We both first went to New York City in the 1970’s when it was wild and dangerous. I’ve been there several times since and have witnessed the changes over the years. Now it is a sanitized, upscale version of what it once was. CBGBs, Studio 54, the less than respectable Times Square area, the Hare Krishnas in Greenwich Village, the Yippies in Central Park, the gangs, and all the wild places are gone. Many of the cool small shops in the Village and Soho have been replaced by gentrified condos and expensive stores. But, it is still New York City and if you have never been there, it is still at the top of the list for places to visit. It has the best restaurants, world class galleries and museums, top entertainment and the best shopping!

The best part of New York is, hands down, the people. True New Yorkers are the most interesting and friendly characters you will find in the world (the ones that are not so friendly tend to be people that moved to NYC who erroneously think that’s the New York vibe they must portray). I lived there in 1986 and used to walk around and go to bars and restaurants by myself and found that locals were very sociable. The ones I met were direct and to the point, but were approachable and loved to chat. They didn’t waste time with small talk, instead focusing on interesting things to say. It’s an admirable trait.

Our last trip there was December, 2011, but hotels and restaurants are updated as of 2017.

Key Attractions

  • Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
  • World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial and Museum
  • Battery Park
  • Wall Street and a walk around the Financial District
  • Empire State Building
  • Trinity Church
  • Federal Hall
  • Museum of American Finance
  • City Hall
  • Grand Central Terminal
  • Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall
  • Carnegie Hall
  • Greenwich Village
  • Soho
  • Times Square
  • Central Park
  • Tea at the Plaza
  • Upper West Side
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • American Museum of Natural History
  • The Guggenheim Museum
  • Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
  • Broadway Show
  • The Dakota – John Lennon and Yoko Ono residence
  • The High Line
  • Whitney Museum
  • Lower East Side Tenement Museum
  • See a TV show – they offer free tickets, but need to reserve in advance

Lady Liberty and Ellis Island are a must see, but go early to avoid long line ups for the ferry. You can take the Staten Island ferry to pass by the statue; it is cheaper, but you can’t get off on Ellis Island. So many came to find the American dream through this portal and lived in the tenements of the Lower East Side. It is the immigrants that truly have made America great!

Wall Street Stock Exchange

The hustle and bustle of the streets near Times Square and the ubiquitous yellow cabs. There is nothing like New Year’s Eve in Time Square! But you have to get there early in the day and stand around for over 12 hours – hopefully they have a lot of porta potties. They put up barriers all around the perimeter so you can’t get in later. I saw the ball drop at Times Square once in 1988, but back then (pre 9/11) you could still sneak through the barriers. We went to a restaurant that was within the perimeter and hung out.

The best way to get around is to take the subway. No point driving in Manhattan. It is usually gridlocked downtown. The NYC subway is one of the best in the world – it will take you long distances for a cheap fare.

The Dakota

Where to Stay?

Image by Mapio

We stayed at the Hilton Millennium in the financial district, right across from the World Trade Center, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and One World Observatory. It is a good location close to the subways, but next time I think a hotel closer to Central Park would be more ideal. It really depends on what you want to do in NYC that determines where you stay. There is an abundance of good hotels. Getting something for a reasonable price is the challenge. This particular Hilton was a good price and it’s a nice hotel, but you need to determine if the location is right for you.

Other options:

Our room had a good view of Ground Zero. September 11, 2001 is still shocking and hard to comprehend. I will never forget those images and the day the world watched it all happen on CNN. It still replays like a movie, but it really happened and we must never forget.

Where to Eat?

One of the highlights of the trip was Delmonico Restaurant. Opened in 1837, it is the oldest fine dining restaurant in the United States and it serves the only authentic Delmonico Steak in the country. In 1862, Charles Ranhofer was named Chef de Cuisine inventing many original dishes during his time.  He is most noted for his innovative creations, Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Lobster Newburg and Chicken a la Keene. These dishes remain on the menu today. The restaurant is also mentioned in several classic films as the “go to” place where elites would meet.

Even though I worked in fine dining for many years, I had no idea about Delmonico’s until this trip. Some may say it’s an expensive touristy restaurant and not really a “foodie” place, however, if you want a great steak and great service, it is absolutely worth trying. It is a nice change to have professional waiters that know their stuff and know what good service means, instead of Millennials that think they are doing you a favour by serving you (and are clueless about the menu and wines). Am I being nasty? I don’t think so. I’m sure I’m not the only one that has noticed this decline in customer service at some restaurants that charge a fortune. Well, at Delmonico’s you get great old world service and good food in a historic setting. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Surprisingly, we didn’t visit too many restaurants this time. NYC is one of the top spots in the world for fine dining, but the top restaurants keep changing. It is best to obtain the latest information from top food critic blogs just before going. Here are a few current restaurants that I recommend:

  • Mifune – Michelin star chef Hiroki Yoshitake just opened this mid town restaurant. $120 gets you a full tasting menu.
  • Sen Sakana – Chefs Mina Newman and Taku Nagai are in the kitchen serving a mashup of Japanese and Peruvian cuisines.
  • Public Kitchen – in lower Manhattan at the Public Hotel, serves dishes like a truffle pizza, rigatoni with basil-pistachio pesto, and smoked short rib with corn and potato salad.
  • Emily West Village – Great pizza and casual food
  • Icelandic Fish and Chips – West Village
  • Mas Farmhouse – West Village locally sourced French-American fare.
  • City Acres Market – Food-hall-meets-fresh-market in the Financial District.
  • Katz’s Deli – Katz’s has stood on Houston Street since 1888, and the pastrami alone is a New York icon.
  • Frankie & Johnnie’s Steakhouse – As one of the oldest restaurants in the theater district, it was once a haunt of Frank Sinatra.
  • Marlow Bistro – upper west side near Columbia University. There are Slavic and Middle Eastern touches, but most of the menu is Italian.

Short video of our trip in 2011.

New York City will always be a “must see” destination. Enjoy New York!