Armed with a handful of Peanut Butter M&M’s, this week has seen me return to normality after spending four nights in New York. Thank you all for your anniversary wishes. James and I had a fab time and so I wanted to share a few of my favourite moments from the trip.

Unusual Transport Is The Way Forward

I guess it’s well known the Staten Island Ferry is the best way to enjoy the Statue of Liberty for free. We managed to bag a spot on the back of the boat coming in to Manhattan to view an impressive sunset in full view rather than through the dirty windows!
Probably a lesser known mode of transport is the Roosevelt Island Tram. Said tram is actually a cable car which you board a couple of blocks from the back of Bloomingdales. The six minute journey costs just one swipe of your Subway MetroCard and takes you above the New York Streets and across the East River to Roosevelt Island. There isn’t much on the island but it’s worth a stroll down the river to see the view of the lower east side of Manhattan. While the Chrysler building often gets eclipsed by the larger Empire State building, you get to appreciate in all its glory from this spot.

Walking Gives You A Brand New View Of The City

Thanks to a fabulous recommendation from RMS reader Faye we spent several hours walking around the East Village and Little Italy on a Mafia Walking Tour. Led by historian Eric Ferrara we visited the haunts of some of the world’s most notorious gangsters. In two hours Eric challenged my whole opinion of the mob lifestyle. It was absolutely fascinating.

There’s More Than One Observation Deck

I went up the Empire State building when I first went to New York back in 2002. Before the latest trip James and I had planned to climb to the Top of the Rock so I could get a different view of the city taking in the sweeping views of Central Park. My photos from 13 years ago have the telltale mesh of the barriers in front of them so I was looking forward to getting snaps with a clearer view from the Rockerfeller Centre. In the end we were awed by the magnificent One World Observatory and abandoned midtown in favour of New York’s newest attraction. The queues were very long but the view was phenomenal. You’re behind glass so sadly the photos don’t come out quite as well as those you’d get from a more open observatory but it was definitely worth a visit.
For a very impressive view with a cocktail in hand, the vista from 230 Fifth rooftop bar is amazing. Though it was absolutely freezing on a cool November night you can wrap up in a throw and sit yourself under a patio heater.

Manhattan Isn’t The Only Borough

We hopped over to Brooklyn for a morning in Williamsburg (which was very, very quiet but I imagine it’s very cool on a bustling Saturday afternoon). We then went across to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) an area I absolutely loved, even though James was mortified when I made him take a few turns on the reclaimed restored merry-go-round Jane’s Carousel. The walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Downtown Manhattan was unforgettable even in the blustery rain.

There’s Green Spaces Galore

We visited on the second week of November which was a little late to enjoy the full splendour of fall, however Central Park still looked stunning. It’s a fab space to escape the bustle of the city and I would have loved to have spent a full day exploring. I’d also give The High Line a huge thumbs-up. This public park is built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. The planting and sculptures along the way are very cool. We nipped into The Cookshop for a delicious brunch and also had a quick scoot around Chelsea Market too.

These are just a few of the things we enjoyed in New York. We walked our socks off, took hundreds of snaps and ate and drank like kings; Our anniversary dinner in Chelsea’s Asian Fusion restaurant Buddakan was really memorable too.
If anyone is off across the pond anytime soon there’s a couple more posts on New York in our archives with lots more reader recommendations too.