S and I had been saving New York. It was one place we hadn't been that everyone raved about. Since it is only 6 hours away from London, we decided that it was time to go.
New York City is incredible! I like to refer to it as a concrete jungle...miles and miles and miles of cement and skyscrapers, beeping horns, yellow cabs, hot dog stands, avenues and streets that stretch as far as the eye can see and steam coming out of drains.
We were lucky enough to spend 9 days in the Big Apple and our highlights were:
- seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway (a great way to spend a rainy day although the matinee is not so great when you are surrounded by 500 Year 5 students).
- the High Line - such an ingenious use of space.
- the West Village, Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District.
- the views from the Empire State.
- burgers at Shake Shack (the best in the city).
- walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.
- oysters and lobster rolls at The Mermaid Inn on the Lower East Side.
- the New York Library - how every library in your mind looks.
- ice skating in Central Park (in fact, the whole of Central Park is pretty amazing).
- cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery.
- apple cider donuts from Union Square Markets.
- the Chelsea Market.
- last but not least, Henri Bendels (one of the best on 5th).
We also went to MOMA (which had an incredible collection of Picassos and Dali's etc), the Met, Grand Central, the Flatiron, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial, the vault at the American Federal Reserve Bank, Times Square, Chelsea Galleries, jazz at the Village Vangaurd and shopping in SoHo.
We loved spying on the wealthy people of the Upper East Side with their doormen and drivers
We ate incredibly well which meant that what we lost in money, we gained in weight. We went to Cafe Cluny, Minetta Tavern, Tipsy Parsons, Dos Caminos, Magnolia Bakery, City Bakery, Peels, Bubby's in Brooklyn, the Standard Bar and Grill - the list goes on and on....
Despite being in one of the biggest cities in the world, we managed to take it easy and have a really good break. We loved the grid system. The city is so walkable; you never fear getting lost (except for when you're in the West Village). We didn't love the Subway all that much. Compared to London, it is quite dirty and confusing but incredibly efficient. We had fun trying to hail cabs instead.
It's a remarkable city with a real buzz. It's true what they say - 'the City never sleeps'.
Hands down one of our favourite areas was the West Village and we spent quite a lot of time strolling around the streets, peering through the windows of the Brown Stones, popping in to boutiques and cafes (for a sneaky bloody mary!). It's much more civilised and relaxed down in that part of town.
I could go on and on and on about New York but I wont. I feel like we managed to see a lot but at the same time only scratched the surface. One last thing, we found the people incredibly friendly and helpful (although...New Yorkers talk loud and I mean loud...)!
Some photos up next - a small selection anyway because there was too many!
xoxo
E&S
