In a New York Minute

The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. The Empire City. Call it what you will, New York City (NYC) exerts a unique magnetism that drew over 45 million visitors from around the world in 2009, thus ranking it as the number one tourist destination in the United States. I was not one of them. However, I was in 2006 (twice), 2007 and 2010 (maybe twice or more by the time you read this).

I have been to NYC a few times over the past four years and with each visit comes new discoveries, surprises and even a bit of familiarity which I will share with you through text and photos. For those of you who have been there, perhaps my blog will jog some pleasant (one hopes) memories and for those who will someday go, perhaps it will help you decide what to visit and what to see (or not see!). With over 8.4 million people, the five boroughs that make up NYC are as diverse as their names. This blog concentrates on Manhattan, the island in the middle of the Hudson River (note that New Yorkers have named the outlets of the Hudson ‘The Harlem River’ (between the Bronx and Manhattan), ‘The East River’ (between Brooklyn and Manhattan) and the ‘Hudson River’ (between New Jersey and Manhattan)). Good to know if you are talking to a New Yorker.

As usual with my blogs, a bit of history first. Italian Giovanni de Verrazzano, sailing on behalf of King Francois I of France, was the first European to visit (or at least record his visit) the NYC area in 1524. His ship spent a night anchored near the narrows that connects the Hudson River to the sea. Verrazzano Narrows suspension bridge is named after him and he called the area Nouvelle-Angoulême (the birthplace of King Frank). However, the European discovery of Manhattan proper is attributed to Henry Hudson who was looking for a passage to the Orient on behalf of the Dutch East India Company in 1609. Needless to say he did not find the Orient or the passageway, but he did have better luck with this voyage than the one that took him to Hudson Bay in 1611. One thing he did note was that there was an abundance of beavers in the area. At the time, beaver hats were in high fashion in Europe which certainly interested Hudson’s employers (the NYC coat of arms has a beaver on it to recognize the animal’s importance to the history of the city). Therefore, Manhattan’s European development began in 1613 when the Dutch founded a fur trading post on its southern tip in the area of Battery Park. The Dutch called it New Amsterdam. Names such as Harlem and Brooklyn are carried over from the Dutch period. The City’s current name resulted from England’s defeat of the Dutch in 1664. NYC was briefly the capital of the new United States (1778-1790) and has always been its financial centre.

So let us start our present day journey to Manhattan. Each time I have been to NYC (with the exception of when I was young and with my parents), I have arrived by train, inevitably at Penn Station from New Jersey or Long Island. Both New Jersey Transit Trains and the Long Island Railroad have their NYC terminus at Penn Station. It is located underneath Madison Square Gardens (Madison Square refers to a nearby area of town, not the building which is actually circular). So when you exit the station (assuming you are not heading straight to the subway), you will emerge on either 31st or 33rd Street or on 7th or 8th Avenue. Note that Avenues run North and South and Streets East and West (the southern tip of Manhattan, where the city was founded has street names, but the rest of the city is laid out as a grid and has mostly numbered Avenues and Streets). Manhattan is large, about 60 square kilometres. It stretches almost 20 kilometres from the southern tip to the Harlem River and averages just over 3 km wide. I have found the subway system to be the best means to travel from one area to another despite the thousands of yellow taxis and a Day Pass providing unlimited rides on the subway and buses to be the best transportation value. I have, therefore, listed subway station stops for each of the areas visited in this blog.

For the purposes of my blog, we will start our visit at the southern tip of the island, in the neighbourhoods where the city had its start. So let’s start at Battery Park (Subways: Line 1 South Ferry; Line 5 Bowling Green; Line R Whitehall St/South Ferry) . As its name implies, this used to be the site of artillery installed by the Dutch and English to protect New Amsterdam and then New York from threats from the sea. (It is also the place from which the British last left the US after the Revolution). The US established Castle Clinton here, a circular brick fort to protect New York from a British return visit during the War of 1812. Today, the park is a place for street performers and a multitude of street vendors selling knock-off leather purses and other products to tourists. On a hot day, this is a good place to relax as there always seems to be a cool breeze blowing in from the water. It is also a good site to view the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (famous as the busiest US immigration station from 1892 to 1954). Indeed, should you choose to visit the Statue of Liberty and/or Ellis Island, ferries run from Battery Park to these sites. Tickets are available online or at Clinton Castle. (A bit of advice – if you want to visit either of these huge tourist draws, go as early in the day as possible. With the enhanced security now in place at many heavily visited tourist attractions, wait times can be several hours). Visiting these two sites is free (except for a visit to Liberty’s crown) but there is a catch. The only way to get to them is by ferry and there is a charge for it.

In my view, there is a better way to “see” the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island that is completely free and that is by taking a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (Subways: Line 1 South Ferry; Line 5 Bowling Green; Line R Whitehall St/South Ferry). The ferry is a short walk to the south-east from Battery Park. A ride over to Staten Island and back on the next returning ferry which most tourists do (you have to get off in Staten Island and then get right back on), depending upon the time of day, takes an hour or two and is well worth the time to see the harbour and the New York skyline. Make sure you see both sides of the harbour by riding out on the starboard side and returning on the starboard side. On the west side, you will pass Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The State of New Jersey is on the far side of the harbour (which is a good thing since New Jersey, at least here, is not the most pleasant place to be) behind these two sites. The Bayonne Cruise Port, the Global Car terminal and other port facilities line the New Jersey side. Aircraft taking off and landing from Newark's Liberty Airport criss-cross the skyline. On the east side, the ferry passes the Verrazzano Narrows bridge (once the longest single span suspension bridge in the world), the Borough of Brooklyn, Governor’s Island with its Fort Jay and Castle Williams, with a view down the East River to the Brooklyn Bridge (and no, its not for sale).

After exiting the Ferry Terminal (the old ferry terminal is just up the promenade to the right (north-east), you have a choice as to where to go next. Continuing up the promenade along the East River under and beside FDR Drive will take you past a heliport where you can book a ride to see Manhattan from the air to the South Street Seaport at the end of Fulton Street (Subway: Lines 2, 3, 4, 5, J, Z, or M Fulton Street). This is a restored national historic area, the original port of New York City, and a maritime museum. Several ships are on display, some take people for rides and many of the buildings in the area have been restored with exhibits from the Port's heyday between 1820 and 1860. It is also a touristy type site with shops and restaurants catering to this crowd. If you are in this area and are thinking about going to a Broadway show and want discounted tickets, the least busy of the two TKTS outlets (the other in Times Square) is located here.

Since you are already as far downtown in Manhattan as you can get, my suggestion is to explore the small and winding streets of the “financial”, Little Italy and Chinatown neighbourhoods. So if you are still at the Ferry Terminal, go straight ahead along Whitehall Street and turn right on Water Street (so named because this is where the shoreline used to be). Then a left on Broad Street will take you to the New York Stock Exchange (you can’t miss it – look for the huge US Flag that is usually on the building and the multitude of cops and security guards around it) (Subway: Lines 4, 5 Wall Street; Lines 2,3 Wall Street, Line R Rector Street). Just past this Monetary Mecca is Wall Street which is actually quite narrow and relatively short considering how famous it is. Its north end is faced by Trinity Church and its south end runs into FDR Drive. If you turn south, go one block down to Bowling Green Plaza to see the Charging Bull, a huge 3,200 kg bronze bull. Like the Secret Bench sculpture in front of the National Archives in Ottawa, the Charging Bull was surreptitiously placed in front of the NYSE as a Christmas gift to the people of NYC in 1989 by its creator. The police removed it, but the ensuing uproar by New Yorkers resulted in it being returned to its current spot shortly thereafter. Maybe the fact that it is no longer in front of the NYSE is the reason for the latest recession?

If you wander back up Wall Street to Trinity Church and turn right, you will be at Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Centre. You can walk past it on Church Street and have a look at the new construction underway there. Memorials to the NY Fire Department and others who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, can be found nearby. The former site is also a major subway station that may or may not be open depending upon the new construction on the site (Lines 1,2,3 Chambers Street or Rector Street, Line E World Trade Centre; Line R Rector Street) and PATH station (trains from New Jersey) junction. There are many famous buildings to the south east of this area – the Woolworth Building (one of the first skyscrapers in NYC), the Liberty Tower (on Liberty Street), The Equitable Building and the Chase Manhattan buildings to name a few. The architecture of these buildings is fascinating as it traces the development of the Skyscraper from the end of the 19th century to today.

If you continue up Broadway, you will come to City Hall Park and New York City Hall (Subway Line R City Hall; Lines 2, 3 Park Place; Lines 4, 5, 6 Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall). Many municipal buildings are concentrated in this area. The road entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge are on the other side of the Park. Head this way and continue up the Avenue of the Finest to Worth Street and you will reach the largest Chinatown in North America (Subway: Lines 4,5,6, N and R Canal Street) . The winding narrow streets, open air fish, fruit and meat markets, the hustlers and crush of humanity on Canal Street (the entrance roads to the Manhattan Bridge are at the south east end of the street) and hundreds of inexpensive Asian restaurants all make Chinatown a fascinating must visit when in NYC.

From China to Italy in one block. It took Marco Polo years to do it. But you can make the trip in one minute in NYC by walking up Mulberry Street from Canal Street. Little Italy is not huge and shrinks more each year as Chinatown gets larger, but the cobblestone streets are lined with Italian Restaurants, so if you are in the mood for Chianti and pasta, you will find it here. What you won't find are locals eating in the restaurants so you might want to take this into account. And if you are lucky to be here the last two weeks of September, the San Gennaro Festival (Patron Saint of Naples) is a cornucopia of food, music and street fun. Stop on Spring Street and check out Lombardi's Pizza where pizzas were first made in the US starting in 1905. Ray's Pizza on Prince Street has been making pizzas for 50 years.

If still feel like walking, you can head north-east towards SOHO (South of Houston), a primarily residential area. Or jump on the subway and head to Greenwich Village (Subway Lines B, D, F, M West 4th St/Washington Square or Lines R, N 8th Street/NYU). Washington Square, in the heart of the Village and surrounded by New York University is a good place to start your visit to this neighbourhood which was most famous in the 1950s and 1960s as the home of the 'Beat' or Beatnik Generation. Washington Square Park has been Dutch farmland, farmland for freed (by the Dutch) Black slaves, a 'potter's field' or public graveyard for yellow fever victims (there are more than 20,000 people buried here), a military parade ground and finally a public park (1850s). Today, one may see several 'unique' individuals who frequent the park. They are interesting to observe in their own right. Greenwich Village is now a gentrified upper middle class residential area and one would be hard pressed to see a 'beatnik' or 'hippie' who is still practicing what made the Village famous in the past. You are more apt to bump into a movie star since many make the Village their homes in NYC. The West Village is an interesting mish mash of streets that do not conform to the grid pattern. Many Off Broadway theatres are located here, as well as jazz and other famous music clubs.

Heading north, you might want to take 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) but this is also a good time to jump on the subway to head north a few streets. Depending upon what line you are on (Lines 1,2 or 3 under 7th Avenue, or Lines B, D, F or M under 6th Avenue), you should get off around 34th Street. If you believe in a Miracle on 34th Street, stop in at Macy's located on 6th at 34th. Or if you want to get a higher perspective on things as I did with the picture of Macy's, wander one block east on 33rd Street to one of the most iconic and recognized buildings in the world. The Empire State Building (at 5th Avenue) designed in the Art Deco style, for forty years was the tallest skyscraper in the World. Built in just 410 days during the Great Depression, today its 102 stories and tower pinnacle (the public observation area is on the 86th floor, although for an extra fee you can go up to the 102 floor) reach 443 metres into the sky. The Empire State Building was not the only building to be hit by flying aircraft in NYC. It was hit by a USAF bomber towards the end of WWII at the 79th floor level so was not the first building in NYC to suffer this fate. If you are thinking about going up to the Observation area, you should note that you need to get into line early in the morning and be prepared for a long wait to go though extensive security. It is also a popular spot at sunset.

After checking to see if Fay Ray or the big ape is still about, continue down 33rd to Park Avenue and once more turn north. Walk (or ride the subway) up to 42nd Street to Grand Central Terminal (note that it is not Grand Central Station) (Subway Lines 4, 5, 6, 7 Grand Central). If walking, note that Park Avenue is elevated at 40th Street (to 46th) and splits to go around Grand Central Terminal and the Met Life building (formerly the PanAm building). Grand Central is well worth ducking into to check out its cavernous interior. The largest "station" in the world based on the number of platforms (48) on two levels underground, it is immense at 48 acres. The Terminal has been featured in umpteen movies, so it should look familiar to most people. Check out the clock in the main concourse if you can tear your eyes away from the celestial ceiling; its opal faces are unique and the value of clock is well in excess of $10 million.

After exiting the Terminal, you might want to look at some of the buildings in this immediate area. The Chrysler Building (Art Deco) built at the same time as the Empire State, the JP Morgan/Chase Manhattan tower, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (famous for a salad apparently) and others are within a three block radius of Grand Central. Head over to 5th Avenue and turn north. Four blocks up 5th you will reach Rockefeller Centre and St Patrick's Cathedral (Subway Lines: B, D, F, M 47th-50th Streets/Rockefeller Center). The Cathedral is open to the public and is worth a look at the interior as well as the exterior of this Neo-Gothic church with its 100 metre high towers. It is a huge church and can hold over 2,000 people for services. The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of New York and is the largest Gothic decorated Cathedral in the United States. Perhaps in homage to this religious icon, from here north on 5th Avenue one finds the "Shopping Mecca" of New York with its many upscale boutiques and stores. However, since I no longer am looking for Armani suits (like I ever was!), I went in another direction on my wanderings.

Heading west from the Cathedral, the next large complex is the Rockefeller Centre (or Center, as mispelled by our American cousins). It is an Art Deco conglomeration of 14 commercial buildings and art that was financed by John D Rockefeller and built during the 1930s, plus five other buildings added in the 1960s and 1970s. This major project was one of the last in North America to incorporate public art in its design. The famous iconic statue of Atlas looking out unto 5th Avenue and the friezes of the GE (formerly RCA) Building are excellent examples of the Art Deco period. By the way, Tina Fey is purported to work at the GE Building so you might keep an eye out for her - its address is commonly known as '30 Rock'. A two level public plaza (with a skating rink and the famous NYC Christmas Tree in the winter and entertainment in the summer) is a great place to people watch, particularly around lunch time when the hordes of office workers descend from their towers.

Walking westward through the Centre complex will bring you to The Avenue of The Americas (6th Avenue) and to another famous building named after one of the early tenants - The Radio Corporation of America, now better known as RCA. The Radio City Music Hall was the Showplace of the Nation for years; four times a day the program featured a movie from RKO Studios followed by a spectacular stage show. During the Christmas season, you might want to consider getting your kicks at a special show featuring the Rockettes, an all female dance group that has been performing here since 1932 (not the same ladies though I am assured).

We are now very close to another iconic place in New York which is swarming with tourists yet is a must see, both in the daytime and at night when the lighted advertisements predominate. Starting at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and West 42nd Street, and stretching north to West 47th Street, Times Square (Subway Lines: N, Q,R,S and 1, 2, 3, 7 Times Square/42nd Street) is famous for more than its New Year's Eve show with Dick Clark. Named in 1904 after the New York Times building that is located at One Times Square (the building with the ball drop on it), it is also known as the Crossroads of the World (as America knows the world) and the Great White Way. The latter name refers to the Theatre District which surrounds Times Square. Starting in 1904, illuminated advertising has been a distinct feature of Times Square; in fact Times Square zoning ordinances require building owners to display illuminated signs. In the 1970s and 80s, this area had a poor reputation as it was the centre of the "red light" district with myriad adult theatres and adult shops. Today though, it is similar to Disneyland with stores targetting tourists, the ABC Good Morning America Studios, a Marine Recruiting Depot and even a 'mascot' who carries a guitar, a cowboy hat and not much more and charges people to have their picture taken with him. He has even 'patented' the name "The Naked Cowboy" so if you want to start a franchise operation in another city, you must talk to him.

Many of the Theatres which feature 'Broadway' shows are located in this area of New York and if you attend an evening performance, make sure that you catch the lights of Times Square before you head back to your hotel or to other activities in the City that Never Sleeps. There is a half priced ticket kiosk in Times Square, but the line-ups for it are usually quite long. As I mentioned earlier, if you are in the South Street Sea Port area, there is another half priced ticket outlet that has less visitors.

We will now depart this bustling canyon of neon and glitz and head a couple of blocks north along Broadway to the South West corner of the jewel of New York City planning in my mind, Central Park. As you head up Broadway, keep your eyes open for the Ed Sullivan Theatre, now the location of David Letterman's The Late Show. The Ed Sullivan Show is probably the most famous venue that was broadcast from Studio 50 (its official name at CBS), but other shows have included The Honeymooners, and the game shows What's My Line and To Tell the Truth.

If you haven't already stopped to sample one of New York's famous gourmet treats, now would be a good time to seek out a purveyor of hot dogs and pretzels and give them a try. There are hot dog carts at almost every corner, but be warned that the quality of the hot dogs, pretzels and condiments is not consistent across the city despite the fact that many stands purport to sell the same brand. However, if you are observant, it is not hard to find the carts most frequented by New Yorkers and who can argue with the Men in Blue when it comes to seeking out the best. Or maybe it is the horse which knows best?

Before exploring the 843 acres of Central Park, the first landscaped public park in the United States (the same landscaper, Frederick Law Olmstead planned Parc Mont Royal in Montreal), it would be prudent to decide what you want to see. I have visited the park a few times, once spending the greater part of a day there with Marie, and have yet to see only a small portion of the attractions, walkways, ponds, meadows and other areas of this massive oasis of mostly quiet retreat set in the middle of the bustling city. One of my favourite areas of the park is located in the south east corner, not because it is a good zoo, but because for many New York children, this is the only place in the city where they can see animals other than on television. The Delacourt Music Clock is located here. This area of the Park (near the Central Park Zoo) is also the location for horse drawn carriages for hire, and the Wollman Rink, a skating rink in the winter and a garden in the summer. There a several interesting areas to visit in this corner of the park - I for one will have to go back to see the ones I have missed.

Further north (we will stay on the east side of the Park for now), at 82nd Street, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a famous place to stop and hobnob with the cultured set. If you are into art, by all means visit, but you might also want to do so on a rainy day or cold day in the winter, since to be outside is to savour what Central Park is all about. So, if you wander towards the interior of the park south of the Museum of Art and north of 79th Street (which runs in a depression through the park) you will come to Belvedere Castle which houses the Nature Observatory. Climb to the top of Belvedere Castle (don't expect a huge building) for a great view north across the Turtle Pond towards the Great Lawn and its many baseball diamonds. Beyond the Great Lawn is the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Resevoir, a large body of water and further north still, the North Meadow recreation area and the Harlem Meer where model sailboat enthusiasts race their boats.

On the west side of the Park, descending from north to south, one finds the Great Hill just inside the park near 105th Street (a good place for an impromptu picnic to eat great sandwiches like the ones we bought at a small grocery/deli just north of Frederick Douglas Circle (Subway Lines: B, C, Cathedral Parkway/110 Street)). South of the Great Hill, stroll along by The Pool and The Loch for a scenic and a bit more rugged terrain respectively. Continuing South, pass by the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Resevoir past Summit Rock (the highest point in Central Park) then the Swedish Cottage and Shakespeare Garden. Note that this is quite a walk, but if you tire, you can jump on the Subway that runs along the west side of the park under Central Park West which is mere metres from these locations.

As you head south, you will pass by the American Museum of Natural History (portrayed in the Night at the Museum films) which is located at 81st Street (Subway Lines: B, C 81Street/Museum of Natural History). On a rainy or cold day, this is another place to consider whiling away some time. Opposite the Museum, The Lake is a good spot to watch people rowing boats (or try one yourself) before wandering by Strawberry Fields (at 72nd Street), named after the John Lennon song and dedicated to him. He lived in the Dakota Apartments adjacent to this Peace Park. As you stand on the Imagine tiled area, contemplate his music and his senseless murder in 1980 as he returned home from the recording studio. Ironically, because it is a 'contemplative area', music devices (without earphones) are banned from Strawberry Fields.

Further South, the Tavern on the Green Restaurant awaits new owners. It is a former sheepfold (a barn for sheep) and the Sheep Meadow is adjacent to it. A short jaunt to the west (outside the park) will bring you to the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts which also includes the famous Julliard School of Acting. Reentering the Park, as you walk south, you will pass by more ball fields and exit the park at Columbus Circle at the corner of Broadway and Central Park South (Subway Lines: A, B, C, D, 1 59th St/Columbus Circle). The fountain in the centre of Columbus Circle (not the one in the picture to the right) is Mile Zero when it comes to measuring distances from New York City. Some of the famous buildings near the Circle include: the Trump Tower (see if The Donald is in); Time Warner Center; the Shops at Columbus Circle (if you have to ask to see the price, you can't afford it); the Gulf & Western Building (Paramount Studios) and CNN New York facilities.

And now we have reached the end of this blog. I hope it gives you a bit of an overview of Manhattan even though it barely begins to discuss the multitude of things to do, see, taste and enjoy in this immense city. With Marie working in Secaucus New Jersey a 10 minute train ride from Penn Station, I know I will be returning several times to spend more minutes there to sample more of what this city has to offer. So look for updates in the future.