Originally Posted by RxMarcus
Recently got back from 4 days in Manhattan. Random thoughts/observations:
-I have been to many big cities, L.A., Miami, Toronto, Portland, Or, New Orleans, Chicago, Denver, Rome, etc, and NYC is my new favorite, replacing Toronto.
-I love the pace of the city, its lively, but not hectic.
-Its the only place I have ever been in my life where I never felt judged. This is the beauty of NYC - you can be whomever you want, dress however you'd like, etc, and no one cares. You are just part of this amazing melting pot. This might be the most difficult part of NYC to duplicate in other metropolises and maybe why so many people say its the world's greatest city.
-The city is very efficient. Not just public transportation, everything. Its a surprisingly easy city to be in and navigate.
-There is so much pavement. I didn't notice until the second day when we walked by a small cemetery and I saw grass. It had been a day since I'd seen a large patch of grass.
-I dislike Times Square. Its a nightmare of tourists, chain restaurants, and noise. Stayed at the Westin in Times Square, and besides sleeping and showering, we got the hell out of the area.
-I really like the Chelsea and Tribeca areas.
-The Grand Hotel has a beautiful lobby and lounge. Stopped by for a late-afternoon drink after SoHo shopping, highly recommended.
-Central park is a wonderful respite from the city and provides great views, but I was a little disappointed - I still couldn't get away from people. I realize that in a city of 20 million that that is difficult, but still.
-Most all of the food we had in the city was wonderful, especially Tabla. The 10-course tasting menu is excellent, and fairly cheap at $54/person.
-Its a very expensive city, but I didn't find it prohibitively so.
-Everyone from the city we encountered was very friendly, somewhat surprising for a huge metropolis.
-LGA is tiny. Its seems like a temporary airport off-site somewhere while they are busy building the new, real airport.
-The subway was great...and ridiculously extensive. It's a little dirty, but it's a subway. I like Toronto's better, but its also newer.
-SoHo has the best shopping, at least that we encountered.
Wished I was able to spend another day or two, but I'll definitely be back soon. NYC is wonderful city, New Yorkers should be proud (and they are, lol).
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