NY spree
As I slid into my booth at Tortilleria Nixtamal a woman leaned across clutching a margarita (she told me it’s okay at lunch if you’re retired) and shouted: “You’re not local! How did you find this place?” By following my feet.
And it helps that getting here is good value too – I flew via Reykjavik with Icelandic budget carrier WOW Air which has one-way fares from Bristol, Edinburgh and Gatwick starting at €160.
I invested $31/€32 for a card giving unlimited journeys on the subway and started exploring.
Armed with a CITYPASS (citypass.com $122/€113) – plus a coat in preparation for the unpredictable weather (one day I wore a T-shirt, another I was hit by a blizzard) – I hit the streets.
Praising myself for packing comfy boots, I traipsed through crisp snow over Brooklyn Bridge.
Making sure to look behind me to see the skyline in all its glory, I could just about see Lady Liberty brandishing her torch.
At the other end lies the Dumbo district (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), which is full of tiny cafés selling the best hot chocolate ever, alongside interesting food – the current flavour of the month is fried Brussels sprouts served with... anything.
Back in Manhattan, whatever the weather, Central Park is a must. It’s strange to see 80 acres of stunning greenery in the heart of the metropolis, but it’s a welcome free haven.
Nearby there’s the Museum of The City of New York ($18/€17). It’s worth a look even if it’s just for the iconic I NY logo concept sketch – the simple scribble that became globally recognisable. At the other end of the park Jo-anne admires the skyline from above and, below, Brooklyn Bridge there’s the Metropolitan Museum of Art ( free with the CITYPASS). You could spend days trawling the The Met’s vast collections. If you’ve had enough of museums, there’s merit in just seeing where your feet take you.
The roads work on a grid system so it’s impossible to get lost. The Staten Island Ferry, which takes you across the bay and back for free, passes Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
There are plenty of shops not far from the ferry terminal too. The stunning new Westfield World Trade Center mall is a 15-minute walk, and its neighbour Brookfield Place has high-end stores such as Gucci and Burberry. There are plenty of food choices.
Munching on a peanut butter burger (yes, really), it’s easy to forget this was Ground Zero, but just beyond the mall’s doors there’s a poignant reminder.
A single white rose is left on top of names chiselled into the black marble memorial. Waterfalls drop into the old Twin Towers’ foundations. There’s a sense of loss that still hangs in the air.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum ( free with the CITYPASS) is an emotional place. Listening to the voicemails left for loved ones, the cabin crews’ warnings to air traffic control and seeing the crushed elevator shafts brings it all home.
I felt drained afterwards, but as a man said to me on the subway: “There ain’t nobody like a New Yorker, we bring out the best in each other when in trouble.”
Looking down from the top of the World Trade Center at the One World Observatory ($28/€26) I realised I couldn’t agree more. With views across the city you can see how much it’s changed – and healed.
Staying at Arlo Nomad off 5th Avenue, one of the new micro hotels Metropolitan Museum of Art Arlo Nomad hotel which mean small rooms and small (by NYC standards) budget, I could see the Empire State from my bed up on the 22nd floor.
But there’s no time for sleeping here. I headed to Times Square before watching the comedy musical Avenue Q off-broadway – a cheaper option at $75.50/€70.
Relying on my feet meant saving time – and cash – for a treat. I found myself back at Arlo Nomad to try the “inauthentic” Italian fusion food at its Massoni restaurant.
The biryani rice balls where Indian flavour meets Italian tradition were a taste explosion.
Sitting at the hotel’s Heights rooftop bar, I watched darkness fall over the city.
The lights twinkling, cocktail in hand, it’s easy to see why they say New York is “the meeting place of the peoples”.
BOOK IT Manhattan skyline arlohotels.com
TOP TIPS Tip anyone who provides you with a service – luggage handlers, waiters, taxi drivers. Wages are low and they rely on them. Don’t dither on the subway. It can be busy and you won’t be popular!
MORE INFO nycgo.com