“I go to Paris, I go to London, I go to Rome, and I always say, “There’s no place like New York. It’s the most exciting city in the world now. That’s the way it is. That’s it.” ― Robert De Niro
I've been fortunate enough to visit the big apple fairly regularly in the last 5 years & just like London, it's a different adventure every time. The best word to describe this metropolis is, addictive. How can a city be addictive? Well, I'm not sure, but for some reason I keep finding myself wandering the avenues & jumping in n'out of yellow taxis. Just like De Nero says - That's the way it is. That's it.
Greenwich Village
This area of the city feels distinctively "New York" & this is mainly due to it's beautifully kept cobbled streets & townhouses. If you didn't know, this is where Friends is supposedly set. Like most cities, historical areas are often bulldozed & re-developed over many decades. Greenwich Village is an exception to this rule, melting the low rise Middle-America charm with the big city culture. Perfectly brewed coffee, hearty food & turn of the century architecture makes this a unique place that I urge everyone to visit when in the city.
Stumptown Coffee - https://www.stumptowncoffee.com/locations/newyork
East Village
As if on purpose, East Village is the Ying to Greenwich (west) Village's Yang. Sprawling outwards from the Williamsburg Bridge, East Village a is dank, artisan & spray painted corner of Manhattan that is fuelled by art, coffee & independent stores. This is the perfect place to explore if you feel like discovering some of the cities low key hidden gems & love authenticity.
I don't know about you, but any time I'm in a new city I have a habit of trying to compare a district or area of that city to it's closest cultural counterpart in London. For example, Manhattan's Upper East Side is like South Kensington, whereas East Village is comparable to Shoreditch (stereo-typically speaking)
Schillers Liquor Bar for an American breakfast, Bloody Mary's & awesome coffee - http://www.schillersny.com/
Irving Farm Coffee Rosters - http://www.irvingfarm.com/locations/
Economy Candy is potentially my favourite hidden gem in NYC. Stumble upon by chance, it's an old school sweet shop with topps trading cards, Pez dispensers, cheap toys, American candy & a huge selection of pic'n'mix -https://www.economycandy.com/
Who ya gonna call . . . ?
NYC is some what of a pilgrimage for me as a movie fan. I grew up with the image of a smoggy, busy, vibrant & even haunted city. New York City has never been more iconised to me than in the Ghostbusters movies. The city was a character in it's self. The architecture told stories in the form of ghosts. The city's underworld was crawling & literally oozing with slime. The huge art deco buildings were hiding agent mythical beasts & it was here at Hook & Ladder 8 that my heroes wittingly took on everything Manhattan through at it. So I saw fit that I go pay my respects to the cultural icon itself.
There is every chance that I will be back in NYC in the near future. So let me know where I need go.
Cheers for reading :)
Dan
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