New York : For the first time.

Hate it or love it, you have to be there at least once. How can a place be disappointing and amazing at the same time? NY is definitely on my list of “must go”. Especially with all that TV diet of Friends, Sex and the City, David Letterman and countless American films, who does not want to take a bite of the Big Apple?

So it was a cold Tuesday night that we landed at the horror which is Terminal 8, JFK (thank goodness they are renovating it) and waited for the handy free shuttle bus from Pan American Hotel.

We were psyched about the hotel after reading all the online reviews and were pleasantly surprised. By no means is it a high end hotel but the room was big and comfortable with a good satellite TV and decent bathroom. At a price half that those in Manhattan, it was a good buy. The only thing to do is to catch a good night’s sleep before starting our trip proper the next day

NY Day 2 : Wednesday

As recommended by Tripadvisor, we had breakfast at Pop Diner, just 5 minutes walk. With jukeboxes, a large menu with All-Day breakfast and friendly staff, it was a dream of a diner. We had breakfast there almost everyday and these silver dollar pancakes, served with maple syrup, butter and preserves became a favourite.


Silver dollar pancakes


Lemon meringue pie

With full tummies, we made our way to the subway which is 15min walk away. Oh my goodness! After coming from Singapore, I thought the London Tube was a nightmare but compared to NY, London Tube looks like paradise. Nevertheless, the Subway is the best way to get around and we bought the 7-day pass, which is a steal at $24 per person.

The plan was to cover Lower Manhattan so we took the R line all the way to Whitehall Street. A short walk away brought us to Staten Island Ferry Terminal for the free ferry that passes by the Statue of Liberty. The Terminal is brand-spanking new and already there was a ready queue.

Masses of people surged to the sides to take photos of the Statue of Liberty.


Here is a much zoomed in and edited pic

The ferry did pass by the Statue of Liberty but perhaps, not close enough. We did get a few snaps but at that distance, the iconic statue did not inspire much awe. Perhaps a proper paid trip to Liberty Island with a climb up the statue would be more awe-inspiring but we decided to take a pass.



Views of Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry

A quick ride on the bus brought us to South Street Seaport. It is easy to forget New York’s nautical past when you are caught up in the middle of the tall buildings in Manhattan.

South Street Seaport

Tall ships!


....and Ambrose

It was wonderful to walk about this bustling place with the tall ships framed against a background of skyscrapers. There are plenty of shopping and restaurants that we grazed instead of eating a proper lunch. We tried the cinnamon sugar covered pretzels from Mrs Fields which were yummy.

A version of SOL at South Street

From Pier 17, you get an elegant view of the famous Brooklyn bridge


The famous Nathan’s hotdogs, proud sponsor of the hotdog eating contest every year.


A walk down Fulton Street and we were at World Trade Centre, Ground Zero. It is very much a construction site although there is a very moving tribute display at the nearby St. Paul’s cathedral, which we missed.

Emotional tributes at Ground Zero

What I wasn’t bargaining for is how emotional I felt at that location. The fences were adorned with various photographs of people of all race and religion in tears and a list of names of those who perished and I could not help but cry.



A quick trip on the A line from Nassau Street brought us to High Street subway at Brooklyn. We walked to Grimaldi’s for one of the best pizza in New York. I was hoping to miss the lunch time crowd but even at 3pm, it was really full. l Thankfully there was a couple of tables free – there was a queue of people waiting for a table 5 minutes after we sat down.



Here’s a slice of pizza we ordered ~ sweet red peppers, mushrooms and ½ anchovies. Pizzas here are crispy base (just the way we like it) and baked in a coal oven. What a sensation! Almost as good as the ones in Italy. What I love is how fresh the ingredients are. Tangy tomato base, complemented by the red peppers. Fragrant fresh basil and creamy mozzarella cheese with the salty anchovies to set the tastebuds tingling. It was unfortunate that we did not have a chance to try Lombardi’s at Spring Street for comparison. Delicious as it is, even the small pizza is a struggle for the three of us to finish.


We headed towards Brooklyn Bridge for the walk across to Manhattan. It was an amazing walk. Elegant from far, it was a fascinating structure to see up close and the pedestrians walkway is above the traffic. Views of Manhattan is wonderful although you do have to take care to be at the pedestrian track and not stray into the bicycle lane

Views of Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge

Traffic beneath our feet. The infamous NY taxi and yellow Schoolbus

View of Pier 17 from the bridge

On the way, we met this group complete with protest banners. Was 9-11 an inside job? I cannot resist asking for a photo as a flipside to the emotional trip to Ground Zero earlier.

From Chambers St, we took the subway to Grand Central station. It was busy as you would expect but the wonderful, spacious interior was definitely a must-see. It was rest stop for us and we wandered down to the excellent food court for a quick drink.



Spotted a Junior’s concessionaire. I know they have a proper shop at Times Square but why not get one here?

This is the best cheesecake I have ever tasted! Much better than the ones they have at NYDC in Singapore or the poor excuse of a cheesecake in London. At $5.95 a slice, it's huge and enough to share. Worth every crumb.


We left Grand Central Station and walked along 42nd Street to Times Square. It is as busy and crazy and bright, as we know it. Flashing neons, zooming traffic, tourists galore.

We made our way to the huge Toys R’Us as a treat to the little one. Yes, there is a sizeable ferris wheel inside, with carts fashioned after cartoon characters. A quick ticket purchase ($4) and the little one and MH queued for a good 20 minutes for a ride. Worth it because it was the highlight of the day for the little one.

Once we emerged from Toys R’Us, the sun was setting and we witnessed the full effect of Times Square. I love all the lights and the buzz.

A short walk away is the M&M store and we were simply blown away. Who would have thought there is so much merchandise for a simple chocolate candy? I love the multi-coloured displays. Next to it is the Hershey’s store. While it stocks more type of chocolates than M&Ms, the store is a poor cousin to the razzmatazz that is the M&M store. We had aching feet by now and went back to the hotel.

Displays outside the store

Green M&Ms are always a lady.

A John Travolta Saturday Night Fever M&M?

NY Day 3 : Thursday

It rained and rained and rained. I forgot how a proper rainstorm is after the piddling rain we get in London. Even the 5-minute walk to the bus stop got us drenched. The day was mainly spent in the nearby Queens Mall – a large indoor shopping mall with a Macy’s and JC Penney branch. Plenty of clothes shops and a good food court. We popped into the Target store next door and I went mad shopping for Reese and other candies not found in U.K. It was an eventful day but perhaps necessary after the long day we had on Wednesday.

NY Day 4 : Friday

We intended to get to the American Natural History Museum but took the wrong Express train. Nevertheless, it worked out fine because the train stopped at Rockefeller Centre where I was absolutely dying to visit for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck.


Sign for TOTR at the subway

The iconic photo of lunching workers on a beam

The 70th floor of the TOTR (for short) is recently opened after closing in the 1980s and a visit here came highly recommended. Even better views and shorter queues than Empire State Building they said. After a quick ticket buy ($17.50 per adult, kids free), we joined the security queue. There is a photo opportunity to sit on the beam like the iconic photo of workers taking lunch on a high beam before you join the crowd, watching a good short film on Rockefeller centre.

We were then moved to the queue for the lift. The lift itself is amazing. Besides moving 60 odd floors in mere minutes, the roof is made of glass. There is another short film projected on the glass ceiling which just force your eyes to look nowhere but up and you can actually see the lift moving up the shaft.




Views of Central Park with the Hudson River at a distance





Views on the other side with the Empire State Building. Now this a view you won't get in you are in the ESB itself!

We left TOTR on Sixth Avenue and passed by Radio City Music Hall. They had a Dora show that day hence the proliferation of Dora balloons and kids waving light sticks.

Nintendo World

Inside the shop


Pikachu!

A short walk away and we were at the Nintendo World store. We had fun pointing out the old Game and Watch game to the little one. She does not look very impressed, what with Nintendo DS and PSP available now. Sigh!

Entrance to Sony Wonderlab. The Robot reacts to the people in the queue and later we found out that it is operated by a staff member with headphones and mic.

Spiderman on the other side.

We went to the Sony Wonderlab next. They recommended booking the free tickets beforehand but I was not sure what time we can fit it in. A quick question to the staff and we found we could get tickets in the next half hour. Was wondering what was the fuss with the timed entrance but once we were on the entrance at the 4th floor, it became clear.

Each guest was given a pass with a barcode strip to personalise with photograph and voice. You can swipe the card at the various exhibits to switch them on and collect more data. The little one was ecstatic. We had a go at musical composition, sitting in a real audio booth that mixes the sounds that we chose. There were exhibits so that you can pretend to be a Surgical Imaging Specialist guiding a tiny camera down the throat to the stomach. You can also have a hand a games design or TV production or train a computer to say your name.

We did as much as we could. It was certainly the highlight of the little one’s trip and her ultimate favourite. At the exit, you can swiped your card and certificate is printed out with your photo and all the things that you did.

Strolling on a street in NY

Giant pretzel bought from a street vendor. They are everywhere. We dusted off most of the salt particles (the white stuff) because it's too salty.

Display in Disney Store

A stroll up Fifth Avenue is a must and we visited the fabulous Disney Store. Four storeys of Disney stuff, with a whole section dedicated to New York merchandise.


Buzz Lightyear!

A quick read of the directory and we found out that Disney characters make appearances for photos and autographs on the 3rd floor. It was Woody and Buzz Lightyear that day. No queues and we had a wonderful time. We can use our own camera but the staff gave us a photocard so that we can view and share the official photographs on the Disney website. Buying the photo online is optional.

Outside the store... closer look...

Hmm... he looks familiar. Didn't he play for Man Utd once?

The display outside the store. Who is the prince? Closer look. None other than Beckham. The U.S. sports news have been abuzz about his impending move to U.S. soccer club, LA Galaxy.





We turned into 58th street and walked to the Apple Store. MH had been waiting for this. The store is actually in the basement with an impressive glass structure roof. Disappointingly, it is not as big as the one in London, Regent’s Street and the range is limited but with the strong £, prices are definitely cheaper.

The legendary FAO Schwarz is just next door. We cannot resist taking a photo with the soldier dressed doorman before going into the store. All manner of soft toys in varying sizes dominate the ground floor. We headed up the second floor to see other toys and the little one had fun at the painting session with very friendly sale assistants.

Inside FAO Schwarz

Newborn Nursery on 2nd floor. The sale assistant is dressed like a nurse.

The other thing I have to say, we are amazed by how friendly everyone is. A few of my friends had told me of snobbish New Yorkers but the people we met throughout our trip have been so friendly and helpful. The little one were fussed over on countless times.

After a quick break, we walked toward Columbus Circle to catch a direct train to the American Natural History Museum. Somehow, we took the Express instead of the local train and had to track back. The guide book said the museum close at 8.45pm on Friday but apparently it was only on certain holidays. It was closing at 5.45pm that day and we had 13 minutes. Argghhh!

The little one was so disappointed not to see the dinosaurs and burst into tears. The guard felt so bad and let us in for free and advised we go up to the 2nd floor. We missed the real dinosaur exhibition on the 4th floor but the free standing dinosaur display on the 2nd floor was amazing. So is the mammal dioramas. The lighted displays in a darkened room were very effective. A whirlwind stop at the Museum shop for souvenirs and the little one was happy. We sat at the steps for a while before heading home

NY Day 5 : Saturday

It was a glorious day today. It was such a shame to waste the sunshine and we decided to take the Q60 bus from the hotel to Manhattan. The trip along Queens Boulevard is an eye opener. You definitely don’t see this side of NY in those glossy TV shows.

The bus terminated at 2nd Avenue, 60th Street. We walked along 60th Street and spotted a queue of people outside Serendipity. There was half an hour to go before opening time and there was already a long queue. I was half tempted to have lunch there too but was persuaded otherwise.

A quick stroll and we found ourselves at Dylan’s Candy Bar. Wow! What a place! I think Willy Wonka would be proud to be here and dentists all over the world can just hear the Kerching! of their cash registers. Just look at the proliferation of lollies, sweets, chocolate, jelly beans.



Outside Dylan's Candy Bar



Celebrities' favourite jelly bean flavours


Bunny at the top of the stairs to the basement


Merchandise display at the basement



More candy and Dylan's Candy Bar t-shirt and merchandise



Lolly tree at Dylan's



A whole range of Pez dispensers from small to large.



These are Pez dispensers of another calibre. Set with Swarozski crystals, they are $900 each!



Even the stools resemble strawberry and cream boiled sweets or lollipops!

After buying a small bag of jelly beans for the little one, we walked over to Bloomingdales. I was after a plastic Little Brown Bag as a souvenir and was happy to get one. The store has over 10 floors. We were not in the mood to shop so headed out to subway to catch a train to 86th street.


The outside of the MET


Stalls outside the MET selling artwork of varying degrees!

10 minutes stroll later, we were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, another must see. Suggested donation is $20 per adult but they have a policy of pay what you can afford. We never pay for museum visits in London but I did feel obliged to hand over $10 for both of us.



We were famished by now and went to the excellent self-service food court in the basement. I was tickled by the way the kid’s meal was presented. Pasta in tomato sauce, pear and juice drink all in a paper yellow cab. Too bad the cab was stained with sauce or I would have carted it back home to London.





I really wanted to see the Egyptian artefacts especially this splendid Temple of Dendur. It did not disappoint. The light flooding in from the glass windows was simply fantastic. The museum was filling up fast and we missed the other amazing exhibits. The little one was getting skittish so we left the museum.

A busking performance by two extremely talented black guys (Afrobatics) was underway and the little one was enthralled. Besides doing amazing gymnastics and eye-popping breakdancing, these guys were very funny. “White people! White people! Don’t be afraid. We are only two black guys.” When they get volunteers for their finale : “Bring your bags with you. This is New York!” and when asking for donations just before the end of the show, “Listen, your donations are keeping us out of two places… The poor house and..(pointing at random audience members) your house.. and your house.. and your house” The crowd totally enjoyed the show.




We let the little one blew off some steam at the nearby playground before walking into Central Park. The baseball players were out in full force. Central Park is lovely. All green and fringed by the skyscrapers at the background. Would have loved to explore more – perhaps visit the John Lennon’s memorial or take a boat round the lake but MH was feeling worse for wear.


Taken from a bus as we ride downtown



Macy's


Wooden escalators!

We took the M3 bus downtown Fifth Avenue to 34th Street and went to Macy’s. Big mistake! It was after all, a Saturday, Macy’s flower show and they are having a sale. The crowds are horrendous. We went up to the Kid’s section and I had the opportunity to snap their amazing wooden escalators. By this time, our heads were spinning and we went back to the hotel.

NY Day 6 : Sunday

We had been following the weather news on TV the night before and knew that the weather will be bad on Sunday and Monday. We were right in the middle of the North Easter; a rainstorm of sizeable proportions and unfortunately, not moving eastward enough. It rained non-stop with flooding in several areas (thankfully not in ours). Over 400 flights were cancelled with delays up to 6 hours at JFK.

We spent the day indoors, ordering takeaways for dinner and lunch. One of the things I love is that you could order takeaways from hotels here. The reception had a collection of takeaway menus from pizzas to Chinese. Luckily, where we were is near a few Indonesian restaurants and we ordered really delicious (slightly salty!) meal.

This one is Nasi Goreng Minang Special from Minang Asli and we also ordered the Nasi Rames which came with Jackfruit Opor (opor nangka), a quarter leg grilled chicken (ayam panggang) and a hard boiled egg in sambal belado. For the sick MH, I ordered Bihun Bakso, rice noodle with beef ball soup.

NY DAY 7 : Monday

It was our last day. We packed our bags and after calling the airlines to make sure our flights are set to go, we had our last brunch at Pop Diner. We took the hotel shuttle to Terminal 8. Was hugely disappointed at the size of duty-free (one small shop) although managed to get a few more small souvenirs at the news stand. We boarded the flight and we were on our way home

Overall, it was a hectic trip. I would have though 7 days would be plenty but how wrong I was! Being caught in a big storm and staying relatively far away from central Manhattan did not help.

The subway is a nightmare although I have been told it is much, much better than it was years ago. Manhattan is so overbuilt with high rise buildings left and right; which can feel claustrophobic and in many areas, NY is not pretty. I began to see how beautiful and more atmospheric European cities like London and Paris are.

I still think New York is an amazing place despite the glitches and disappointments. There are so many, many more places that need to be explored. Haven’t had a chance to check out the other neighbourhoods like Greenwich, SoHo, TriBeCa and Little Italy. Not too gutted on missing Chinatown though.

Would have love to visit Lombardi’s, the Shake Shack and Katz Deli where they filmed the infamous fake orgasm scene in “When Harry meet Sally”, maybe catch a taping of Rikki Lake or David Letterman or go on the Sex and the City tour (alas, kids not allowed so those were struck off the list).

I would also love to do more shopping especially since the pound is £1 : $2 and checked out Bloomingdales and Century 21 more properly. Ah well, we covered a lot of ground in the little time we had. Perhaps if there is a next time, I would save more money to stay somewhere more central and go on an all-girlie holiday to NY.