How to hit peak Manhattan
REBECCA DAY heads to the Big Apple for a hip weekend of theatre with a Hollywood superstar, sightseeing and fabulous food
AS I sit sipping a cocktail watching the legendary Uma Thurman perform in her Broadway debut, I feel like I’ve reached peak Manhattan.
The movie star, best known for her roles in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, has caused a stir in showbiz circles after it was announced that she’d be starring in racy political drama The Parisian Woman at the recently reopened Hudson Theatre in New York.
The play, by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon, follows the life of a ruthless socialite in Washington who will do anything it takes to get her lawyer husband elected to the highest court of appeal in the US.
Not many people would choose to watch a weighty political drama as their first Broadway show (it’s a bit different to The Lion King or Les Miserables), but there’s definitely a bit of a thrill in feeling like you have your finger on the pulse in this ever evolving city. And who doesn’t love the smug feeling of telling your friends you’ve seen Uma Thurman in the flesh?
During this whistle-top tour we stay at the hotel next door to the theatre - the comfortable and reasonably priced Millennium Broadway.
The hotel is literally round the corner from Times Square, and you’d struggle to find a better location to stay in if you want to tick off the key landmarks during a mini-break.
We explore New York armed with City Passes, which allow you to visit all of the top tourist spots at discount prices.
On the Saturday we visit the beautiful Grand Central Terminal, see the incredible skyline from the Rockefeller Center’s Top of the Rock observation deck and venture to The New York Public Library - which just makes me excited about Sex and The City.
On Sunday we don our hipster clobber and try to fit in as we walk around the infamously cool borough of Brooklyn. I’d definitely recommend the Brooklyn Brewery tour – where you get a behindthe-scenes look at how one of the biggest craft ale breweries in the USA operates.
Our hilarious tour guide keeps trailing off into personal anecdotes during the tour (New Yorkers tend to be very funny) and we get to sample a few delicious ales at the end.
The brewery is located just at the edge of the ridiculously trendy area of Williamsburg – where you can stroll around the many thrift shops, cafes and bars and fantasise that you actually live there (just me?).
It’s not just Brooklyn that has the cool eateries.
On the final day, we have a dim sum brunch at Red Farm in the West Village. The waiter serves up cute Pac Man themed dumplings, ramen noodles and sumptuous pork buns.
I boldly opt for a Bloody Mary with my meal, forgetting the alcoholic drinks over here are far stronger than in the UK, and feel like I’m going to be knocked out after the first sip.
We also visit the burger joint at Le Parker Meridien Hotel, a grimy fast food restaurant covered in graffiti, tucked away at the back of a luxury hotel.
There’s a long queue snaking outside when we arrive, a typical sight in this city of food lovers. And when you sample the classic tasty burgers and fries you can see why it’s so popular. The tender meat and crispy brioche buns are a favourite with burger purists.
I don’t think anyone who visits New York goes home thinking they’ve taken a big enough bite on the Big Apple, but when I get back on the plane home I feel like I’ve at least scratched the surface of this mesmerising metropolis. And extra smug that I’ve seen Uma Thurman on stage, of course.