New York City: Observations and recommendations

I first visited New York in 2024, and those few rain-drenched days left a deep impression on me. I did my lap of the usual tourist sights, but my affection for the place lay elsewhere. Something excited me about the city at street level - an inspirational energy that I couldn’t quite articulate. Returning in 2025 and knowing what to expect, I was determined to find the words.

Yet… I couldn’t, even now. New York still fascinates me. It’s one of the few places I’d consider leaving London for. But my search for a grand narrative to tie it to my own values and motivations came up short. My feelings are as complex as the city itself, and I’m yet to stay long enough to do it justice.

Observations

What I did gather was a series of notes - smaller observations about what sets New York apart, and thoughts that occurred to me as I wandered the streets:

• We all know New York is tall, but until you visit you might not realise what tiny footprints many buildings have. Manhattan’s constraints put a premium on land, and it’s more cost effective to build upwards. My hotel squeezed only five tiny rooms onto each of its 26 floors.

• Speaking of buildings, the city is proof that we used to know how to design beautiful architecture, and there’s as much to be found by looking up as there is by looking out. The modern glass towers are encroaching, but thankfully there are still plenty of buildings in older styles to break it up. Bonus tip: If you visit the Statue of Liberty, look for the alternative pedestal designs in the museum, the most unique of which incorporates elements inspired by ancient Egypt.

• Even business-focused areas like the Financial District feel lived in. Go out on a Sunday morning and you’ll see people walking their dogs and grabbing coffee. I’m sure their apartments cost ridiculous sums, but these signs of life are a stark contrast to the City of London, which becomes a ghost town whenever the commuters are away.

• Once you get your head around it and know which way to count, the US grid plan system makes navigation a breeze. Most subway lines traverse Manhattan longitudinally, so the street numbers in the station names serve as a reassuring progress bar to confirm you’re moving in the right direction and didn’t overshoot your destination.

• The flat fare of $2.90 (£2.15) per subway journey works better than Transport for London’s attempts to track journey length and charge accordingly. It has the triple effect of being cheaper overall, making budgeting easier, and encouraging walking over short distances.

• Maybe there’s some confirmation bias at play, but even visiting the city on leisure, New York felt cutting edge. Part of this was down to atmosphere, but in some cases technology was just more prominent than in London. Downtown, near the World Trade Center, I even saw entire branded walkways pushing AI large language models (Claude) to passers by. The prevailing opinion online is that San Francisco makes Wall Street look prehistoric by comparison, so I hope I can visit the east coast sometime. It might just blow my mind.

Recommendations

If you’re visiting New York for the first time, you’ll almost certainly go to see Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge. So I’ll omit the obvious destinations in favour of some less common highlights:

• The Intrepid Museum might not be top of your sightseeing list, but it’s well worth the walk from the subway. The aircraft carrier’s flight deck hosts a selection of planes and a Space Shuttle, but most exciting was a walk-through tour of its Cold War era submarine, the Growler.

• Book Off is one of my favourite Japanese chains, with shelves full of second-hand video games, Blu-rays, and books. The New York branch in Midtown isn’t quite as well-stocked, but is still a worth visit. Also see Videogamesnewyork in the East Village for a similar feel.

• Adrienne’s Pizzabar in the Financial District might have “pizza” in its name, but its lasagne earned my repeat custom. Seriously, I’d been thinking about that dish since my first New York trip last year.

• Nearby Leo’s Bagels will set you back, but honestly serves the best bagels I’ve ever tasted. Beyond the quality of the food, I was amazed how quickly we were served in the chaos of the lunchtime rush.

• As a more everyday option, Starbucks has a far more extensive food menu in the US. My go-to is the double-smoked bacon, cheddar, and egg sandwich, which wraps the aforementioned ingredients in a croissant-like bun. Delicious, even if it is a mouthful to order.