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Prashant Rane, resident of New York City for over three decades, walks you through this vibrant smorgasbord that encompasses the best of art, culture and architecture; a stockpile of fashion, food and clubbing options; and most of all, great energy!
New York is the most vibrant city in the world! I have been living here for more than three decades now, and it is definitely a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities.
Since the ‘90s when I came to New York, major changes have taken place in Manhattan. The most important one was the cleaning up of 42nd Street, which was one of the most dangerous places near Times Square. The street was laced with nude bars, adult book and toy stores. Drugs peddlers and ‘escorts’ openly solicited customers on the road, and the percentage of mugging and murders were at an all-time high. Just a block away from 42nd Street were a number of stage theatres where the elite drove in to see plays and enjoy a fancy meal on Broadway. The efforts of successive New York City mayors to clean up the street’s act and invite Walt Disney to open up their theatre on 42nd Street slowly paved the way for a complete change. We now have movie theatres, restaurants and even Madame Tussauds on this street. Today, Times Square is one of the safest and most buzzing places in Manhattan.
Tourists from all over the world come to New York and they first go and see Times Square, The Statue of Liberty, World Trade Centre (after 9/11, the new structure is called ‘Freedom Tower’), Empire State building, Central Park and the Museums of Manhattan. A lot of them also shop for the latest in fashion – clothes, accessories, the works – on Madison Avenue.
Other than the above popular places, there are several other new and interesting places to visit in Manhattan. Chief among them are…
Hudson Yards
It is located on 11th Avenue and 34th Street in mid-town Manhattan. Home to more than 100 diverse shops and culinary experiences, it also has the highest observation deck called the Edge, which showcases panoramic views of Manhattan with a large see-through glass floor… You can literally see passers-by walking 1,100 feet on the road below.Incidentally, the newest piece of art to gaze at in Manhattan is the VESSEL, a 60-ton sculpture which looks like a honeycomb.
Incidentally, the newest piece of art to gaze at in Manhattan is the VESSEL, a 60-ton sculpture which looks like a honeycomb.
Oculus
The Oculus is one of many structures that were included in the city’s plan to rebuild the World Trade Centre after 9/11. It was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. He intended it to resemble a dove leaving a child’s hand. For New Yorkers, it’s like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The Oculus is now home to several retail stores, 12 subway lines and the PATH train (Port Authority Trans-Hudson is a 13.8-mile rapid transit system in the north-eastern New Jersey cities of Newark, Harrison, Jersey City and Hoboken, as well as Lower and Midtown Manhattan in New York City). The main floor is busy with commuters, shoppers and visitors who come to see the place.
Little Island
Little Island is a free public park built on stilts on the Hudson River. On top of the stilts, there are 132 concrete ‘tulips’. Each tulip’s shape is unique and has a different weight load capacity to hold the soil, lawns and trees. It has a 687-seat amphitheatre, stage and lawn space with dazzling views of Hudson River Park, New York City and Hudson River.
High Line
This is an elevated rail line on which trains used to deliver food to lower Manhattan. As this rail line was not used after trucks became an integral part of the delivery system, the High Line was to be demolished. However, the local community came together and decided to build a park on the rail line. The High Line is now a 1.45-mile greenway which features 500 plus species of plants and trees. Tourists can walk all the way from Downtown Manhattan to Hudson Yards, and can see stunning views of Hudson River and New Jersey which is across the Hudson River.
Meat Packing District
The meat packing district is a neighbourhood in downtown Manhattan which runs from West 14th Street to Gansevoort Street. It used to be a meat packing and refrigeration area which went through a transformation in the ‘90s when high-end boutiques opened by well-know fashion designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and others; converting this area into a fashionable neighbourhood. While the original meat packing buildings are now either boutiques or restaurants, the cobblestone streets are dotted with trendy restaurants and clubs. It is also home to Whitney Museum of American Art.
Speakeasy Bars
Originally, a speakeasy was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States during the prohibition era. During that time, the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcoholic beverages was illegal throughout the United States. Speakeasies disappeared after prohibition ended, but the trend began in 2000 with the opening of the bar ‘Milk and Honey’ now called ‘Attaboy’. The façade of these bars can be a locksmith store or a hair cutting salon, but once you enter these stores, there is a door which leads to the speakeasy bars. Speakeasies are a huge attraction if you are interested in a night on the town!
…And It’s A Wrap!
New York is blessed with all the four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Tourists thus have a choice and can select their favourite season to visit. Although most of them prefer Spring or Summer (as winters can be cold and frigid) to visit New York, many also prefer Fall and Winter as they can see the beautiful Fall colours across the city, which looks like a large painted canvas. Those who love to see snow must visit in Winter, which is icy cold but magical… Christmas is the best season to visit the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral and offer prayers, then go on to Rockefeller Center to see the tallest Christmas tree lit up in all its glory, and to watch the ball come down in Times Square which rings in the New Year. I seriously can’t get enough of New York… and neither will you be able to!