Last Updated on October 24, 2023 by Home in the World
I had technically been to New York City before, my first visit being as a small child in the late ’80s. And while I am fortunate to be able to look back on priceless old photos of me standing in front of the World Trade Center twin towers, my memories of that trip are hazy at best. So it’s safe to say I was really experiencing the Big Apple for the first time. And the approach over Manhattan from the plane was already pretty impressive!
We even flew over Arthur Ashe Stadium where the US Open tennis was being played (I am a massive tennis fan but was sadly unable to spare time to go out to the event during my stay, so this aerial view would be as close as I would get).
From the moment you land in this town, you can feel the frenetic energy. Sometimes you wonder if cities really are the way they appear in TV sitcoms and movies or if it’s all just hyped up for cinematic effect. Indeed parts of the skyline look so clichéd they could surely only be an elaborate backdrop, a Tetris game of jumbled high-rises satisfyingly slotted in alongside one another, as seen in the view from my room below.
But they’re not. New York City is the real deal. And you realise it as soon as you step out onto the ‘sidewalk’. Look up and you’ll inevitably find yourself encased by soaring walls of glass and brickwork on all sides, broken by slivers of sky which, depending on the time of day and season, see the narrow concrete canyons temporarily filled with angled sunlight. Look around you and you’ll invariably get caught up in the tide of hustling workers, gawking tourists, swooshing yellow cabs and the distant (or not so distant) but omnipresent drone of sirens. I was soaking all of this up as I took my first walk around the Midtown area near my hotel, past the iconic Empire State Building…
…and Macy’s, the self-proclaimed ‘World’s Largest Store’…
…to the ultra-touristy Times Square. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, New York City was notorious for being a pretty dangerous, violent and grimy place, and Times Square was its seedy, tacky core. These days, it has definitely been cleaned up a lot. It’s still flashy and over-the-top – it’s the entertainment district, after all – but I found the overall vibe to be fun, safe and (given the volume of people frequenting it) clean, if a little draining after a while. Catch a Broadway show, grab a cawfee and pretzel, admire yourself on the giant live cam or, if you’re not already hyped up enough from the pulsating lights and dazzling billboards, get yourself a sugar high at the massive (2,300 sq m / 25,000 sq ft) M&M’s World.
And if for any reason you are feeling unsafe, fear not – the NYPD are here in considerable numbers for you.
The month of September and the city of New York have shared a tragic bond since the atrocities that occurred there in 2001. My stay coincided with the 9th anniversary of 9/11, and, for all of the Big Apple’s hustle & bustle, the energy right across town that day was noticeably one of contemplation. I was glad to be able to watch some of the memorial services live on TV (something I would not have been able to do at home in Australia), and the city itself had put on an extra show of solidarity, which included a sea of American flags set up in Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan, for the remembrance services. These particular flags each bore the names of the emergency services staff who gave their lives on that fateful day. I snapped them on 10 September, the day before the memorials.
11 September 2010 was a beautiful, bright sunny day with clear blue skies, much like it had been exactly 9 years prior. Walking the streets in and around the financial district on the anniversary, it was hard not to think of the horrors that had transpired there. In Western Australia, it had been around 8pm at night when the attack occurred, and we had only started receiving images of it on the news a few hours later (this being the days before instant social media feeds). It had been shocking enough to watch in the middle of the night far away on the other side of the world, but to now have all that distance removed and to be standing right there amongst it all, on the anniversary, was poignant to say the least. I was unfortunately a year too early to see the stunning new 9/11 Memorial that has been built on the site of the WTC – it opened on 11 September 2011 – but efforts had still been made to set up temporary shrines amongst all the construction work. I hope to return some day and see the completed new facility.
Moving onto more pleasant things, I decided to take advantage of the glorious weather on that 11th of September to enjoy some aerial views of the city. While many people tell you to go up the Empire State Building, I opted for the Top of the Rock (the observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Center). Although slightly lower than the Empire State (260 m/850 ft versus 380 m/1,250 ft), its location further north means it offers great views of Central Park and Times Square, not to mention the fact that you are actually able to SEE the Empire State Building, rather than be on it. I really enjoyed it up there and would recommend it to anyone wanting to get a bird’s eye view of New York.
And of course you get to explore the Rockefeller Center itself while you’re there. Built in 1939 and commissioned by the Rockefeller family, it is a premier landmark for dining and shopping, famed for its art (including the statue of Atlas at the front and the gold statue of Prometheus above the lower plaza), its Christmas ice rink, and the Radio City Music Hall entertainment venue.
Another symbol of New York City, if not its most defining landmark, is of course the Statue of Liberty. Gifted to the United States from France, and dedicated in October 1886, her torch is a symbol of enlightenment, showing the path to freedom. For many European immigrants escaping WWII by boat across the Atlantic, she would be their first glimpse of the fabled Land of the Free, where most were hoping to rebuild their lives. An elegant but powerful sight, no matter how many times you visit. You can get up close and personal with the statue by heading out to Liberty Island itself, and, if you feel up to it, climbing the 354 steps to the crown. If you’d rather admire her from afar, you can ‘cheat’, as I did, and take the Staten Island Ferry from Whitehall Terminal, which sails right past it. You also get a good view looking back at some of Manhattan’s other buildings. And if you’re not interested in staying on Staten Island, simply take the ferry straight back to the city.
The Whitehall Terminal where the ferry docks is at the southern tip of Manhattan in the financial district – near Battery Park that I mentioned earlier. While you’re in the area, it’s worth having a walk down the famous Wall Street that we hear so much about on the news. The classical-style New York Stock Exchange building is particularly impressive, and seemed to be decked out extra patriotically while I was there.
Like many of the world’s great cities, New York is best explored on foot. While I did try the subway, cabs and a local bus on various occasions (all of which were perfectly decent options themselves), it is an easily walkable town. One afternoon was indeed spent meandering from Lower Manhattan all the way up to almost the Midtown. It’s a great way to take in NYC’s fun streetscapes, not to mention its eclectic architecture, pictured in the photo series below.
And when you’re architectured out, where better to shake off all the bricks and mortar than in the ‘lungs’ of New York City: Central Park. Spanning an area of 3.41 sq km (843 acres), it is surely one of the world’s greatest urban parks. It is picturesque in any season, whether blanketed in the thick snow of winter, ablaze in the reds, yellows and oranges of autumn (or should I say ‘fall’), re-awakening with puffs of pink cherry blossoms in the spring, or, as when I visited, resplendent in the lush greens of late summer.
On its south-western side, just near the aforementioned Dakota Building, is the Strawberry Fields memorial to John Lennon, where there is a poignant ‘Imagine’ mosaic that is always strewn with flowers and other tributes to the former Beatles member. My favourite and most vivid memory from the site is of a small group of middle-aged buskers who were casually busting out John Lennon and other Beatles tunes. They attracted a decent crowd (who eagerly sang along), and the atmosphere was just so lovely and intimate. You honestly forgot you were in the heart of one of the most pulsating metropolises on the planet. An unscripted but truly wonderful moment.
New Yorkers often have the reputation of being brash and rude. I guess some are (they probably have to be, living in a fast-paced city like that) but honestly most were really great people. One evening I was dining at the restaurant next-door to my hotel and ended up staying on after my meal chatting with some of the locals and waitstaff. We all gathered over a round of martinis to watch the TV in the bar area (I think there were MTV Awards or something similar on) and it was once again an unexpected but grounding experience in this big, big city. I will always remember the friendly waitress Bea and the interesting chats we had.
Before I finish, a quick word on the museums, of which there are plenty across the city. I had hoped to visit the MoMA, but – rookie mistake – I left it until the last day of my stay and it turned out to be closed. I stupidly hadn’t bothered to check the opening hours as I had just assumed places like that in NYC would be open every day. Bah! Anyway, I believe it is now open 7 days a week, so no one else should have my unfortunate experience in future!
Without wanting to sound too clichéd, New York City really is somewhere everyone should visit at least once in their life. It’s equal parts loud, bombastic, hectic, stylish, historic, arty, intimate and soulful. It’s really whatever you want it to be. It can be overwhelming after a while, especially if, like me, you come from a small, quiet place. But it’s well worth the adrenaline rush, and I definitely hope to return one day.
Trip facts
When I visited: Mid-September 2010
Weather: During my 6-day stay in mid-September, the weather was extremely pleasant throughout. From memory, temperatures were around 27°C (80°F) with mostly clear blue skies, apart from one day when it rained all afternoon. I would highly recommend visiting at this time of year. And if you’re a tennis or fashion fan, it also happens to coincide with the US Open and New York Fashion Week (though there’s almost always something happening anyway).
Where I stayed: Affinia Dumont. I believe this particular property has since closed, but the Affinia chain still has several other hotels across the city. Below are pictures of my bedroom and view.
