Medieval Manhattan? The Cloisters

Living in Europe, when friends and colleagues ask me what to see on their visit to New York, I always get the odd look when I say to spend part of one day exploring ‘medieval Manhattan’. As Europeans know all too well, American history is remarkably short. But money can buy almost anything, as the…

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Cool down in Central Park’s Lasker pool

For those of you have visited New York in the summer, you’ll know that summer in the city can get awfully hot. The (illegal) way kids used to cool down was to tamper with the fire hydrants. Luckily, that practice is long gone, and children’s playgrounds now offer water park areas. My kids are always…

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Skyscraper tourism: Top of the Rock, New York

I’ve already let slip about my love of skyscrapers, and I’ve posted about skyscraper tourism for Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. So now it’s time to return to the original city of skyscrapers – New York City. Although the Empire State Building is more famous (and I’ll write about…

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Dinosaur BBQ, New York City

Okay, so Manhattan barbeque joints probably aren’t the first thing to spring to mind for most visitors to New York. But whenever we’re back in New York, my kids insist that we go back to eat at Dinosaur Bar-b-que, a popular Harlem restaurant and Columbia University hangout. Sometimes we eat there, and sometimes we get takeout…

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New York covered in snow

When my family and I go back to New York, it’s generally in the summertime when we all can manage longer holidays. But two years ago, we did go back during the winter and enjoyed a big blizzard that stopped the subways from running and had one of the most beautiful cities in the world covered in piles of…

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A car-free stroll on New York’s High Line

Garden strolls and a chance to feel at one with nature are always in demand in big cities like New York. New York’s High Line is an unlikely place to find a car-free environment where you can stroll, observe the city and river views, admire the landscape architecture and relax on lounging chairs ideal for…

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Why writing is like performing live at the Apollo

Okay, so some of you may not know the Apollo theater  in New York. The theater began its life in 1914, as a burlesque hall. It closed in 1933, when then Mayor La Guardia began shutting down burlesque shows in the city. But in 1934, the theatre re-opened as the Apollo, catering to Harlem’s growing African-American…

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The Intrepid – Visit New York’s aircraft carrier

New York City is home when we’re back in the States, and there’s certainly never a shortage of things to do. One a recent trip back to New York, we made a visit to the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier-museum docked permanently in New York’s Hudson River. The USS Intrepid had a long career spanning…

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