ave, and its amazing views over the city.
We also ventured onto the Staten Island Ferry, itself a highlight for the city panoramas it offers. The island itself was skippable (cue howls of outrage from Staten Islanders….).
We went in search of Caravaggio at the ever amazing Metropolitan Museum of Art, and then went on a wander through Central Park, the heart of the city, not just physically but emotionally: all the messages and dedications on the benches are a great insight into what the park means for so many people here – bequeaths to dogs, lost loved ones, even marriage proposals! We didn’t linger though….it was freezing.
This visit also reminded us that we’re a bit out of travel practice. Our search for New York’s best bagel sandwich involved a major trip across town to find the highly rated Kossars Bialys Shop – delicious bagels, no fillings! Reminder 1 – research your destination.
Another mammoth trek across town, this time in icy, pouring rain, ended with us standing on the street outside the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), drenched and forlorn, staring at a closed sign. Reminder 2 – check opening times before visiting.
The next evening, having walked about thirty blocks from Times Square to Chelsea in search of the legendary Gotham Comedy Club on the recommendation of our ten-year-old NYC guidebook, we were served up Reminder 3 – make sure your guidebook is recent. We arrived at the address…only to find club wasn’t there anymore.
Times Square brightens up the gloom.
We did find success in Katz’ fabled deli on the lower east side, famous for its When Harry Met Sally ‘I’ll have what she’s having’ scene. Presidents have dined here so we figured it must be good. Dan ordered a classic Reuben – two slices of bread with about a kilo of corned beef, saurkraut and cheese, pickles on the side. Mine was a standard salami sandwich…if 16 slices of salami bookended by two slices of bread can be called standard.
Would you like some bread with that salami?
While it wasn’t quite the orgasmic experience Sally had, it was tastier than it sounds and a very New York experience. The Katz’ Ale certainly helped wash it down.
We did ultimately find that sometimes tried and tested is best – Reminder 4. McSorley’s Bar near the East Village again lived up to expectations. As with our first visit in 2006, we got the standard ‘light or dark?’ question from the barman (one of each is the correct answer), and we weren’t disappointed.
Old faithful….tried and tested, twice.
And that was NYC. In a short couple of days, we walked a thousand miles, ate a month’s worth of cured meat, were dealt some useful travel reminders, and departed with the certainty that we’ll be back again. On to Florida and some sunshine!