This is a very late post as it is now the end of March and we went to New York back at the start of Feb but finally had a long bus journey to get caught up on el-Bloggo.
The impromptu trip was down to me having to go for work and then flying Nat out to meet me given flights are pretty cheap in Feb. I therefore arrived 'sans Nat'.
Never tire of this sight as you cross the Manhattan Bridge.
It's a beautiful day in New York and great view from the hotel. We are staying in the Mondrian in Soho again as it is such a cool hotel with a great bar, and still one of the best value ones I have found in NYC which is damn expensive for hotels now!
That evening we managed to get a table at L'Esquina for dinner. I love this place but have failed to get a table at the last 4 attempts but got lucky tonight. It is such a cool, hidden restaurant. You enter through a door in the back of an old fully functional and open fast food joint. Once past the bouncer sat on a stool in the far corner you make your way downstairs, through the fully functional kitchen until you reach the dimly lit bar and restaurant.
http://www.esquinanyc.com
The next morning work gets in the way of fun as have a few meetings at Pfizer but once they are out the way we hit a few bars in mid town.
Spotted a Bean counter on the way though... And then got told off for taking a picture of a cash machine!! Only in America!
The good ship Chrysler.
Quick beer in Grand Central to get out of the freezing cold.
Centre point.. I mean the Met Life building.
Nice view back up down of the Empire State as we stop off in Union Square Cafe for a quick beer on the way back to the hotel.
They were filming some police show outside our hotel - busting some prostitutes!! Felt very sorry for them in their mini skirts in absolutely Baltic conditions.
That evening we head to the MeatPacking and after a few table tennis games in the Standard Biergarten (one of my fave bars in New York) we head to Tao Downtown for dinner which had recently opened. It is a really cool, buzzing restaurant and a lot more convenient than the uptown!
http://taodowntown.com/mobile/
And the best part of the night was getting back to that hotel to find a Mrs Bean here in bed asleep, having arrived at midnight. She was unimpressed with me waking her up drunk and then keeping her awake with my drunken snoring though!
The next morning we wake up early to a gorgeous sunrise.
We start then day with a nice Starbies tea and bagel for breakfast and head out for a day of exploring and wandering around NYC - one of our favourate past times.
We start off exploring TriBeCa and then have a wander up through Greenwich Village up to the MeatPacking district ton wall the High Line. Before we do that we have a meander through the wodmerful Chelsea market
Feeling hungry after passing all the gorgeous food stalls we head for the start of the High Line underneath the Standard Hotel.
I do love this 5 or so km walk along an old railway track, high above the streets of the city. It's such a good idea and innovative use of the space.
Met this fella on the way.
By this point we were absolutely freezing. It has a wind chill of minus 15 today and our faces are literally falling off so we jump into a taxi and head for our first beer of the day in our good old guilt pleasure; Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square.
Had never seen a headline from the day John Lennon was shot.
Back above ground it is an absolutely beautiful but cold day.
After a good explore of mid town including Times Square, Bryant Park etc we jump in a cab back to the hotel stopping for one in our old favourite on the way - Fanelli's in Soho. We have had many a good beer in here over the years.
That evening we eat at a lovely little place called the Lion in the West Village but are pretty tired (me hung over and Nat jet lagged) so have one at the hotel bar and call it a night.
http://www.thelionnyc.com
Fresh from a relatively early night we are up easily again and head out for a run. Luckily it isn't as cold this morning as I do a great 12km run across the Brooklyn Bridge and back and then around the southern tip of Manhattan past Battery Park, the world trade centre and back up to the hotel. Great way to start the day.
We then walk down to the trade centre as were hoping the new Freedom Tower viewing platform is now open but it isn't for a few more weeks. The place is really coming along since my last visit with the new station taking shape nicely.
Cool under passage from the station to One World Trade Centre (aka the Freedom Tower).
Nat's handy work...
We then walk back up through Tribeca and stop for a spot of lunch and a few beers at AOA Bar and Grill which was very nice and had a fantastic beer menu.
We spend the rest of the day on a bit of a pub crawl around Soho, stopping off at 4-5 bars (Broome Street Bar, Rouge and Canon, Thunder Jacksons (good dive bar), the Dutch etc) including watching the sunset at my absolutely favourate New York bar - the Jimmy and the James Hotel.
Cracking views from the roof terrace of the hotel.
After a good few drinks here we head to be hotel to change before dinner at the gorgeous Public restaurant. This was a really cool restaurant with great food. I will definitely be returning here.
http://public-nyc.com
Last day and we are up early again. We check out and then head to Balthazar for breakfast. This place is always heaving. It was literally full at 9:30am on a Sunday morning.
We then did the norm and walked the 7km from Soho right to Central Park passing my fave building on the way (the Flat Iron Building)... Sneaking up behind her.
Cloud is clearing so we can just about make out the Empire State.
There she blows...
After a good explore and a beer in the new Refinery hotel (which apparently has a great roof top bar that unfortunately wasn't open so we had a drink downstairs) we head back to Soho and have one last beer in Manhattan in Spring Lounge (another fave).
Then it was off to Williamsburg to see Jennie on the way back to JFK. We meet for lunch at the wonderful Wythe Hotel which is new since the last time we were here. Williamsburg was cool last time we visited but it's gentrification has continued to march on and it really is a vibrant and cool place now full of great bars and restaurants.
http://wythehotel.com
And most importantly... The Brooklyn Brewery. Last time I left this place I was rather worse for wear and couldn't even remember dinner that evening!!
A big fire had torn through this paper processing factory the week before and it was still smoking!
After lunch we head upstairs to the very cool bar which on a normal day would give a panoramic view of Manhattan. Not today though due to the thick cloud.
A very nice end to a great, but short, trip. We then head to the airport where, as the gent that I am, I offer Nat my business class seat home! (To be fair she is going straight to work when we land on Monday morning so only fair!). So long New York - we never tire of this place. Until next time... which will hopefully be very soon!
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Now as this is my first actual post about New York in all of my 12+ times of visiting and I often get asked for recommendations I thought I would include them here... So here goes... This is my "best of the best" for bars, restaurants and things to do in New York...
Bars
- The Jimmy - on top of the James Hotel, great rooftop bar with fantastic views of downtown / one world trade centre.
- 230 Fifth - the place to drink in summer. Amazing rooftop bar with great view of Empire State.
- Ganesvoort in Meat Packing and Park Avenue (roof top bars). *NB on he rooftop of the MeatPacking one is where I popped the big question to the then future Mrs B!!). Go see where the magic happened! ;-)
- Fanelli's - one of our fave's, small old style bar in Soho
- Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel - really cool bar, can be difficult to get into but well worth it.
- Back Room Bar (LES) - secret bar down a hidden alley way which is designed to be like an old fashioned British lounge. Cocktail are served in tea cups and beer in mugs.
- Birreria - great roof top bar near the flatiron. Need to enter via the food store below. Great hidden place.
- PDT (please don't tell) it's in a hot dog joint called Criffs dogs, go into phone booth and dial zero, a secret door will open into PDT!
- Spring Lounge - good boozer with juke box.
- Broome St Bar - another good boozer.
Restaurants
- L'Esquina - if you can get in! Looks like a take away shop, a guy will lead you in a secret door to the coolest restaurant ever!
- Standard Grill - Standard Hotel MeatPacking. Biergarten next door (part of same place) is an awesome place for beers and table tennis!
- Public - amazing food but with a really cool laid back atmosphere. In Soho.
- Beauty and Essex - looks like a pawn shop, another secret door type arrangement!!
- WD50 (LES) NYC's answer to Heston, Wylie Dufreses takes you on a journey of molecular gastronomy in his cool restaurant in lower east side.
- Schillers (LES)
- Balthazar is an absolute must for brunch (or Pastis in MeatPacking if it is reopen). Both are institutions!
- Tao Downtown uber cool Asian restaurant.
- Buddakan - Amazing pan Asian food and a epic interiors to match.
- Spice Market - MeatPacking.
Things to do
- Walk the high line starting in Meat Packing district
- Chelsea Market, MeatPacking. Enter opposite Tao Downtown. Great food stalls in a cool old converted warehouse.
- MOMA for a drop of culture
- Visit Brooklyn Brewery and explore Williamsburg, lots of cool bars. Very cool area.
- Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and have a beer at the River Cafe under the bridge
- Top of the Rock (best viewing platform on top of a sky scraper. Far better than Empire State)
Hotels
- Mondrian Soho is a top hotel and one I find the best value. Great bar in it as well. We usually stay here when in NYC.
- MeatPacking Park Avenue - nice (small) pool on roof.
- Would recommend the Wythe in Brooklyn, we are yet to stay there but visited recently and is a great alternative to staying in Manhattan in a great and vibrant area.
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