In September 2011, we spent two weeks in the 'Big Apple', the city that never sleeps. The Hotel Metro, located in Midtown Manhattan, was our accommodation,
offering a beautiful roof terrace with a view of the Empire State Building. We had a terrific time in New York City: skyscrapers reaching up to the sky, non-stop hustle and bustle, a harmonious multicultural mix of people from all over the world, a positive mindset, culture galore and the 'American way of life' with constant mobile phone contact and multitasking while eating 'coffee and meals on the go'.
We started our sightseeing tour in Downtown Manhattan, visiting Battery Park, the Financial District (including Wall Street), Ground Zero, the Brooklyn Bridge, and taking excursions to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. In Midtown Manhattan, the Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, the now green Broadway, the Rockefeller Center, the Trump Tower, the many musicals close to Times Square and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) are all well worth a visit. We found peace from the hectic activity in the wonderful Bryant Park. The extensive Central Park is a landmark for Uptown Manhattan and its "Museum Mile". Here, we visited the Guggenheim Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The latter has an enormous collection of Impressionist art.
To the north, there are the impressive St. John the Divine Cathedral and the neighborhood of Harlem. On Sundays, we had the opportunity to experience an atmospheric gospel service here, followed by the unforgettable 'Food and Black Music' at Sylvia's restaurant.
Our trip was active as, after taking various subway shuttles, we walked through New York for around 12 hours a day. In addition, we went on a bike tour of the boroughs of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and visited the US Tennis Open in Queens for two days. It was a terrific show!
New York City was overwhelming — we will certainly revisit.
