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June 9th 2006

Published: November 12th 2006

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StuartSmith

New York

Defining symbol of New York: The Statue of Liberty

Due to an administrative error on my behalf Ben and I were booked in on separate flights to New York. Ben’s flight departing an hour before mine meant that he would arrive at JFK in time to meet the girls. My arrival into New York was in the evening and I had the most spectacular of views as we flew around Manhattan Island to make our approach into JFK airport. The lights of the city and the tall skyscrapers were magical. During my journey I had spent my time talking to two New York City businessmen who were kind enough to write me a list of all the must sees in the city. They were even kind enough to offer a lift into Manhattan. Already I had a feeling that this city was going to be unlike any other place in the world.

When I finally arrived at JFK airport and made my way to terminal 7, our designated meeting place, the girls, Nicky and Zoe, were already there and were awaiting my arrival. As it was late and as there were now four of us to share the cost, we decided to take a taxi to our hotel. The

Time Square

Taken on a slow shutter; Times Square at Night.

taxi driver drove like a lunatic but this some how didn’t seem out of place here. As we neared Manhattan Island the excitement grew.
As we emerged from the tunnel we were instantly met with towering buildings, illuminated streets and grid locked traffic. We had arrived at our final destination; New York!

Our hotel was located just a few blocks from Time Square, right in the heart of the metropolis. It was a mini-apartment complete with kitchen and dining table. It made quite a change to sleep in luxury rather than in a stuffy youth hostel or in the boot of a car. When we finally arrived at our hotel it was already quite late so we went to bed in preparation for a heavy dose of sight seeing the following day.

The next day we made our way down Broadway, passing through Times Square, stopping off at a number of souvenir shops along the way. We eventually made it to 34th Street, a main shopping street. Directly above us stood the unmistakeable Empire State Building. An impressive soaring tower carved into the New York skyline, which was once the tallest building in the world.

We took

New York Yankees

Baseball game at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees v The Indians.

the underground and made our way to ground zero, the site of the fallen twin towers. The wide vacant space nestled between buildings was an eerie reminder of the events that occurred on that ill-fated day. A construction site now stands in their place, with parts of the world trade centre towers still visible through the wire grill fence. No permanent memorial or tribute appears on the site. Instead a handful of card posters giving a timeline of events are strung up along the fence along with a list of 2749 names of the people that died in the disaster. The most touching tribute was a collection of paintings and drawings made from children who had lost either a Mother or Father in the atrocity.

After we had paid our respects we headed passed Trinity Church towards Wall Street home to the New York Stock exchange. It really was just an ordinary street like any other, but famous none-the-less.

For lunch we headed back to a café located next to the world trade centre, whilst here we witnessed the conclusion of a memorial plaque unveiling ceremony in dedication to the fire fighters who perished.

The queue for

The New York Skyscrapers

Taken from the Staten Island Ferry, looking back at the Financial District of Manhattan.

tours to Ellis Island and Liberty Island were enormous and were also very costly, so instead we took the Staten Island Ferry, a ferry service to… well… Staten Island, surprisingly enough. The ferry was free and it went fairly close to the Statue of Liberty. From the boat we were also able to get a good view of the Brooklyn Bridge the revolutionary suspense bridge built in 1883 that spans the East River.

Nicky, unable to cope with the pace of my strict sightseeing regime, opted for a rest so we headed back to the hotel.
For dinner that night we ate in an Italian restaurant just off Times Square. Times Square on a Saturday night is a bright and vibrant place crammed full of energy and life. The atmosphere just feels so positive and friendly.

The following day we had a pancake breakfast and paid through the roof for it. When we failed to leave a 20% tip the waitress came back and stood over us until she was satisfied with the amount. Nicky was outraged and I had to muster all my skills of diplomacy to prevent an international incident.

After passing world famous Carnegie

Brooklyn Bridge

The famous Brooklyn Bridge that connects Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Hall we arrived at Central Park. On the Eastside of the park a carnival was underway and we had to navigate through the crowds. After a few hours walking the park we arrived at the boat lake. We hired a rowboat and spent an hour messing around on the water.
The park, overlooked by expensive apartment blocks and office buildings was in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city. Central Park, which covers a stretch of some 50 blocks, offers a means of relaxation and provides New York with a haven and a way to escape the stresses of everyday life.
After a full day of walking Nicky was exhausted, and I admit even I was a little tired. For dinner, therefore, we decided to have a take-away pizza and crash out in front of the TV.

On Monday morning Nicky and I headed down to the heliport to take a helicopter tour of the city. After finding that we needed photo id to board the helicopter we had to return to the hotel again to pick up our passports before finally being allowed to board. Its political correctness gone mad!
Eventually when we got airborne

Car Park

The ingenuity of New Yorkers to find space is illustrated with this car park.

we were not left disappointed. New York is one of those amazing cities that must be seen from the air. It reveals a totally different aspect and offers a unique view of the whole of Manhattan. From the ground it becomes almost impossible to judge distance and height and the splendour of the New York skyline really cannot be appreciated from such a low altitude. To really gain perspective over the city and to see the outline of the famous structures that make New York so spectacular, you really have to get out of Manhattan and up into the air. From the air the bleak void between the buildings, where once stood tall the twin towers of the world trade centre, painfully reveals the scale of the devastation caused on September 11th and just how incomplete New York now feels without their shadowing presence. The helicopter then flew full circle around the Statute of Liberty, the enduring icon of America and a symbol of freedom, liberty and equality across the globe. Heading back towards the helipad we caught sight of Central Park. A large green garden land-locked by a mass of office blocks and penthouse apartments.
The helicopter returned to

Empire State Building

I wish I could take the credit for this shot, alas not, credit must go to Nicky for this one.

the pad no sooner then it had started. The sensational flight had provided an exclusive insight into this colossal city and had furnished me with long-lasting panoramic images of one of the greatest cities in the world.

In the afternoon we headed out past Radio City Music Hall, where preparations were under way for a TV awards show, and out towards the upmarket shops of New York such as Tiffany’s and Bloomingdale’s. One shop that took our interest was FAO Swartz, the famous toyshop that featured in the film ‘Big’. The size of some if these high market toys and the costs associated with them was staggering.

That evening the four of us, plus Zoë’s sister and partner who had flown over the day before, went out for drinks and a meal at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. It was a merry, alcohol fuelled, evening but despite my instability I was still able to capture one of the best photographs of the trip: Times Square at night with a slow shutter.

When we finally awoke on Tuesday we headed to Chinatown and Little Italy, two distinct communities nestled in the slump between the skyscrapers. Chinatown,

Firetruck

A New York Firetruck

with its identical boutiques selling knocked down replica handbags and shoes, is dressed in authentic Chinese carnival-esk decoration. Ribbons and hoardings crisscross from one side of the road to the other creating a treat for the eye every time you turn your head.

As we crossed the road and entered the Little Italy district the cultural difference was immediately apparent. Like every 1920s Italian-American gangster movie you’ve ever seen, this distinct community just oozes cool. It was literally like being on the set of the Godfather, nothing looked out of place. All the buildings were indicative of that era and somehow everything just felt very Italian-American. It was like a different country altogether.
Whilst we were there, Jody Foster was making a new film, I didn’t see her but it was interesting to see all the crew and equipment.
For Lunch we dined at a street side restaurant in Little Italy where I had the best pasta dish I have ever tasted. Simple pasta Alfredo, it was divine.

For the last evening of the trip I had planned a spectacular night. It started with a baseball game at the Yankee stadium and concluded with a trip up the

Wall Street

The New York Stock Exchange - Wall Street.

Empire State building to view New York by night.
Before setting off to the stadium we stopped off at the Yankee shop opposite our apartment to purchase some Yankee merchandise in preparation for the game. We then took the subway all the way to the stadium set in the heart of the Bronx. When we arrived the place was alive with activity. We sat in the bleachers, aka the cheap seats; with the real diehard fans, it was an intimidating experience. The game itself was not all that exciting, only one run was scored during the entire three and a half hour game, at least it was a home run. It was however a real treat to watch a Yankees game in Yankee stadium, sitting in the bleachers. The atmosphere was electric and New Yorkers really are passionate about their baseball.

After leaving the stadium we made the long tube journey back to Manhattan and to the Empire State Building. Here we met up with the others and made our way to the open air viewing gallery on the 86th floor, when we finally arrived it was about 11.15pm, it was a clear night and the lights below looked

Central Park

Amongst the high rise towers sits the tranquil central park.

magical. From the gallery you could clearly see all of Manhattan Island and parts of the surrounding boroughs.
All around us the headlights and taillights of the New York traffic mapped out the grid network of streets and avenues, which run across the city. Nearby we could see the distinctive tower of the Chrysler building. The view north and Central park, although not illuminated like the rest of the city, could be made out from the rectangular black abyss cut into the river of light below. Looking south towards the tip of Manhattan Island, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge, the tall high riser towers of the financial district stood fully lit making evident the 24-7 commercial culture New York is renowned for. Beyond that, isolated by the Hudson River, stands lady liberty, fully illuminated, a beacon of enduring freedom.
An outstanding experience that not only marked the end of our time in New York but also provided me with a spectacular final chapter of my America journey.

Wednesday 14th June marked the final day of the trip; we spent most of the day shopping for souvenirs in and around Times Square. Nicky, who had previously purchased 5 identical ‘I

Me in the park

Me in central park, standing where, in the winter, the ice rink is situated.

love New York’ t-shirts for her family and herself found an identical t-shirt for her dog Jasper and insisted on buying it. This then triggered Zoe to do the same and buy one for her dog Daisy. - No comment!
I made a quick visit to the NBC shop to look for West Wing memorabilia and purchased a-shirt of my own (I guess I’m sadder than the girls).

For lunch Nicky and I visited a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlour and gorged our way through a bucket full of ice cream and chocolate fudge brownies. I think we both felt a little sick afterwards.
Yet another stop at the Heresy store, a large chocolate shop in Time Square, to top-up the gifts and we were ready to make our way to the airport for the final journey home.

If I though the first taxi driver drove like a lunatic then this guy driving was just obscene. He drove on the hard shoulder, ignored lights, cut people up and drove at ridiculous speeds. I honestly think we were luck to have made it to the airport in one piece.
The journey home passed smoothly and was rather quick.

On the lake

On the lake in a row boat in central park. Nicky doing all the hard work!

The four of us did our best to make good on the inclusive alcohol available but the hectic New York lifestyle had taken its toll and we drifted swiftly to sleep. Next stop - Home.

My time in New York really was an awesome, unforgettable experience, a fabulous way to conclude my journey of the US. I can’t help thinking, however, that I barely scratched the surface of what this magnificent city has to offer. I really only explored key tourist sights within Manhattan and its so easy to forget that there are another four distinct boroughs that make up New York City. There is so much depth, so much variety and so much culture on tap here. I can see why it’s a city that attracts so much diversity. And it’s that diversity and that mix of cultures, traditions and ethnicity that makes this city so strong and unparalleled to any other place on the planet. New York truly is a 21st century role model of plurality and acceptance and stands as an inspiration to the rest of the globe.

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