Noo Yoik

 

Okay let’s be honest, a trip to New York was frankly a bit of a second choice. The States was always going to be somewhere to visit when I was old, and could only go to somewhere safe! However, I’d got a Amex/BA Companion Voucher that needed to be used before its expiry date. Although I really wanted to go to Brazil & Argentine using it, New York seemed a pretty reasonable compromise at the time when we booked the trip back in August last year.

Then there was the re-election of the Orange Moron – so I was not at all enthused about helping the US economy after that! Just to dowse what enthusiasm I had, there was the Trump/Zelensky spat. Stuff that, the Yanks can stick it! I enquired about getting my costs/Avios points and Companion Voucher back, and although the replies from BA were favourable, but I’d have still been over £200 down on the deal. Could we go somewhere else using Avios and the Voucher at such short notice? Sadly it was way too late for that, so reluctantly, we chose to still go. Note to self - pair back on the anti-Trump and anti-American rhetoric on Facebook. Remove the upside down Stars and Stripes. I wouldn't want to be refused entry at JFK would I? Well it would be a badge of honour surely?! 

Irrespective of all the above, my enthusiasm was distinctly limited. For someone who loves travelling, that was a very odd thing. Why? I kept asking myself that question, and I just couldn’t come up with a sensible answer. The best I could come up with was a sense of it being too familiar, too easy, too like home. Perhaps it was also just not the best use of my points and voucher – Brazil/Argentine would have been far better.

 

I still want to go to the Iguassu Falls!

Even the day before going I felt ambivalent about it. I knew I was playing the “keep your expectations low, then it might be better” game. With hindsight I was right to. Rather strangely, it only dawned on my once we’d arrived at JFK that this was the first time in my life that I’d been to a “foreign” country where the first language was English (a sadly inferior version of it, of course!)

Could this book transform the visit?

I’d got a guidebook from when Cate went back in 2017, but when I looked in it there was nothing that jumped out. Nothing new or unfamiliar. As many of you will know, this year I’ve spent a lot of time in London finding lot’s of really characterful places that I’d never heard of. That is down to a “Secret London” book, and four “Hidden London” walking books. On one of my many visits to London I popped into the “World’s Greatest Shop” (in my opinion – therefore, fact!), Stanfords*. Lo and behold, they had a walking book on New York, from the same series. Bingo! That will make it different.

*the very same shop as featured in the Hidden London book!

What did we do?

Day 1

·        Arrived mid-afternoon.

·        Late afternoon  - Staten Island Ferry (views of Manhattan Skyline & Statue Of Liberty)

Views from the Staten Island Ferry

Day 2

·        Walked to, and along the High Line

·        Little Island & Pier 57

·        Went to an immersive digital art show – Artechouse

·        Chelsea Market

·        Walk around Chelsea district (from “New York – Offbeat Walks” book)

·        Evening Times Square/Hell’s Kitchen districts

Around the High Line

Little Island

Views towards New Jersey from Little Island

Pier 57

In and around Chelsea

Artechouse

Times Square

Day 3

·        Hired bikes and rode around Central Park

·        Walked around Midtown East district

·        Went up the Rockefeller Centre

·        St. Patrick’s Cathedral

·        Staten Island Ferry after dark

Central Park and environs

Midtown East and the view from the Rockefeller Centre

Grand Central Station

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Day 4

·        Walked to the “Flat Iron” building

·        9/11 Memorial and Museum

·        “Colonial New York” walk (from “New York – Offbeat Walks” book)

·        Brooklyn Bridge

·        Greenwich Village

Macy's and The Flat Iron Building

The Oculus

The World Trade Center Memorial and new building

Old Colonial New York area

Brooklyn Bridge and Pier 15

Trinity Church and the Oculus

Greenwich Village

Day 5

·        Greenwich Village

·        Walk the High Line (again – but in the opposite direction)

General Impressions

Firstly, we did two of the walks in the “New York–Offbeat Walks” book, and frankly they were both very disappointing…

·    The range of architecture in NYC is limited. The modern stuff is pretty superb, absolutely state of the art. Beyond that, it is limited – tenement buildings all much of a muchness. The older high-rise buildings (mainly built in the 1920/30’s) were possibly more impressive that the swanky new ones; given the building technology available at the time they were erected – but so many were just shrouded by their newer shinier counterparts. Obviously, there are exceptions – Empire State, Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Centre etc

·    Everywhere is just so busy, so it really didn’t feel like anywhere was “hidden” or undiscovered. To be horribly blunt, they haven’t got much history compared to us; and many places of historical significance are no longer there. The walk around “Colonial New York” would have been better titled “Where the Dutch and British initially created a city but has been knocked down to make way for Skyscrapers”.

Getting around

We’d been told that “it’s small and compact, you can walk everywhere”. If anyone can “walk a city” it’s Cate and me. We like to walk! However, the assertion that it’s very walkable is simply not true. That view is based on the walk-ability of Manhattan. Our hotel was in Midtown near Madison Square Garden, and more appropriately, Penn Station. From there it is 4 miles to Staten Island Ferry at the southern end of Manhattan. The top end of Central Park is 4 miles to the north. So, the distances are quite big, but by our standards quite walkable. However, the walking is so slow, mainly due to the grid layout. Walking North to South there’s a busy Street junction to cross every 100 metres. Going East to West is slightly better as the "Avenues" are much further apart than the "Streets" -  c300m.

The Subway (The Tube!)– I spoke to several friends who’d been before - none had used the Subway. This was something that I simply had to do. It’s really  easy to use – basically tap and go, just like London, and reasonably cheap at $2.30 a ride. The stations were all pretty dark and dank – they felt like some of the older Tube stations (e.g. Northern Line ones) but nevertheless were still darker and less welcoming. The only exception was “World Trade Center” – for the obvious reasons. Although I never felt threatened or in danger on the Subway (trains & stations), the environment is not particularly clean or pleasant, and you need to keep your wits about you.

Down on the Subway

Prices

Prices – put simply, expensive. More than London by c15-20%. Obviously a highly commercial place intent on exploiting every opportunity to get people to part with their money.  The additional taxes and ridiculous expected levels of tipping further increase the already exorbitant prices. Nevertheless, there were some minor surprises – Staten Island Ferry – a 25-minute journey from the southern tip of Manhattan to Staten Island – giving great views of the legendary Manhattan Skyline, and pretty close up to the Statue of Liberty. Absolutely free. We went out and back twice.
NYC is very much a lunch on the run kind of place, however there are an impressive number of outdoor places provided to sit and rest/eat – these seats/tables were not aligned to any specific food outlet, so were entirely “free to use”. For example, on the High Line, Around Chelsea Market and in Bryant Park. I really liked Bryant Park.

Bryant Park

Green New York

Green spaces – well Central Park is huge; but it needs to be as it really is the lungs of Manhattan. We came across a few other small squares that had greenery (Madison Square, Washington Square and Bryant Square), but be under no illusion it really is an über-concrete jungle; especially when compared to say London or Paris.

Green central London, not so green Manhattan

The Highline must get a mention. This two-mile stretch of elevated railway line has been redeveloped into a thin, partially green, oasis in amongst the skyscrapers. It is a bit of a haven amongst the full-on hubbub of Manhattan – and it’s free. It was pretty quiet when we went on the Wednesday, but significantly busier on the Saturday. However, not a patch on how busy it can get in summer (according to Cate who’d been on it in August)

Overall impressions of New York

Given how anti-America/Americans I was feeling before going it was undoubtedly a vey enjoyable trip. It must be stressed that we didn’t turn the TV on the entire time we were there, so we had the great pleasure of a Trump/Vance/Musk free few days. I’d nevertheless still expected to see their ugly faces everywhere and was delightfully wrong!

Probably like no other city on earth, New York just feels so familiar; even if you haven’t ever been. That familiarity is both good and bad. Good, in so much as there are no shocks, you don’t feel culturally alienated or particularly disorientated. Of course the grid design and numbering of the streets/avenues make it so easy to navigate your way around. The downside of that familiarity is that there were no real surprises. No hidden gems, no particular nooks and crannies. It simply was all too familiar**. Of course, for most people that’s a really good thing, and a huge part of the attraction. For me it ain’t!

Over familiar New York!

 **Bizarrely the one "surprise" was how wonderful St. Patrick's Cathedral was. The stained glass windows were superb - right up with the far more renowned Leon Cathedral in Spain. There was also a High School Choir performing when we went in - absolutely fantastic!

After a couple of days, I found all that the high-rise buildings made me feel distinctly claustrophobic – towering above and feeling as though they were leaning in on me, like some kind of alien monsters. When I got out to the edge of Manhattan (either by the East or Hudson Rivers) I realised how lovely it was to see clear skies and not have the sunlight blocked.

The people and service overall were terrific. A couple of times when we were looking at our walking book, locals stopped and asked if we were lost or needed directions. Even the guy on reception at our hotel, who I disputed our bill with, was exceptional. Although when he used the word “Math” he really was very fortunate to survive – I can just about accept most of their American English words, but “Math” I will not! Whilst in the touchy territory of language – what is the problem they have with Toilets/WC’s? Why oh why do they call them “Rest Rooms” or “Bath Rooms”? When one is powdering one’s nose, one is neither resting nor taking a bath FFS! Why would you rest in a place where you leave some of the most noxious fumes known to mankind!

So, there you have it! It’s a place I’d recommend anyone to go to at some point in their lives (preferably not now whilst the current shitbags remain in charge). However, for me once is just plenty. There are far more interesting places to visit. As you know, I like things to be a bit more challenging. To that end, it’s Azerbaijan and Georgia next for me. Now that I am really looking forward to!

 Stepantsminda, Georgia