I had the privilege of visiting New York City for the first time last week, and what a week it was! We saw, ate, and did so many things, the week actually felt quite long. The food we ate was amazing. As a friend said, we ate our way through New York. Armed with a detailed map of Manhattan and its subways, we were all over the place on foot. The only time we rode a taxi was to get from the airport to the hotel in the middle of the night. I don’t think my legs have ever been that tired. There were times when I just had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other to get to where we were going. This was a good thing though, because wow did we eat a lot! One of the first things that I marveled at was just how different the buildings were from what you find in California. I found the details of this green fire escape against the red brick particularly beautiful.
Little Italy was a great start to our exploration of Manhattan.Our first dessert stop was Ferrara Bakery in Little Italy. So many scrumptious choices!There were a lot of fascinating little shops, including this upstairs boutique called Opening Ceremony. This was their stairway.In Chinatown we ate at a place called Xi'an Famous Foods. Inside was this curious sign. No dumping? No bullshit? Who knows...Manhattan is full of interesting architecture and beautiful sculptural detail.My Droid 2 didn't quite capture the grand, over-the-top commercial production that is Times Square, but you do get a sense of how bright it was at night.The World Trade Center being rebuilt. It's already the tallest structure in the Manhattan skyline.We had breakfast at Cafe Lalo, which was featured in You've Got Mail where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan arrange to meet each other.Incredible views at Central Park.Grand Central Terminal at night.The Staten Island Ferry is a great, free way to see the Manhattan skyline from the water.You can also see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry. You don't get very close though.Our last breakfast in New York was at Novecento, an Argentinian bistro with delicious food. I ordered the smoked salmon benedict. It was yummy!Also on our last day we managed to go to the Brooklyn Bridge. They have a fantastic pedestrian walkway elevated above traffic and going right across the center of the bridge.Peering down at the traffic reminds you why most New Yorkers don't drive.You also get great views from the bridge.The suspension wires of the Brooklyn Bridge seem to draw you in towards the center, like a spider's web.
What I’ll miss most about New York: The number of varied, really tasty restaurants and bakeries that you can find almost anywhere. In southern California they are a lot harder to find.
What I’ll miss least: The number of smokers everywhere. You can’t walk one block without having to choke your way past a poisonous cloud of cigarette smoke.
Amazing!