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A visit to New York
City in September 2010

September 9

6:00 am comes bright and early on the morning of our departure from Toronto. I peel myself off my sister's couch, eyes burning, and get ready to go. We leave at 6:39, just as the sun starts to come up.

We're flying Porter Airlines so take the Bathurst streetcar to Queen's Quay to catch the Toronto Island Airport ferry. The airport is so close, it seems a pedestrian bridge might save costs. But, maybe people enjoy the novelty of a ferry ride. After a fast check through security we make our way to the lounge. Relaxing in comfy chairs, we drink caffè lattes, eat biscuits and browse the airport's free WiFi. (Oh, Pearson International, why can't you offer us this?) Our flight is delayed 15 minutes, but no one seems to mind; free stuff seems to be the key to contentment.

The plane is pretty small, definitely the tiniest one I have been on: just two rows by two seats, about 70 spots in total. The flight is a bit bumpy but super fast. We arrive in Newark, New Jersey around 10:30 am and take the bus into Manhattan instead of the much-talked-about Air Train. The trip takes the same amount of time, but the bus is cheaper: only $25 a return-trip.

We get dropped off at Bryant Park, at 5^th Avenue and 42^nd Street. A former site of crime and drug-use, this now popular lunch-time spot is designed in a classical French style complete with a large central garden, wide walkways and stone balustrades. The park features two restaurants as well as an outdoor reading room where visitors can grab books and magazines provided by the New York Public Library. I set up my laptop to enjoy the free WiFi in the park (are any Toronto urbanites reading this?) We eat our made-by-Mom sandwiches and then take shifts napping at the table. I drift in and out of sleep, listening to the quiet breeze and soft chatter while my sore eyes get some much-needed down-time.

Next, we stroll through the New York Public Library, the second-largest library in North America, as well as a worldwide research facility. Established in 1895, this marble Beaux-Arts-style structure originally housed about one million books, but now contains more than 15 million! Our first stop, the ground floor Children's Room, is cute and colorfully-decorated, but no match for the third floor Rose Reading Room. A massive space the size of a football field, this stunning and peaceful study area seats 600 and is enclosed by tall, arched windows. It has a 52-foot mural-adorned ceiling of clouds and chandeliers. The sweet smell of oak tables lit by bronze lamps reminds me of ancient books and great thinkers, and makes me want to go back to school to be a student forever.

Afterwards, we walk to nearby Grand Central Terminal, which opened in 1913, and sits at 42^nd Street and Lexington Avenue. We take a self-guided walking tour and I am surprised by the grandeur of gold-plated chandeliers and marble floors inside what could have been just an ordinary train station. We tilt our heads back to admire the stunning blue and gold fresco mural on the ceiling of the 80,000 square-foot main concourse. Painted in gold leaf on blue oil, Paul Helleu's remarkable piece depicts the 12 astrological symbols in the Mediterranean sky. The constellations are actually lit with fiber optics to emphasize their radiance.

Then we stumble upon The Oyster Bar on the lower level, and I convince Julie to take her premiere voyage into the salty delicious sea. The restaurant reminds me of a 1920s supper club and boasts of "the freshest seafood in Manhattan." We sit up close to the action at the bar. This is one of the few spots in New York where we notice any real Canadian influence: oysters from New Brunswick, PEI and Vancouver. We choose two types of oysters: PEI Malpeques and Long Island Blue Points. The Malpeques definitely win the taste-test and Julie becomes a loyal oyster fan.

Rejuvenated by our protein-filled snack, we head to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, at 51^st Street and Madison Avenue. This Gothic-style cathedral opened in 1879 and is truly magnificent. Next, we make our way to Rockefeller Center. We want to go to the Top of the Rock, which is supposed to have a better view than the Empire State building. A staff member tells us, however, to come back at 7:00 pm. He says this is the best time to come for a day-becomes-night view of the city, as the sky gets dark and the lights begin to come on. Everyone in New York is actually so polite and helpful, despite the stereotype of being rude and in a rush.

We catch a quick glimpse of the Radio City Music Hall, then buy some freshly-baked Mrs. Fields cookies inside the subway station. The subway is easy to navigate, covers an incredible distance and is quite affordable compared to Toronto standards; add to it that it runs all night and you have a new reason to loathe the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission). We decide to head home for the day to East Williamsburg in Brooklyn, where we are staying with a friend. This Puerto Rican neighborhood is in transition as the young and trendy begin to move in. Rent is incredibly cheap compared to other parts of Brooklyn, and new bars and restaurants are starting to turn up along the main strip.

September 10

We arrive at the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) around 3:30 pm. The 'Target Free Fridays' does not start until 4:00 pm but there is already a huge line-up. We check out the special Matisse exhibit first. I pick up a headset and we take our time browsing the artworks, listening to experts talk about Matisse's painting style, transition periods and his life in general. Then we wander down to the 5^th floor to see Modern Painting and Sculpture (the 4^th floor is closed for renovation, unfortunately). We spend over two hours on the 5^th floor and see almost everything by the time the museum closes at 8:00 pm.

It's a nice night so we walk south on 5^th Avenue. I notice how efficiently the one-way streets are designed. They keep traffic moving as much as possible (with every other street running the opposite way). Pedestrians too, never seem to stop moving; pausing briefly for a quick traffic check before they cross against the light. After about 30 blocks our feet are sore and we hop on the subway. We stop in SoHo to meet some friends.

It is Fashion Week in New York and all the boutiques are open late. DJs spin tunes for the masses who drink free champagne and bustle in-and-out. We sample a glass at one very posh boutique. I try on a camelhair-cashmere blend, brown sweater that is so comfy I never want to take it off. A glance at the price tag of $320 persuades me.

It's now about 11:00 pm. We walk around for almost an hour trying to find a place to eat! Being in New York, I thought there would be tons of places, but every restaurant is packed, and has wait times. We finally decide on a Mexican place which is completely empty (not a good sign). By this time it's almost midnight - very New York.

September 11

Today we take the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge. It means going into Manhattan and then taking another subway back so that we can reach the start of the bridge. It's a beautiful, warm day, 25°C (77°F) and sunny. Almost too hot to be walking across a bridge. It is a pretty long walk, about 45 minutes, including the time we stop to take pictures. We get a nice view of both the Manhattan skyline and Liberty Island. The bridge is quite crowded. At one point, I turn my head to admire Lady Liberty and collide with another girl. Our heads hit 'head-on'. I apologize, and try to avoid her for the rest of the walk.

At the foot of the bridge we sit to take a break in front of City Hall Park. Then we walk to Ground Zero. On our way we pass St. Paul's Chapel, which was part of the volunteer relief mission for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

There are some crazy people near the Ground Zero site, but not as many as I expected as today is September 11^th. A guy with a megaphone shouts "bloodshed is necessary to prove devotion!" That makes me wonder, who the heck gave this guy a megaphone? There's another fellow with a really offensive sign about the Koran. I take a picture of it. My sister says it is the most offensive sign she has ever seen.

There is a building on site dedicated to the reconstruction of the Ground Zero site. An event is going on for the families and friends of victims so we cannot enter, but we watch a video of plans for the reconstruction. We learn that The Memorial Plaza will be an 8-acre sustainable green space with more than 400 oak trees and two acre-sized reflecting pools with man-made waterfalls. The pools will sit in the footprint space of the former Twin Towers, with victims names inscribed around the edges.

Our walk continues down to the pier through Battery Park. It's full of American flags today, dedicated to the rescuers who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. We chat a bit on the boardwalk and see a guy fishing off the pier. He catches a big fish, kills it and then uses a chunk of this fish to cast off to catch another. I have never seen anyone do this before, but it seems to be one of the best ideas for bait.

Our next stop is the free Staten Island ferry that sails past the Statue of Liberty (not to be confused with the paid ferry, which docks at Ellis Island). There are people from all over the world on the ferry. I wonder what it must have felt like to be an immigrant coming to America and seeing this for the first time.

When we get back to the mainland it's on the chilly side. We take the subway to Little Italy. It is a pretty neighborhood and couples are eating outside at cute little tables. This makes us hungry so we walk to SoHo to eat at a Japanese place my friend recommended. The chef is super nice and welcomes us warmly as soon as we step inside the tiny restaurant (about six tables). We order the special that is three rolls for $10.00, gyoza (pork dumplings), seaweed salad and miso soup. The food is incredible, the best sushi I've had in a long time and also quite cheap.

After dinner, we find a bar at Houston and Mulberry, which has a restaurant upstairs playing rap music and then a chill lounge downstairs: red, velvety and dark. Julie asks if they have places like this in Toronto and I say, "of course!" We find a seat near the front of the bar, then this guy comes over, sits down and tries to sell us his CD. He keeps saying, "I'm a rapper!" We don't really want to buy it, so he starts rapping right at the table, to give us a demo. He's quite persistent and it occurs to me that even though he's dressed nicely, he might be in dire straits. I end up giving him the money.

September 12

We are to meet a friend for brunch today, so we make our way to Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, the train isn't running and we have to take a shuttle bus, but it comes quickly and is free (due to the inconvenience). We meet our friend at Bergen station. She takes us to a place on Smyth street, famous for its bacon. When I ask the waiter what he recommends he actually says "order the bacon." (N.B. side of bacon price: $5.00). The restaurant is a former whiskey bar, which might mean they do not have a proper kitchen. Julie orders the eggs Benedict with biscuits and bacon gravy and I get the blueberry pancakes with pecan butter. The food is decent, but incredibly heavy. My friend orders a salad, which seems funny/irritating. Why choose an extreme meat-house when you can order a salad anywhere?

We had planned to go to the Top of the Rock, but because it is cloudy and raining the view won't be great. We decide to visit more museums, and take subway to 86^th street on the Upper East Side. Julie buys me some honey-roasted peanuts from a street vendor. They taste fantastic. We go into the Guggenheim (Museum) and take some pictures of the interior, but decide against the $15 admission and instead head to the Metropolitan Museum. We only have about an hour-and-a-half before the museum closes (it is Sunday) so we walk fast and manage to see most of the three floors of the Modern exhibits. The Met is huge though, you could spend an entire day wandering around in there.

Afterwards, Julie suggests we walk to the Dakota and Strawberry Fields to take some pictures for our Dad (a major Beatles fan!) It's a bit of a jaunt. We walk diagonally through Central Park, just as the rain starts to come down. Hard. It isn't too bad at first, but I start to get irritable, wet and cold. Julie tries to make it fun, cracking silly jokes and cheering my wet-self up.

After 45 minutes of soggy walking (did I mention we are sans umbrella?) we arrive. We are drenched. I look up at the Dakota and ask, "this is it?" Julie laughs and says, "yeah, but it makes Dad happy." Sometimes she's the mature one. We cannot go inside, so take our picture out front with one of the doormen. Then we find the 'Strawberry Fields' which have no strawberries at all; only a wet plaque on the ground with some mushy flowers. Did I mention that we are really soaked? We walk down Central Park Avenue West to find a coffee shop where we can warm up. It takes 13 blocks but we finally find a Starbucks, right next to a huge mall at 59^th street. Julie buys me a latte and we sit near the window and attempt to dry off.

For dinner, our friend takes us to this incredible Ethiopian place in Brooklyn. The restaurant is full of color with comfy pillows in the booths. My sister says she likes the communal atmosphere of Ethiopian eating. We have a really nice meal with good conversation for our last night in New York.

September 13

I wake up to the street noises of East Williamsburg and the sun blazing in the window. We get to Bryant Park station without trouble and wait only a few minutes for the bus to the New Jersey airport. The flight leaves on time, which is great. We munch on plane snacks of fancy chips and roasted almonds. I love Porter! I also nurse a gigantic glass of white wine that takes the entire flight to finish. We arrive precisely on time. I get a text message from mom before we even step off the plane (she is a worrier!) The customs guy asks us how we possibly spent only $10 each on the trip, but it's true! I tell him that we're on a very tight budget.

We walk up to Lakeshore Boulevard to get the Bathurst streetcar home, but somehow end up taking the wrong one and wind up at Exhibition Place. So funny! We barely got lost the entire time in New York City, but somehow manage to lose our way after five minutes in old familiar Toronto.

Perhaps New York had begun to seem more like home?