Photos and words by Joe Motheral
A visit to New York City can be a refreshing eye opener. The city that never sleeps has reawakened, buzzing with traffic and pedestrians. All restaurants seem to have reopened, since the pandemic shutdowns, as have the shops and museums and, importantly, Broadway.
At first glance it’s the skyscrapers that stand like a field of unique shaped spikes reaching into the sky. It’s a rewarding scene that invites interest and curiosity.
Fellow tourists from Texas who said they regularly visit New York City, said, “We found the vibe totally back. Lots of sidewalk dining and service vehicles have the streets ever more clogged than usual. I would describe it (as) loud and wonderful, in a word — electric.”
We arrived by train from Washington, D.C., and a taxi took us to Brooklyn to friends from Israel at their apartment. Crossing the Manhattan Bridge gave us a view of the famous Brooklyn Bridge that opened in 1883, the largest suspension bridge at the time.
We traipsed all over the city via Uber, taxis and the subway. In Manhattan, we took in the Museum of Arts and Design and admired handmade jewelry, weaving, glasswork and porcelain. We were able to have a tasty lunch at Robert, the restaurant on the top floor of the museum.
Dinner was at the famous Tavern on the Green in Manhattan. The tavern was built in the 1880s in a sheep field, now Central Park. The restaurant has lots of outdoor seating and was packed. The servers hustled to deliver dinners and beverages. Diners in our group had beef, salmon and chicken dishes—all given high marks. Central Park was alive with horse drawn carriages, picnickers, tour groups and people wandering among the green grass and foliage.
On another evening we dined at Pinch, a restaurant in Chinatown and feasted on Peking Duck. Chinatown also was flooded with people engaged in shopping, sightseeing and dining.
We toured the 9/11 Memorial and Museum that stands out as a recount of that tragic day in 2001. The museum’s artifacts consist of remnants of the North and South Towers: twisted metal columns, concrete walls and foundations showing the extent of the damage. There were heartbreaking details of the attack that led to more than 3,000 American deaths.
Adjacent to the memorial is the building known as Edge — at the top, there is a glass cantilevered platform that offers spectacular views of New York City. What better way to capsulize ones visit to the city that never sleeps.
