I’ve been to New York several times, and I find it more interesting to just stroll around Manhattan without having any specific agenda or checklist. It has something for everyone and all you have to do is walk the streets and explore.
I love taking pictures of this magnificent urban jewel of America, which has joined London as the second Alpha Plus Plus city in the world.
Damn Right, we are !!
Sunset on a Rooftop Bar
This overlooks Manhattan from the Brooklyn side.
Crying over Spilt Martini
Chocolate Martini at an Irish Pub. New York has a long history of Irish-Americans finding a new home here. Unfortunately my first attempt at sipping through a straw led to disaster.
The Dazzling Neons
Love the screens at Times Square, from live updates from the global Stock Market scrolling across the screen to live artists performing at New Years Eve. I have fond memories of seeing Taylor Swift, P!nk and Psy with his Gangnam Style at Ball Drop Events. My favorite part of Manhattan, though, is Broadway. My first show there was The Book of Mormon. Although a satirical take on the religion, the Church of LDS were not only chill about it but also sold the real Book of Mormon outside – saying, “You saw the satire. Now check out the real deal.”
Gimme some Sugar
Since I moved to California, there are some things I miss about the East Coast – The seasons, the trains and the doughnuts. I can’t resist a few Dunkin’ Donuts every time I visit the city.
Small Raindrops in a Big World
View of Manhattan from Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, when it started to rain.
Cutest of the NYPD
Me and my friends challenged each other to take a picture of the cutest police officer in Manhattan, and uniformed NYPD personnel are more than happy to pose for pictures with tourists if you ask them.
While my friends took pictures with very attractive NYPD officers, I saw a mounted-unit patrol on a side street and took a photo of this cutie.
Guess who won?
Stairway to Heaven
If you thought Manhattan already had high buildings like the Empire State or Rockefeller Center, then prepare yourself to meet those buildings that even dwarf them – the new super-skyscrapers, also called pencil-skyscrapers.
Pencil-skyscrapers are controversial among preservationists who want to “retain the simplicity of New York with it’s regular 50-story skyscrapers, and 100-story ones just ruin it.” Some are worried about the shadows they cast over Central Park.
However, this city is the heart of free-market where even the air is for sale. The current zoning laws allot limited air-space for each building (air-space here means vertical volume). However, this air-space can be bought and sold. Hence, a super-skyscraper can buy the additional air-space from it’s neighbors (which are unused anyways) and pile on higher and higher till it reaches the sky.
Being Human
New York has something for everyone. From the deeply spiritual needs to the deeply carnal ones. There is no contradiction here – these are different expressions of being human.
This is a city of 8 million souls – all coming from diverse backgrounds from all over the world, and the skyline and the statue of liberty has historically been a beacon of hope to refugees fleeing Europe during the wars to find a home.
In recent times alone, it has braved one great tragedy of the attacks and currently is undergoing another one in the pandemic. And yet, its residents have shown extraordinary resilience in crises, and chose tolerance and freedom for all human beings.
These values are expressed beautifully in some engravings at the Rockefeller Plaza.
I believe in
the supreme worth of the individual
and in his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I believe that
every right implies a responsibility;
every opportunity, an obligation;
every possession, a duty.
I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law;
that government is the servant of the people and not their master.
See Also –
4th of July in Washington DC – Solo Travel for Introverts
Introvert’s Guide to Solo Travel
Donuts look delicious!
Dunkin Donuts. They make the perfect hazelnut coffee and simple sugar donuts that come in a bright pink box. They also give away extra donuts at night for free with your order, because they always make fresh ones in morning.
If it wasn’t for C-19 saying ‘no’ to me and every other traveler, I’d be in Manhattan, New York this spring. Thanks for taking me there with this post. It certainly put a smile on my face.
Oh, that’s cool. Every time I go there, there’s always something new to do. My favorite time to visit is Christmas though, where the giant tree is set up.
I haven’t been there at Christmas yet but one day, hopefully not too far in the future I will.
Loved the rainy cityscape ^^