In last week’s blog post, I offered a list of my favourite attractions in New York City, but I quickly ran out of space! For that reason, here is part 2 of “My Favourite Things to Do in New York City”:
Feinstein’s/54 Below
Before every trip, I make a point of checking out the event calendar for Feinstein’s/54 Below. Located in the lower level of what was the legendary Studio 54 night club, Feinstein’s/54 Below “offers an unforgettable New York nightlife experience, combining performances by Broadway’s best with world class dining in an elegant setting”. Our first experience at the club was seeing a later performance of the group The Skivvies whose members perform their diverse musical set of pop and Broadway tunes in their undies. It was a brilliantly entertaining show, enjoyed over desserts and drinks, which seemed like a perfect way to end a busy day of sightseeing and entertainment.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Once your itinerary has been filled with Broadway shows, if you are still craving more performing arts, Lincoln Center would be your next destination. As their web site explains: “The 16.3-acre Lincoln Center complex, the world’s leading performing arts center, is home to the 11 resident arts organizations that represent the highest standards of excellence in symphony, opera, chamber music, theater, dance, film, and arts education.” The Center’s calendar of events offers a steady rotation of shows and events that are certain to appeal to everyone’s appetite for the arts.
If you have a chance, I would also suggest taking a guided tour of the beautiful campus for a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of this iconic venue.
Bus Tours
When I visited New York for the first time almost twenty years ago, I think we were very smart in incorporating two bus tours into our itinerary, one tour of lower Manhattan and one of upper Manhattan. As a first time visitor with only a limited amount of time, we were able to cover a lot more ground by bus than if we had done it on foot. While the sights were all viewed from the bus window, it still offered us a great appetizer and the opportunity to figure out which sights peaked our curiosity to see up close in the next visits. Ask your hotel’s concierge or front desk team which bus tours they would recommend and to help you pick one that will go by the points of interest that would interest you most.
Mike’s New York City Tours
I have been a fan of Project Runway since the very first episode, and after my first bus tour of NYC breezed through the garment district, I knew I had to go back and have a closer look. In Googling garment district tours, I found “Mike’s New York City Tours”.
Born and raised in New York City, Mike Kaback knows the city inside and out. As Mike’s Web site describes: “With over 35 years in the Garment Center, 10 years in NYC real estate, 17+ years as a tour guide and having lived in many various parts of the city, Mike has an unique perspective on the people, the history and the landscape.” I was delighted with the tour that took us by some of the landmarks associated with Project Runway (like Parsons and Mood) but also offered some historical context to the garment industry’s origins in New York, its evolution and the people who worked there over the years.
Check out his complete list of walking tours as he offers tours of landmarks in several different parts of the city.
Shopping
When it comes to shopping, the possibilities in New York City are endless.
Fans of the movie “Miracle on 34th Street” won’t want to miss a stop at Macy’s flagship department store, also a historic landmark, on (…you guessed it) 34th Street!
For designer labels on a budget, a visit to Century 21 has been on my to-do list for several trips to New York City. Set aside some time and some patience for the careful perusal of the racks of deals!
For a shop ‘til you drop experience, I would recommend a stroll down 5th Avenue. Home to an impressive list of popular department stores, shops, cafés, restaurants and attractions including the Guggenheim Museum, the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building and Rockefeller Center/Plaza, you could easily plan a whole trip exploring just 5th Avenue, and still not see it all. Wear comfortable shoes!
Museums
If your trip to New York City is hampered by bad weather, what a great opportunity to make the most of your time indoors and check out any of the wonderful museums the city has to offer.
The largest art museum in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, would be my first stop. With its permanent collection and exhibitions spanning all cultures and time periods over 5000 years, the Met is a great opportunity to discover the beauty of the works on display and of their relevance in understanding that even across time and cultures, we have more in common than what makes us different.
Check out this great link for the “15 Pieces You Have to See at The Met”
On my last visit, I discovered the Whitney Museum of American Art, combining an impressive permanent collection and exhibitions that showcase the beautiful works of 3,000 American artists. Every work of art was like a snapshot from the artists’ lives, whispering their personal stories and perspectives. Touring a museum like the Whitney is a far more subtle way of not just learning about history, but in understanding it on a human level and letting it resonate within my own point of view.
When my partner visited the Tenement Museum and came back with glowing recommendations, I had to check it out! The Museum’s web site describes itself as “We tell the stories of immigrants who started their lives anew on Manhattan’s Lower East Side between the 19th and 21st centuries through the recreated apartment and businesses of real families in our two historic tenement buildings.” After taking in one tour, I was sharing my partner’s enthusiasm for the fascinating recreations that illustrated the diametrically opposing perspectives through which they lived: the hope for a better life but also, the harsh living conditions of their new homes and the difficult working conditions through which they endured on the road to attaining their dreams.
What has been mind-blowing for me has been that after a few trips to New York City and the stories that I picked up along the way through the shows, walking tours and museum visits, everything started fitting together like puzzle pieces. All of these threads of stories started collectively forming the brilliant fabric that makes New York City the unique and inspirational destination that it is.
This magnificent convergence of historical and cultural richness was the epiphany that helped me understand why I love New York so much and why I keep coming back to discover more.
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Sincere thanks for reading!
Have a great day,
André
On my last day off, I couldn’t have asked for a better day weather-wise. The sun was shining, the sky was a stunning shade of blue, there was a gentle breeze and the temperature was a picture-perfect 20 degrees Celsius.
