New York City – visiting each district

There’s a reason they call it the Big Apple. It is big, in fact it’s freakin’ enormous, and it’s juicy, so much to get your teeth into. I was chatting with a friend one night and said, NYC is like Melbourne or Sydney on steroids. There is so much to see, do, experience, it’s hard to know where to begin. Luckily a friend gave me the tip to do things in districts. Even provided me with an itinerary sheet his mum made a few years ago which covers the main things to see in each area, along with her notes on personal observations.

With so much information, maps, websites, it was a godsend to have this simple little document as a starting point. As a reference for myself for later, and for anyone else researching a trip to NYC, I’ve added my own points of interest with observations and am sharing it below.

NEW YORK 
Pop: 8 mil         Greater NY 19 mil

1524 1^st visitor; 1625 Dutch established 1^st trading post; 1^st Black slaves from Africa; 1664 British ousted Dutch;   1754 French & Indian wars begin-ends 1763 (British gain control of N.America); 1776 War begins – US win independence 1783;  1789 George Washington 1^st president;  1861 Civil war begins;  1931 Empire State Building finished-world’s tallest.

MIDTOWN

Circle Line, Yachts, Pier 83, W.42^nd St 42st Metro – 3hr trip circumnavigating Manhattan – best trip. A more comprehensive overview of NYC from the water than the free Staten Island Ferry.

Times Square, 5 blocks from Pier 83 along 42^nd W. Star sight – Tower built 1906 (25 storeys). Spectacular sideshow, glowing neon theatre bill boards and newswire – safe and vibrant – the costume characters try to get in your photos and then want a tip. So if you want a free experience of Times Square give the photo with Mickey Mouse or Cookie monster a miss. There is an NYPD station right onsite in the square, so there are plenty of policeman around if you want a true New York photo:-)

Algonquin Hotel, 59W 44^th  Metro  – 1920s best known lunch club for literary folk – Interior fussy and detailed with ambience inside.

New York Yacht Club, 37W 44^th St, 42^nd Metro , 1899, look for carved sterns of (16^th Dutch galleons in the 3 bay windows and sculptured dolphins & waves).

Diamond Row, 47^th  St bet  5&6^th Aves, 47^th-50^thMetro – every shop gold & diamonds, Hasidic Jews from Amsterdam pre was (1930s) to escape Nazis.

Radio City, 6^th Av bet 50&51^st Interesting – nostalgic –can only be seen by doing a tour.

Rockefeller Centre – W 49^th near Ave of Americas Metro 47^th -50^th. Top of the Rock observatory on 67^th-70^th floors. Dizzying panorama. Great view of all incl Empire State Building. As good a view as Empire State without the queues. 
The square surrounding the Ice Skating rink is lined with flags from around the world and makes for a colourful photo opportunity in the middle of winter. It was also fun watching the skaters, many who had obviously not skated before provided much amusement for onlookers.

LOWER MANHATTAN

Staten Island Ferry and of White Hall Street –South ferry, free.  Great close up of Harbour, statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan. There is a small outdoor deck area you can go to on the stern (back of the boat) to get pictures without dirty window scratches, spots and water drops to muck up your photos. There is WIFI on the ferry but you should try and log in quickly to tap into it before the hordes board.

Ellis Island – Circle Line ferry from Battery Park, several times a day – Bowling green Immigration depot 1892-1954. 12 mil people passed thru. Museum – see dormitory, baggage room, great hall.

Statue of Liberty – see from Staten Island Ferry or circle Line - Gift from French to USA 1886. must book if you wish to visit and climb. 93metre high, frame designed by Eiffel (Paris).

Cunard Building 1921, 25 Broadway, Metro Bowling Green. To commemorate shipping line. Ornate facade, brass doors, wrought iron gates – elaborate domed Great Hall.

Wall Street – named for wall that kept enemies and Indians out of Manhattan – Stock Exchange 1792 (20 Broad St), “Seat” costs $2mill. 17 Trading Posts – 22 groups of traders and technology.

Federal Hall – 26 Wall St, *Star Sight, George Washington took oath of office in 1789. Later building-fine classical.

Trinity Church – Broadway at Wall St- Met Wall St-Rector St between 2 skyscrapers – Steeple 86m. 1846 Gothic and now an excellent museum of 9/11.

One World Trade Centre Site – bounded by Liberty, West, Vesey, Trinity Place, Met.Cortland St.  WTC Church St. 27 years to 2001. Home to 450 Companies & 50,000 employees – see St Pauls church in front and old graveyard.

The water memorial was a poignant place.  Two huge water installations, surrounded by the names of all those who lost their lives in the tower on 9/11. 

I remember my dad calling me from America on the day and telling me to turn the TV on. “The world is never going to be the same again” he said. 

Visions of people leaping or falling out of the top stories, the fireballs as the planes crashed through the building, the smoke smeared faces of fireman and policemen, and the fear stricken faces of people in the street running, away from what exactly they were not quite sure as it was happening. Those images are etched in all our memory. 

Going to the site moved me more than I expected it to. Definitely worth a visit.

World Financial Centre, West St- Metro many lines. Modern Architecture – 4 Office towers. Dazzling Winter Garden (vast glass and steel space – 2000 panes of glass replaced after WTC attack. Piazza and Marina on Hudson River, 16 palm trees inside.

Battery Park City and Park, on waterfront near WTC Site -Met.Rector St.- Restaurants, apartments, sculptures, gardens, great views to Stat of Lib (1-2 mile walk along river). Hidden gardens and coves – Amish market on Park Place, salads & prepared foods. Buskers etc. It was cold and wintery while I was there, and few people down on the waterfront. But it had a beauty that comes from solitude and spaciousness, that probably can't be capture in Summer. 

UPPER EAST SIDE    MUSEUM MILE

Frick Collection – 1 E 70^th off 5^th Ave Metro 6 to 68th St. Priceless art in residential setting. Furniture in opulent setting.

Met Museum of Art – 1000 5^th Ave Metro 86^th St, Some say it is the best art museum in the western world but its NYs version of the Louvre.  The crowds on the day I went were so horrendous it was not worth going. I thought the crowds at the Louvre in Paris were crazy but the Met was like shuffle and glimpse, shuffle and glimpse.

Guggenheim Museum – 1071 5^th Ave at 89^th- Metro 86^th St – Architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In form of a spiral. Elevator to top and walk down.  Closed Thursday. Sadly the spiral was closed the day I visited as an exhibition was being installed. However I was introduced to the work of an Indian artist,V S Gaitonde, whose work really moved me. 

Temple Emanu-El - 1E 65^th St near 5^th Ave –Metro 68^th, 63^rd – largest synagogue in the world. Wealthy worshippers. Bronze doors of the Ark - Great. Wheel window on the 5^th Ave facade.

Carl Churz Park & Henderson Pl. – Metro 86^th  St (6 blocks E) along E river. White promenade. Fine vista of river and turbulent waters of Hells Gate (where river meets Long Is. Sound) Henderson Pl at East End Ave – cluster of 24 Queen Anne Townhouses.

CENTRAL PARK – 1858 – 340 ha, hills, lakes, meadows, 30 bridges, 500,000 trees and shrubs. For S corner Metro 5^th Ave 59^th- 60^th St. Best section for walking is bet 59^th-79^th St. Also wander along E of Central Park.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir This is in the northern half of Central Park, between 86th-96th St. I walked around the reservoir to get to the Guggenheim. Stunning scenery even in winter with the water frozen over. 

The Dairy – Visitors Centre-pick up pamphlets Met 5^th Ave, 59^th -60^th Sts. Victorian Gothic Stone.

Strawberry Fields – most visited – in memory of John Lennon (his apartment overlooks) – 161 species of plants.

Bow Bridge – cast iron arch 18 above lake.

Bethesda Fountain – Metro 72^nd St. Formal terrace overlooking lake and wooded shores of the Ramble. Spanish style detailing – sculptured double staircase, tiles friezes.

The Ramble – wooded area – 15ha – lots of birds.

Belvedere Castle – Met 81^st St – from roof and terraces, unequalled views of city and park. Tower & Turrets.

Skating Rink in Central Park. A good viewing point is from the rocks up above the rink, to the north.

LOWER MIDTOWN & CHELSEA

Grand Central Station – E 42^nd St at Park Ave – Met Grand Central. 1913, Beaux Art Gem – soaring main concourse, 3 arched windows. Concourse, grand staircases, central information bureau, see chandeliers, food court underneath. 

I chose to get a pretzel from a street cart and munch on that as I wandered through the concourse and hallways. The pretzel was as big as my head, had been warmed up but was not very fresh. 

My seatmate on the flight from NYC to Frankfurt laughed when I said I had a pretzel in New York. He said that was just wrong LOL as pretzels come from Germany. Having now tried a German pretzel I have to agree they have more flavour and are fresh and delicious, not stale and chewy.

Chrysler Building – 405 Lexington Ave, Metro 42^nd St – Grand Central. Stainless Steel Art Deco Spire (like a car grill – radiator, caps wheels) 320m 77 storeys, stunning lobby, patterned marble and granite.

Daily News Building – 220 E 42^nd St. Art Deco, revolving globe in lobby 1930 (rows of brown and black bricks)

UN building – 1^st Ave & 46^th St – Metro 42^nd & Grand Central. General Assembly , security council-see rose garden along E river, lectures films.

Macy’s 151W 34^{th -}  Metro 34^th St, Penn Stn. World’s largest store covers square block. Wooden escalators, see facade on 24^th St. Great bargains.

Empire State Building – 350 5^th Ave near 33rdW – opened 1931 tallest in NY. Steel framework, 6500 windows, 10 mil bricks, 443m with mast, 86 floors. Observation deck – great views – see 5^th entrance lobby – see at sunset-night.

Harlem-Central Park – Check tourist info – grand central re tour – Sunday includes a stop to hear gospel choir At Abyssinian Baptist Church and ends with a brunch at Sylvia’s Harlem’s best known restaurant – cost $95 - $45 on Wednesday without brunch.

The Museum of Sex, Changing installations and exhibitions exploring sexuality, of humans and animals. Some installations are interactive and require a playful attitude, other exhibits are more mainstream with didactic boards and wall mounted artwork etc.

This is the museum you go to for some low brow art, after you’ve filled up on high brow art at MOMA, The Met and the Guggenheim. There's a great little bar at the back of the museum for a pre-or post-tour snack and drink.

UPPER MIDTOWN

Churches, synagogues, clubs museums, grand hotels, famous stores, skyscrapers, luxury living, 5ht Ave, Madison Ave, Park Ave.

Plaza Hotel – 5^th Ave & Central Park S - Metro 59^th St. Re-opened 2008 as 80 room hotel – was 800 rooms. Resembles French Renaissance Chateau on a larger scale.

Trump Tower – 725 5^th Ave – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St. 1983, very expensive office tower and apartments. Lavish 6 storey atrium – pink marble, waterfall, mirrors, glitz. I had lunch in the Trump Bar, the atmosphere was nice, service terrible, and a few hours later I had a case of food poisoning. It wasn’t cheap, so buyer beware….

Fifth Avenue – Metro 5^th Ave & 53rd St. 183 William Vanderbilt built his mansion, many followed. Luxury goods stores – Tiffany’s, Cartier, etc.
Tiffany’s was beautiful. I found a couple of pieces I would have loved to own, but they were beyond my budget. Later on I found the Wholesale Jewellery strip on Broadway and walked out with a bag full of trinkets for a 10^th of what one thing at Tiffany’s would have cost. Yes, I know, the quality is so not the same LOL, but its all about priorities I guess. I could enjoy the rest of the holiday, or spend a huge wad of cash on one Tiffany trinket and sleep on park benches for the rest of the trip J

Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) 11 W 53^rd St bet 5^th Ave & Ave of the Americas – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St. One of world’s finest.  

This was my favourite art gallery (or museum as they call it) in NYC.

Fresh modern contemporary art, including installations, digital media, and even a surprise – Van Gogh’s Starry Starry Night. I expected to see that at The Met, not MOMA. But being a fave I was happy to see it regardless of where it was hanging. I know this is about New York, but for those into art, as a proud Aussie I have to say that MONA the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, Tasmania, AUSTRALIA, beats MOMA hands down overall. For architectural magnificence, content and placing on the Derwent River. I’ve been to the Louvre, the Getty and now MOMA in NYC, but MONA in Australia beats them all hands down. I’m not kidding. I went to Hobart for a weekend for the sole purpose of visiting MONA and it was totally worth it. OF course, MOMA in NYC was great and I really enjoyed the works on display there. MONA is more cutting edge though. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi  -  LOL 

American Folk Art Museum – 45W 53^rd St – Metro 5^th Ave-53^rd St – 2001 – 8 levels.

St Patrick’s Cathedral – 5^th Ave & 50^th St – Metro 51^st St & 5^th Ave – Magnificent Gothic revival. Largest in USA – seats 3,500 people. 1878, great bronze doors, great organ, rose window, lacy chapel.

Waldorf Astoria – 301 Park Ave – Met Lexington Ave & 53^rd St – Old world elegance, art deco. Covers 1 block. Duke & Duchess of Windsor lived in twin towers.

Sutton Place – Metro 59^th St Lexington Ave or 51^st Lexington Ave – 4 long blocks E along E River.  Posh neighbourhood – elegant townhouses. 3 Sutton Sq is residence of Sec Gen of UN – Look beyond Sutton Sq and 59^th St for glimpse of Riverview Terrace (private street of 5 ivy covered brownstones fronting the river). Tiny parks at end of 55^th St and jutting out at 57^th St – views – of river and Queensborough Bridge. See also Beckman Place (N/S) bet E 48^th St and E 50^th St – also along river (Gloria Vanderbilt, Rex Harrison, Irving Berlin and Rockefellers).

Roosevelt Island – Metro 59^th St –Lexington Ave – Train departs from 2^nd Ave at 60^th St (4 streets W of river) – thrilling but not much on island. Swiss cable car across E river– views – of city and Queensborough  bridge. The cable car must only run in warmer weather.

SEAPORT & CIVIC CENTRE

 Imposing architecture. South St Seaport called “Street of Sails” in 19^th Century many ships moored here. Met Fulton St or Chambers St. Cobblestone streets
.

Woolworths Building – 233 Broadway – 1913 Gothic headquarters. Was tallest building until 1930. Interior rich – high glass time mosaic ceiling – see lobby.

South St Seaport – Metro Fulton St – Shops, restaurants, museums, tall ships – take photo of tall ships against skyscrapers. Wall St workers come here to eat and drink. Can take ferry ride from here.

Pier 17 – 3 floors – Impressive steel and glass pavilion. From top floor great views of Brooklyn Bridge and historic ships.

GREENWICH VILLAGE

 – Metro Houston St, Varich St or Christopher St – Sheridan Square – Began as country village (escape from yellow fever 1822). Crazy quilt of streets (early farm boundaries or streams). Bohemian haven, artists, writers, gays, students, trendies. Expensive. Old fashioned narrow streets, charming row houses, hidden alleys, leafy courtyards – looks good to wander.

St Luke’s Place – Metro Houston St, Varich St. 15 attractive row houses, 1850s Italianate-looks good.

Jefferson Market Courthouse – Metro Christopher St-Sheridan Sq – 425 Ave of the Americas. 1877 Venetian Gothic style – spires and turrets. 5^th most beautiful building in USA. Was a market-courthouse-library.

EXTRAS

Upper West Side – residential, cultural institutions – not as interesting?

Lincoln Centre – 1959 Dance, music, theatre – Metro 66^th St – sit around fountain and people watch. Contemporary Architecture. Opera House (cafe on top of Lobby- wonderful views of plaza) Inside see curved white marble stairs, miles of red carpet and chandeliers.

Twin Towers of Central Park W – Metro 59^th St, Columbus Circle, 72^nd St, 81^st St, 86^th St. Built 1929-31 pre Depression – most highly sought-after residences with famous owners. (eg John Lennon).

Riverside Drive & Park – Metro 79^th St 86^th St, 96^th St – most attractive street, broad, shady, lovely views of Hudson river. Opulent original townhouses and newer ones .

The Cloisters – not Monday – Metro A to 190^th St (exit via elevator) about ½ north (10 min from subway) where Dutch settlers established farms. Quiet – collection of Medieval Art housed within original Euro buildings. Cloisters excellent even if you are not religious – Herbs in garden – 300 varieties of Medieval Plants. Fragments of 12^th & 13^th French Monasteries. Nearby is Fort Tryon Park – beaut terraced garden with great view of Hudson and the Palisades in New Jersey.

Soho & Tribeca – Art and architectiure, especially cast iron between W Houston Canal Sts.

Green Street – SW/NE 50 buildings 1869-95 – cast iron facades with Corinthian column on cobblestone streets.

Singer Building – 1904 at 561-563 broadway (SW/NE) – 12 storey glass & Steel terracotta beauty. Wrought iron balconies. Original Singer Sewing Machine building. (only worth a look if you are passing by)

LOWER EAST SIDE

Immigrants settled in late 19C. It is Chinese, Jews, low rise buildings. Chinatown is over running Little Italy grocery stores, gift stores, 100s of restaurants.

Little Italy – Metro Canal St. Streets around Mulberry St. 1^st  immigrants lived in squalor – apts so close together – no sunlight into windows or backyards. 40,000 lived in 17 small unsanitary blocks. TB rife – population now only 5,000.

Chinatown – Metro Canal St – streets around Mott St. Early 20th pop was male (from Californian goldfields). Relaxed by playing mahjon. Secret organisations – criminal element “The Tongs”.

Engine Co. No.31 – Metro Canal St, 87 Lafayette St. 1895 Fire Station resembles a Loire Chateau.

IN GENERAL

Excellent shopping for ladies wear – Talbots – excellent for shoes; Aerosoles – both have many branches  -clothing and shoes are cheap compared to Sydney prices.

BROOKLYN

Ultimate cultural and creative melting pot – West Indians, Arabs, Hasidic Jews, Italians, Russians. Lovely shopping strips. Historic residential districts of Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights. Catch the East River Ferry from Pier 11 (end of Wall St) the north or south Brooklyn stop and then walk through the district to the next ferry stop and catch the ferry back downtown.

Walk Brooklyn Bridge –1883, 16 years to build. Central span is 486 metre long – 1^st bridge to be constructed with steel. 1km long – great views of NY skyline – be VERY aware of bikes – they wait for no man.

Park Slope – Historical District – streets from Prospect Park W below Flatbush Ave. Beaut Victorian townhouses 1880. 2.5 storey houses late 19^th Cent – some with turrets, towers.  Just a short walk to Jo’s house from Army Plaza

The Brooklyn Art Library – 103A N 3rd St, Brooklyn  One of the key reasons for my visit to New York was a pilgrimage of sorts. My rhyming-prose hand-illustrated story in a journal is in the permanent collection here. My art made it to New York before I did, and I had a dream to go see it in situ myself. Such a merchandise junkie, I bought the t-shirt and the bag LOL.

Grand Army Plaza – Plaza St at Flatbush Ave. Grand oval 1870s as gateway to Prospect Park. Bust of JFF. In June, Plaza is centre of Welcome back to Brooklyn Festival. Small farmers market on certain days.

Prospect park – Metro Grand Army Plaza – designed by architect of Central Park 1867. Broad lawns, grand vistas, pools,  lots to see as it is some 21 hectares housing a Tennis House, Band Shell, 5 Baseball Ovals in one section, a Lilly Pond, Boathouse, Music Pagoda, Carousel, an Historical House of note with an interesting replicated garden and Wigwam. Most of the buildings are the originals, and I might add this was only in the small area we managed to see.

Greenwood Cemetry – It would need a few hours to do it justice. 500 25^th St just SE of Prospect Park on S side of Prospect Expressway. 1838. 8,000 trees, 4 lakes. 70 victims of 7/11-famous people eg Tiffany, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Morse, Lola Montez and gangsters. Headstones range from Angels, obelisks, sinking ships, fire hydrants, wrecked trains.

Dizzy’s Diner – 511 9^th Avenue, close to Prospect Park W – voted best NY diner – busy.

Botanic Gardens – 900 Washington Avenue – Met Prospect Park – 20 ha. 1920 Elizabethan style knot herb garden, rose garden, Japanese garden, ponds. Walk the Celebrity Path near Jap Garden. (eg Lauren Bacall, Arthur Miller) Hard to read but they are there. Guided map available.  This is also a short walk from Army Plaza Metro with Brooklyn Museum of Art & Brooklyn Library next door.

Brooklyn Museum of Art – near Botanic Gardens. 2^nd largest museum in US. 1.5mil objects. Best Egyptian art in West Hemisphere 1897.

Brooklyn Academy of Music – 30 Lafayette Avenue – Met Atlantic Ave, Nevins St. – 1858 – SUNDAY AM “Sounds of Praise” : gospel brunch $40 and music - runs from 2-4pm – this could be a good alternative to Harlem.

Williamsburgh – Metro Broadway & Hewes (6 stops from Brooklyn Bridge (N/E). Home of orthodox Jews  - near corner of Lee Avenue and Hewes St – Kosher delicatessens, restaurants and bakers. Feels like Euro Middle Ages. Although once considered not safe it is now a very sought after “yuppie” district. I caught the Eastern River Ferry from Pier 11 up to Brooklyn North then walked down through Williamsburgh and Brooklyn before catching ferry for return trip. Great sunset photos available from the ferry stop, looking under the bridge to Eastern Manhattan skyline silhouetted at sunset.

WHERE TO STAY

With literally thousands of options….I can share what I did – but the best accommodation and area is so dependent on individual preferences, budget and style of travel.

If you are like me and enjoy seeing a place through locals eyes, Airbnb is a fantastic option www.airbnb.com With options ranging from renting a complete property from a local to a spare room in their home, there is something for everyone.

I stayed in New Jersey in an artist studio loft. A funky place full of psychedelic art and creative people. Walking a few hundred metres down the street gave a panoramic view of West Manhattan skyline. Transport options were bus or train, a local bus had me in at the Central transit station within 15 minutes, the train had me at the World Trade Centre in under half an hour.

The second part of my NYC stay I moved onto Manhattan island itself and stayed in a hotel near Times Square that was quite unique in its fitout design and service. Like boarding the star trek enterprise for a flight, Mission Control was reception, there was a robotic luggage porter and the rooms were so well designed with remote control beds and special storage solutions to make a smaller space feel more spacious than many standard hotels. I booked it the night before using a discount accommodation portal that sells off empty hotel rooms at hugely discounted prices at the last minute.