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My siblings and I spent Labor Day weekend getting a taste of what Manhattan has to offer.
September 19, 2019
I felt the magic of New York City.
I now understand why so many people—with different tastes, styles and aspirations—feel the draw of this city.
New York has the chaos that accompanies a big city: people hustling and bustling below and within shimmering skyscrapers and the electric draw of Times Square illuminating the city’s nightlife, empowering the ability to never sleep.
But New York also has a serene side, with cafés nestled between shady trees in historic brownstone townhouses of the Upper West Side—like the café where Kathleen Kelly waited reading with a rose for the man she didn’t wan’t to be Joe Fox.
For me, the magic of New York City was experiencing the historic and touristy sites I’ve only read about and seen in movies, the vast collection of art and architecture, and the little details that captured the soul of the city.
Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
We found out too late that you could buy tickets to go up into her crown (they were booked 3 months out), but were able to get tickets that allowed us up in her stone pedestal.
Ellis Island
Ellis Island
The tickets also got us access to Ellis Island, on which the main building is now a museum and research center where you can search for your ancestors that might have walked through that very building.
Buildings
Buildings
Empire State Building
Empire State Building
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station
World Trade Center
World Trade Center
Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building
Rockefeller Building
Rockefeller Building
Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
Churches
Churches
Other buildings
Other buildings
Bridges
Bridges
After walking the Brooklyn Bridge, we spent the day in Brooklyn visiting fleas markets and gorging ourselves on pastrami and whatever else struck our fancy at Smorgasburg.
Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
Libraries
Libraries
New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Morgan Library
Morgan Library
Museums
Museums
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Guggenheim
Museum
Guggenheim
Museum
We also did the Tenement Museum, which I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. Themed walking tours (we did the Irish Outsiders) offered a taste of what life was like for immigrant and migrant families in New York during the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s a little something different if you’re not in the mood for Matisse or modern art.
Parks
Parks
The parks were one of my favorite things about New York City. The little pockets of escape created a brisk transition from the beautiful but angular buildings to the soft quiet of nature.
Street art
Street art
Finding art installed in unexpected places always brings a little more delight to the day.
To look behind me on the street and see a cute STIK figure peeking around an old building, colorful tiles twinkling elegantly along a grungy subway station, or a happy hippo posing sweetly on the sidewalk in her ballerina garb.
City wandering
City wandering
While wandering, I noticed some little details or moments (I’m a fan of little moments) that I thought captured the everyday magic of New York City.
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