I HEART NY!! I took a bite from the Big Apple!! I'm in a New York State of Mind ever since....

I first experienced New York City with some of my best friends. A short taxi ride from JFK to Midtown Manhattan saw us flabbergasted by the iconic skyline as it unfolded before us like a scene from a pop-up book. Coming over the Queensborough bridge the taxi was filled with four uber excited Irish girls eagerly awaiting their very own Sex and The City experience. We were armed with lists of shops that Carrie and Co frequented. We were prepared to gorge ourselves on cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery, and swig cocktails in a long list of over priced, under rated Manhattan bars. We were ready.........we were so not ready!!!! Stepping from the cab we got our bearings and took the time to look up......we were finally in New York City. We were overawed by these buildings we had only ever seen in the movies. As much as I thought I knew about New York from seeing it on TV, I was totally unprepared for the mammoth scale of the city.....and just how quickly I would fall in love with it.

I have since been back to NYC twice more. The second time was like a spontaneous gut reaction to the first trip. I don't think I had been home a week before I started shopping for best price flights to go to the Big Apple again. I researched what season I would like to see it in, what shows would be showing while there, what exhibits would be on, what sales would be happening. I left New York counting the days until I was to go back.

I spent a week in New York in May of 2011. I experienced both the highs and niggly lows of what a Manhattan summer has to offer. For me, the highs truly outweighed the lows. The temperature that week was in the 90s. I say that for dramatic effect of course, because to someone who deals in celcius, when you first hear the weather forecast and they announce that there will be highs of 97 degrees, you instantly feel your insides start to melt. So 97 degrees fahrenheit is actually only 37 degrees celcius. HA!! Only!!! I thought yes, if I was by the coast with nothing to do but lounge and read books then that would be marvelous. To discover that even New Yorkers hide out from these temperatures in Manhattan, was not surprising. Those movies where you see New Yorkers sweating profusely while going abut daily life, its not just artistic licence, it is real life!! I also discovered my ginger afro during this wonderful holiday. There are very few photos of me that have surfaced from this trip because lets face it, a ginger fro isn't exactly very Sex and the City now is it???

I had decided when I began writing this blog, that in here somewhere would have to feature my very own Ode to New York. I could go on forever gushing about how much I adore this city. So I opted for a Top 10. All of the best parts of NYC  from my very biased perspective. I hope its even a little enjoyable.

10. The Noho Star.

A short subway ride from Midtown Manhattan, this little eatery stole my heart the first time I visited New York. It was the first place that I had brunch with my girls NYC style. We couldn't have been more Sex and the City if we tried. We were on our way to Soho for the purposes of trawling the sales, so what better way to start the day than with a good hearty breakfast? From the minute you enter the Noho Star you are greeted by warm, friendly, uber trendy looking staff. One wonders if these aren't the struggling actors and actresses we read about in novels and if so I cannot wait to see the adonis who rustled up my hickory smoked bacon take the Best Actor Oscar in a few years time!!! The food itself was to die for. Ranging anywhere from wholesome healthy breakfast fare to gourmet burgers, you would be hard pressed not to find something you liked. And with a fully stocked, almost all-day cocktail bar, if its the Carrie experience you are after, you cannot go too far wrong. When I returned to New York alone the following summer I returned to the Noho Star because it was familiar. The experience was a little different. This time the staff had the foresight to seat me by the window and to bring me a copy of Metro, New York City's version of "What's On?". I sat and enjoyed my brunch watching the students of NYU come and go and ear-wigging, just a little, on a conversation between two aspiring film makers seated directly behind me. If its a New York experience you desire, it doesn't get much more authentic than this.

9. The Met

Whether you are an art lover like me who wants to experience everything New York has to offer on the museum front, or a newbie tourist who only wants to go to a museum to say you completed the obligatory cultural module of your holiday, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the best place to start. The first piece of information to take with you on entering the Met is.....you will get lost!! I found that I got lost on more than one occasion. But if the Met is nothing else, its an adventure. It has something for everyone. With permanent collections that range from Egyptian to Polynesian to Modern American, you will be spoiled for choice. The Met also features travelling exhibitions. I was fortunate enough to be in New York for Savage Beauty: The House of Mc Queen. A collection of Alexander Mc Queen's work spanning two decades, it was a truly breathtaking exhibit. His work is an acquired taste, it was almost as interesting to see the reactions of other museum goers as it was to see the work itself. It was a testament to him to see how much of an impact his work has on people. Having passed away just shortly before the exhibit began touring, it was incredibly busy. It made for a hot, crowded, slightly uncomfortable exhibit space, but it was perfect for the kind of reaction desired. It was a visceral experience. Having always been a fan of Mc Queens work, it was one of the highlights of my entire trip. I now own a two tonne weight book about the exhibition. Some light coffee table reading for any of you who may choose to visit me! 

8. 5th Avenue

Move over Dunnes Stores!! Take a seat Penneys!! 

 When a girl has been to 5th Avenue, she is ruined for all other shopping experiences! 

Armani, Versace, Sachs, Gucci, Bulgari, Cartier, Fendi, and the list goes on....and on!! A shopping haven for the rich and famous, 5th Avenue is not for the faint hearted. Check out the price-tags in some of the stores and be prepared with the smelling salts, because these are some high altitude stores!! I have spent on 5th Avenue, but a little less extravagantly. 5th Avenue has it all. You can embrace your girliness by splurging on something ridiculous in Henri Bendel ( my something ridiculous was a Bendels teapot that I had to cradle like a baby the whole way home). Or you can embrace your inner child by visiting the famous FAO Schwartz toy store. Visit all your favourite cartoon heroes immortalised in Lego, or have your very own boogy woogy on the giant piano made famous by the movie BIG!! FAO Schwatrz is bliss for the kiddy in all of us! Then if you dare you could immerse yourself in the world of the rich and spoiled by visiting the one and only Tiffany & Co and drooling (if you're anything like me) over strings of diamonds. It is after all every girls dream to have a little sparkle in her life.

7. Central Park.

Its hard to know where to begin when describing the wonders of Central Park. The fact that you can feel 100 miles from civilization in the centre of such a mammoth city is just the beginning of its charm. A place for New Yorkers to exercise, meditate, play, eat lunch, have coffee, get engaged, get married, you could witness almost anything in Central Park. With numerous tributes to amazing people who have been part of shaping the landscape of New York and creating that iconic image that the world sees, its hard not to get lost exploring all that Central Park has to offer. My favourite part of the park is the Literary Walk. It's lined with amazing trees which are luscious in the summer and glistening gold in the autumn. Its a place where artists of all shapes, forms, and crafts come to showcase their incredible talents. Break dancers pop and lock just feet away from mime artists, and sketch artists, all just trying to speak to the world in their own unique language. The walk itself is also home to statues and monuments dedicated to great artists gone before.

6. Fleet Week

Ahhhhh, Fleet Week!! I had not prepared for Fleet Week, I was not even aware of Fleet Week. Fleet Week crept up on me like the awesomest (to paraphrase my American buddies) surprise one could ever wish for. You think you are a very capable and together young lady on a calm collected week long holiday in New York City only to discover that the week you've picked is the week the Navy dock in New York for some well deserved R&R! The city welcomes them with open arms. Actually, the city pretty much hands over the keys to the kingdom and lets these amazing guys run wild. Cries of "Ooooh Ra" coming from bars, shops, churches, cafes, all make you realise very quickly that these guys are the equivalent of royalty in The Good Ole U.S.A. The first time I saw a group of them coming towards me in Times Square I almost lost the use of my legs. There really is nothing quite as attractive as a marine in uniform.

  *Swoon*

5. Battery Park/ Lower Manhattan

For the best views of Lady Liberty without the extensive, time consuming, and downright painful lines, I would recommend taking the Staten Island Ferry. Unless you are hugely interested in the history behind the not so photogenic "Face of New York" this trip will give you exactly what you are looking for. You get close enough to get the awesome tourist snap, you get a breathtaking view of the famous New York Skyline (its worth doing it by night too), and you get a boatride on a massive boat, and who doesn't love a massive boat??? And its all FREE!!! Afterwards discover what the tip of Manhattan has to offer. The lower part of the island is home to all of the beautiful war memorials. One that particularly struck a chord with me was the Vietnam war memorial. Huge blocks of stone with letters from American soldiers written to their families during the war carved into the stone. Its a very moving tribute. I instantly fell in love with the Irish famine memorial. It is a piece of land from Ireland replanted in a modern stone setting in the middle of industrial Manhattan. On the memorial is a stone from every county in Ireland, flowers native to Ireland, and a true representation of an old Irish ruin. As you walk through the tunnel you hear haunting recordings of letters from people who survived the journey to America to begin a new life in The Land of Opportunity. Battery Park is a beautiful place and it serves as a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of chaotic New York. You will see joggers, dogwalkers, Moms, Dads, and even the odd Wall Street Tycoon on his well deserved 5 minute coffee break. It is loved by tourists and New Yorkers alike. 

4.Skyscrapers

"til it shiiiines like the top of the Chrysler Building!!"

A line from Little orphan Annie, I remember hearing this as a kid and wondering why does the top of the building shine? And then you get to New York and go in search of this famous building. Clad entirely in Nirosta Steel, a German made metal that holds its sheen, the crown of The Chrysler Building sparkles from blocks away making it hard not to be fascinated with this wondrous building. That, and its vintage, art deco lobby makes this my favourite skyscraper in New York City. There is nothing like being on the top of one of these astounding constructs and watching as the city moves beneath you like a giant ant farm. The ultimate skyscaper experience is to visit the Empire State building by night and The Rockefeller Centre by day. The balcony atop the Empire State building allows for a 360 degree view of Manhattan lit up in all its glory by night. This is the architectural equivalent of a glo-worm cave. The city hums with activity from up there and yet there is a certain tranquility in being surrounded by a galaxy of blinking lights. You feel miles from anywhere in this city bursting with life. 

Top of the Rock at Rockefeller centre is the experience that dreams are made of. The view from the top of this monster of a building is not for the faint hearted. On a clear day you can see all five boroughs of New York State. It is the best vantage point for viewing the city itself. On one side you are flanked by the majestic Empire state building with its iconic tower. On another you can see the famous bridges of New York as they cross the East River. Famous prison, Rikers Island can also be seen on this side. The 3rd side of the building has the most breathtaking view of Central Park that there is. You can see right from The Wollman Rink all the way to Harlem Meer. Its really cool to see just how large scale Central Park really is. 

3. Times Square

Times Square is quintessentially New York. Its the first port of call for almost all tourists who visit. Its hard to believe it's real. It is now part of the law that every shop /premises on Times Square must have some form of lighting in their signage to keep the neon savagery of Times Square alive! Times Square is an assault on the senses. Stepping out of the subway is overawing. The sound of the bustling cars, the hectic pedestrian traffic, the smells from the street vendors, the flashing lights of the ads that run from floor seemingly all the way into the night sky. Every tourist should stand atop the famous red steps in Times Square and feel entirely anonymous, it is an amazing feeling. 

2. Broadway

Broadway is my raison d'etre when I visit New York. I live for all the lights and sparkle of the theatre district. TKTS booth in Times Square allows for discount tickets to see some of the worlds most talented actors grace the stage. Walking from street to street seeing sign after sign for musicals and plays you can almost imagine what it must be like to be a young ingenue embarking on a theatre career! New York is really is the city where dreams are made, followed and realised. 

1. Bryant Park

Nestled right in the bosom of Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park is a tiny sanctuary in a city of chaos. Flanked on all sides by skyscrapers , it is a place where you can stop and just breathe a little fresh air. In the winter it becomes a wonderland of Christmas shops and eateries. This is where I discovered my favourite snack in the entire world. Kettle Corn NYC is a small independently run company that prides itself on having the most unusual and delicious flavours of kettle corn one could ever imagine. My personal favourite is Cheddar n Spice. It is not to everyones taste but those who try some of Kettle Corn NYC's wondrous corn are always surprised at the very least.
An ice skating rink runs here from November to February and during our first visit we came almost every day to have coffee and watch the seasoned New Yorkers showing off on the ice. In summer Bryant Park transforms into a lush green haven, with a preened lawn for picnicking, yoga and even movie nights. Its not unusual to see chess kings engaging in a game or two at the permanent chess tables on the walkways around the lawn. Laughter and joking can be heard from all around as people chat and play ping pong. Its also a great place to take a book and retreat under the canopy of the beautiful trees to escape a moment from the humming city beyond.

"Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, 
there's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York"