#travel to #newyorkcity #manhattan

#NewYORK & #Manhattan below 0°C

It's been one month since I've last been in NEW YORK and it feels as though months had passed… naturally, that's what happens when you live with several different realities every day: time expands...

The memory of my recent stay in NYC is now composed of fabulous & unconnected pieces of different puzzles impregnated with a sense of joy and inspiration.

That's what I felt the first time I took a good look at a skyscraper… a crave for heights, sheer positivity - taken as literally as possible. In NYC I've always felt like home - I felt I somehow belonged there. Whether on 3rd or the 8th Ave, on Broadway, looking at the Flatiron or at the Chrysler Building, sitting on a bench near City Hall or having a cup of coffee somewhere in East Village - I've always adored contemplating and walking around that urban captivating jungle…

I've never been a fan of the Stock Exchange /Wall Street area, but I’ve always loved the old harbour around Pier 15 and its Northern European flair… there is nothing like getting lost in that part of Manhattan - it's so easy to find a place you can grab a bite to eat (clam chowder or a burger) & watch life go by. And the people - there’s an innate relaxed air about them I absolutely love and share. Germany seems totally unfriendly compared to the sociable Americans (even the New Yorkers, who have a reputation for not been as cordial as their Southern landsmen).

In Manhattan, one just has to take one of the parallel streets and head to Central Park - on foot, I would suggest (provided the weather allows it). I couldn't ever get tired of contemplating the giants in the heart of Manhattan (the Empire State & the likes of it) guarding the downtown area, constantly reminding you where you are - this is The Concrete Jungle by excellence. It's not about reaching Times Square, for it's always being around the architectural relics of the early 20th century (preferably the 30s) - like the Radio City Building - a symbol of a time long gone.

That kind of discoveries make a walk through the streets of Manhattan worth your while: take the small churches hidden behind the multinational and contemporary versions of what the Colossus of Rhodes must have been for the antique world !... And just as integrated in this urban chaos are Chinatown (& the hot pot restaurants concealed behind dubious looking doors) & Little Italy with its original New World interpretation of Italian cuisine...

This time I felt like residing in a hotel right across from the World Trade Centre - which turned out to be a fabulous idea. Tribeca with all its welcoming restaurants was right around the corner.

Then there’s the Trinity Church, Wall Street, Broadway or the Staten Island Ferry - all these world famous sights within walking distance and boulevards packed with tourists eager to get to the Statue of Liberty. I'm not into the tourist magnets - I go for the

architectural wonders and for tiny oasis: squares like Foley Square, Zuccotti Park, the Washington Square Park or the Bryant Park, which I discovered turned into a Christmas market...

Especially around Fulton Street and Broadway I always feel part of this multicultural jungle.

It's really not about where in NYC you are - it could Manhattan or not; for me, the best thing one can experience in NYC is the city itself: taking in the atmosphere and enjoying the moment - in spite of the -15° C of the December evenings! The people’s disposition warmed us right up - of course, a latte and a muffin in any Starbucks or a slice of pizza in some pizza parlor helped coping with the winter cold & keep you functioning till dinner time.

Funny enough, whenever I miss New York, I miss that refreshing cold, too - which means I ought return soon, probably in summer… just for a change.