New York, USA

I took advantage of a work trip to Virginia by doubling it up with a four day city break to the city that never sleeps, New York.

It’s a shame I can’t write about my Reston, Washington and Maryland experiences as this blog is for shared adventures only. But I can start by mentioning our big-hug rendezvous at Penn Station – the point from which our big city expedition began. After five days apart we had much to catch-up on and a wild and wonderful destination to explore together.

1 – Recognisability

Do you ever get the feeling you’ve been somewhere before? Well I’ve never had it more in abundance than when I visited this city. It struck me just how iconic New York is. I’d wager bets it’s the most famous city on the planet – and most certainly the most recognisable.

As we walked the streets I felt a comforting sense of familiarity, just as though I’d been there before. I knew the layout of Times Square, felt at home in Central Park and completely au fait with the yellow taxis driving on by. It’s probably due to the movies or TV shows I’ve seen over the decades featuring New York backdrops. Home Alone, Spiderman, Dick Tracy, King Kong… I could go on. Although we think movies just wash over us, the finer details still manage to leave an imprint on the cortex!

2 – Merging of old and new

Cities across the globe, comparable in size to New York, are usually much younger. It’s fair to say that by comparison New York is knocking on a bit! There are so many remnants of yesteryear dotted around the city which blend in beautifully with the new and modern developments. Hudson Yards is a classic example of an old industrial shipping hub, standing proudly among new glass skyscrapers. Wall St was similar, the old-style stock exchange building is nestled alongside new architectural statements that modernise the skyline.

3 – Tipping etiquette

As a Brit who resides outside London, I’m used to tipping etiquette as an occasional gesture made by choice. In the U.S. tipping of about 25% is an expectation and as such is added to your bill – whether you are impressed with the service or not.

Leaving such a hefty tip was a cultural shift for both of us. Even buying soft drinks at the bar left me feeling rather uncomfortable and very short-changed! But tipping is the thing to do, so if you visit New York, be prepared to add about 25% to your intended spends.

Accommodation: Citizen M Hotel 

We stayed at Citizen M Hotel, a narrow, boutique hotel conveniently located on the doorstep of Times Square. We were quite taken by the sophistication of the place. It was modern, unusual and cleverly designed. The architects and interior designers have maximised every metre of space and used deceptive design tricks to make the hotel interior look bigger than it is. The bold and bright entrance lobby could be mistaken for an art museum. With colourful artefacts, ginormous hanging murals and intelligent use of mirrors – Citizen M certainly made a statement!

Our room was small and narrow, approx 8ft wide with just enough space to fit a bed at the far end by the window. Despite feeling a bit hemmed in, our room was clean, comfy, and provided everything we needed. After all, we weren’t visiting New York to spend four days in a hotel room! Lighting, heating and other electrics in the room were operated by an iPad by the side of the bed. How many hotel rooms are as techie as that?

The hotel’s plush rooftop bar and terrace is situated on the 21st floor. For us this was icing on the cake – to stay in what is effectively a high-end budget hotel yet still have access to a vibrant skyline bar is not to be sniffed at. It served as an excellent place for us to unwind and inhale the views and buzz of the city.

Much about this hotel was unconventional, in a good way. Customer information notices were cleverly written. Straight to the point and drafted in a friendly, informal manner – kudos to the agency and copywriter! Traditional lobby reception desks have been replaced self-service kiosks and this was no bad thing. Staff were still on hand to offer support if required. I was really impressed with Citizen M, they put the needs of a modern guest at the heart of everything and then craft the hotel around that. I’d describe it as a no-frill with frills place to stay! (Overall rating 91/100)

Times Square

As our hotel was located on Times Square, we spent plenty of time absorbing, or trying to absorb, this famous site and tourist hotspot. The area is jam-packed with billboards, digital billboards and LED screens. The vibrance and variety of colour is intense, as is the strobing nature of the screens. It’s as though you’ve got a million digital gremlins surrounding you all screaming “look at me, look at me”. Your eyes don’t know where to land, and as soon as they do land, they soon skip to another screen because its digital gremlin has just won over your gaze. The word ‘tripping’ succinctly sums up the feeling of being in Times Square!

Other than the insane use of lightbulbs and Ozone-burning levels of light pollution, Times Square has an appeal for the crowds it draws. The place is heaving, morning, noon and night. It makes for an excellent spot to people-watch and an epic platform for a photo op.

Watch out for the ‘cartoon characters’ who roam Times Square looking for unsuspecting tourists. They lure you in for a photo and then expect a payment. There are some weird, wonderful and outright bonkers individuals that frequent Times Square yet all of them have a role to play in adding to its unparalleled pizazz and character. (Overall rating 93/100)

Ground Zero

We both vividly remember the fateful day in 2001, a horror I don’t think we’ll ever forget. I imagine most people have conflicting thoughts about visiting Ground Zero, both wanting and not wanting to go at the same time!

When we arrived at the site of the former twin towers, we headed to the North Tower memorial. Set amid a stunning tree-lined garden area, it’s a peaceful place where people go to gather their thoughts and remember the incomprehensible loss that day. We adopted the unspoken rule of remaining quiet and sombre during our visit and didn’t pick up the tempo until we’d vacated the site.

The external memorials are footprints of where the old towers once stood. Each has been crafted into a waterfall and the external ledge displays the names of each victim taken in the 9/11 atrocities. On a birthday anniversary, a white rose is placed on the name plaque. A thoughtful way to remember the people lost.

We didn’t realise that the site of Ground Zero also included a museum. But underground, spanning the entire footprint where the World Trade Centre towers once stood, is the most fitting, tasteful and well-thought-out tribute to all those who lost their lives. Without adding too many spoilers here, it’s one of the most intense, emotive yet beautiful experiences I’ve had in my lifetime, a real must visit. (Overall rating 94/100)

Statue of Liberty cruise

I’ve always had a mini-fixation with Lady Liberty, though I’ve no idea why. There’s something about the surge of power she exudes in the way she holds that torch. By contrast, she also serves as a comforting sight – particularly for so many travellers over the years.

We took a one hour Liberty cruise as part of a bus-stop tour package. We departed from Liberty Station and circled the Hudson river, skimming past Liberty herself and then around the tip of lower Manhattan towards Brooklyn and the famous bridges.

We were lucky to depart at the end of day so benefitted from seeing the sights by daylight and lit up by night. Liberty is far more green in colour than I’d anticipated and she’s certainly more lonely that I thought too!

The New Jersey skyline by night was intriguing – taking on a modern glow and vibe. We didn’t explore it beyond the Liberty cruise but New Jersey will be on our ‘places to visit’ list if we venture here again. (Overall rating 91/100)

Empire State building

The word ‘Empire’ says it all. For a period of time, the Empire State building was the ruler of the global skyline. And of all the skyscrapers we could have visited during our trip, the Empire State was top of our list.

Finding the entrance door to the viewing deck wasn’t easy, I think we stumbled on three potential ways in before finding the right one. Once inside, the art-deco style that defines the exterior, takes up every inch of the inner walls. Whether it’s the bold vintage font signage, the geometric wall features or the use of mirrors, dark wood and marble – you can’t help but feel as though you’ve been sent back in time.

The route to the top isn’t the speedy catapult experience you’re accustomed to with modern skyscrapers. It’s a slow, spiralling walk, lift-hop and climb to the summit. It’s not without charm and interest though. The corridors are lined with snippets of the building’s history. Whether it’s a reenactment of the materials, methods and labour involved in the build, a collection of the movies featuring the famous tower or a gallery of celebrity selfies who have visited this fine structure – we found plenty to keep us intrigued and amazed!

To avoid queuing for the lift we decided to take the final 15 floors by foot, via a narrow industrial stairwell to the side of the building. It certainly got our blood pumping and heart racing by the time we reached the top! And that surge of adrenaline stayed with us for some time. As we laid eyes on the immense concrete jungle beneath us, we were captivated. We spent a good hour at the top of the Empire State – feeling the natural sway, calmed by the tranquility and amazed by the views. We paid a little extra for our tickets so we could visit the building’s highest public viewing platform a few floors up. We didn’t didn’t feel it offered anything different, let alone extra, so not something I’d recommend splashing out the cash for. (Overall rating 92/100)

Hudson Yards – the Vessel

Located close to the city’s former industrial hub, where global shipping meets U.S. rail, lies Hudson Yards – a new redevelopment site of 28 acres. The vicinity is home to more than 100 shops, restaurants, residences as well as businesses, plazas and gardens. Positioned centre stage in this trendy and vibrant neighbourhood is ‘The Vessel‘, a sculpture-cum-tourist attraction that looks like a UFO or extraterrestrial leave behind!

It’s pretty impressive though and certainly captures your attention. Standing 16 storeys high (or 46 metres) this architectural intrigue offers remarkable views of the city, the river and beyond. It combines 154 flights of stairs and an impressive 2,500 steps. I loved the geometry of this structure, it reminded me of an optical illusion drawings.

A fantastic few hours of our NYC trip was spent in Hudson Yards overlooking The Vessel as we fine dined – it was one of my holiday highlights. Sadly, the ticket entry method of getting into the structure caught us by surprise and as it was fully booked all afternoon we were not able to climb up. (Overall rating 91/100)

Central Park

I’d never considered how vast Central Park would be until we visited. It is ginormous! What I began to appreciate as we walked through the grounds was the vast amount of planning, thought and order that must have gone into its development. It oozes function yet beauty combined. Central Park features ice rinks, lakes, running and cycling circuits, bridges and fountains to name a few.

We spent four hours and about 12km walking the full park circuit, starting mid afternoon and going on into the evening. Some of our highlights include visiting Strawberry Fields, the memorial to John Lennon, watching rowing-boats along The Lake and observing the skaters on Wollman Rink. We also ventured out of the park to pay respects to John Lennon outside the infamous Dakota Building where he was fatally shot in 1980.

Central Park is one of New York’s many assets and I admire how it’s regarded and tendered by proud New Yorkers. (Overall rating 92/100)

Guggenheim Museum

Saturday was a wet day in New York and with little sign of breaks in the downpours, we decided to visit the Guggenheim museum. We had a short queue outside under our umbrella and it felt like our Paris Louvre trip all over again!

The building exterior is exquisitely beautiful. Built in the late 50s, this architectural masterpiece was so ahead of its time. The intelligently designed interior doesn’t disappoint either. Once inside, we were shocked to find hollow innards, with white spiralling walkways coiling the building’s entire inner circumference. What’s extremely impressive about the walkways is not only do they take you to the top floor but they also host the bulk of exhibition materials. I thought this was a genius idea and a sure way to ensure every visitor sees every exhibition. Apart from the adult-only installations which are reserved to over 18s.

After reaching the museum’s upper-most level on about level six, we started our slow spiralling decent, calling in at the Guggenheim cafe for refreshments half way down.

I have huge respect for the devout designers and architects who were involved in the build of the Guggenheim. And I’d recommend a visit if only to fully appreciate the magnificence of the structure alone. (Overall rating 93/100)

Broadway – The Lion King

So muscials aren’t really our thing, but when on Broadway and all that!

As we hadn’t booked theatre tickets before our trip we were pretty limited for choice as the shows we might have opted for had all sold out. Shows on Broadway seemed to command eye-watering ticket prices, so be prepared to stump up some big bucks if you want to watch any of them.

The Lion King turned out to be a great show and allowed a few hours of light entertainment to wash over us. Hakuna Matata! (Overall rating 93/100)

Brooklyn Bridge

We’d planned to visit Brooklyn via the open-top bus. However there’s only one bus service each day to Brooklyn and we didn’t make it to Downtown Manhattan in time for its departure

As it turns out, our missed bus episode was a blessing in disguise and it offered the opportunity for us to get to Brooklyn on foot via the famous Bridge built in the late 1800s.

The bridge carries motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Although cars have a separate channel to cross, pedestrians and cyclists are merged together on a narrow wooden walkway. It was a bit cramped, but it didn’t ruin our walk to the other side.

When we arrived at Brooklyn we were unsure which direction to go. Considering the volume of visitors that cross this bridge, I’m surprised clear directions, or even better, a safe walkway haven’t been put in place. We knew we wanted to get to the riverfront and so we had to navigate the busy road infrastructure to get there.

Brooklyn has character, that’s my lasting impression anyway. There’s an abundance of its old industrial past taking on a new lease of life and it was great to see the redeveloped waterfront.

Our main aim of the Brooklyn trip visit was to capture a few iconic shots. Firstly a shot of the New York skyline with Old Pier 1 in the foreground and secondly a shot of Manhattan bridge anchorage with old buildings either side. To our amazement, we managed to find both vantage points and spent a short time snapping to our heart’s content! (Overall rating 92/100)

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station wouldn’t have been on my ‘must see buildings’ list – but thankfully it was on Craig’s.

If I could define the word ‘wow-factor’ then Grand Central Station would be it. After all, it’s only a mere entrance hall for passengers and commuters to walk through as they arrive and depart from the city. Astonishing then that it resembles a palace or grand hall.

On a mezzanine level we found a large Apple store and as we looked over the balcony we were drawn in to the sheer beauty of this building. Its grandeur really is something else. (Overall rating 90/100)

Signature Stores – Starbucks Reserve & Apple

It’s not like me to feature a retail store in my blogs, but this time I’m featuring two!

The signature Apple store located on 5th Avenue recently underwent a refurb so we had to go in and take a peak. Hidden under the streets of the city is a technological lair – pulling in the loyal punters, just like us. Apple really have set the bar high. The den is packed with design features such as living walls, glass, lighting and trickery.

By pure chance we stumbled across a Starbucks Reserve store in the vibrant and cosmopolitan Vessey St area of the city. We hadn’t read up on this ‘home of commercial art’ before our trip so we were pretty flukey to just happen to be walking by! But when we glanced through the window, we absolutely had to go in!

We were utterly amazed by this signature store, it reminded us of Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. With a large copper cask as centrepiece, a mechanical roaster centre stage and a network of bean-carrying tubes hanging from the ceiling in all directions – it’s a place of marketing genius offering a playful environment for local Starbuckers!

It got me thinking that signature stores are now more about making a statement than selling products. As such, I expect there will be more of these to come. (Overall rating 93/100)

Lack of healthy food!

On every corner of almost every street we found a street-food stall offering Hot Dogs, Burgers, Curries and more. It didn’t come as a huge surprise as New York has long held the title as the home of fast food!

What did come as a surprise was the lack of outlets selling healthy food. I’m not suggesting that New York doesn’t offer healthy food, but I would say it’s sparsely available and difficult to find!

Street Art

With the many shapes, designs and formats in which street art appears across the city, allowing them to escape your attention is virtually impossible. We loved the make-up of street art in the city and whether created for marketing, fashion or simply to make a statement, they all felt perfectly fitting. Painted mural-style advertising is a fast-growing trend and something I think we’ll see more of in the UK. The snaps below show a selection of street art that particularly caught my eye.

Wall St

We were keen to see Wall St and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to get a feel for what the globe’s financial hub is really like!

It wasn’t riveting, but it did conjure up lots of wonder and imagination as to the emotions and experiences that have taken place within the walls of these buildings. Elation, devastation and everything in-between I expect. The two local statues, a fearless girl and the bull of Wall St, were pretty cool. (Overall rating 86/100)

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Date of visit: 24 October 2019 to 28 October 2019