OK, let’s establish some ground rules. It’s called the City, not Manhattan. And under no circumstance should you ever say New York City. Yes, we know some New Yorkers do take things a bit too far and say they are from the City even when they are visiting relatives in Tulsa - where the nickname really loses its luster.

Whatever it is you are trying to do while you’re in the City, do it quickly and get out of the way. That applies to ordering at the deli (where do you think the Soup Nazi idea came from?), riding the escalators, crossing the street or buying a paper. Things have a faster pace up here and people like it that way. This City will eat you alive if you don’t prepare properly.

But even with all of the millions of people scurrying around, you can still blend into the madness and fit right in. That’s because everyone is too busy to notice you as they race to the subways, run to catch the ferries, or fight for a cab. New York has a “kick you in the teeth” attitude that can make you feel satisfied when you actually accomplish something. And, you know you earned it because you’ve just navigated thru all the madness. Here’s a local tip so don’t sound like a tourist when you are downtown- it’s pronounced “How-Stin” even though it is spelled like Houston. SoHo means south of Houston - now go figure out NoHo on your own.

Immerse yourself in the City, with all it has to offer, and you’ll understand why it’s like no other place on earth. The diversity, the energy, the attitude - you can find anything and everything in the City that never (EVER) sleeps. There’s always a new neighborhood to explore, another restaurant to try, another club to dance at, and another bar to drink in.

Dreams have been realized here since the first settlers and you can feel that same spirit as you walk the streets of each neighborhood. Where else can you see millionaires mingling seamlessly with the working class? From munching on their morning bagels to singing along with Frank Sinatra at the end of the Yankees game, New Yorkers share the local pride. Maybe it’s because everyone has one thing in common - they’ve all lived in that 300 square foot studio apartment and paid $2000 a month for it. And why does everyone say their address like it’s the most regal location in the known universe?

NYC was built (and still runs) on its neighborhoods. You’ll find that each has its own character, so get out and explore. People from all walks of life are really what make this place so special.

Restaurants

New York has so many types of food - from American to Japanese, from French to Asian - you can find anything and everything in this City. Where else can you walk down the street and smell the aromas from innumerable food stands that line the streets and the kitchens that pack them in every night? The diversity of NYC is unparalleled to any other. Here are some of our favorites:

Gascogne: If you can’t make it out to Paris, make sure you can find your way to this charming French bistro in the city’s Chelsea district. With French-speaking waiters, indoor/outdoor seating and culinary indulgences, this place can make you forget you’re in NYC! The escargots and foie gras are always a pleaser! Gascogne is located on Eighth Ave. (Between 17th & 18th Streets).

B-Bar and Grill (formerly Bowery Bar): A popular summertime setting with indoor/outdoor ambiance, B-Bar is great for summer drinks and dinner on the patio. The place is known to draw A-listers and occasional celebrities. The grill offers delicious appetizers and the calamari & popcorn shrimp are always a great choice! B Bar is located on East 4th & Bowery.

Per Se: You’ll go running down the streets in glee after dining here (located at 10 Columbus Circle, between 58th and 59th Sts.). With a French-New American menu that changes daily, this pricey culinary experience is a worthwhile treat for your senses (the dishes are as delicious as they are colorful). Whatever you do, begin your meal with the “Oysters and Pears” and make sure you save enough room for the “Coffee and Doughnuts” dessert.

Il Mulino:This is the epitome of an Old New York hangout, the restaurant boasts some of the best Italian food you’ll ever eat. Located in the West Village (on 86 W. Third St., between Sullivan & Thompson and near NYU), the place is small, crowded & quite loud, but the food makes it all worth while. Bring your appetite (portions are big enough to feed a small country) and your wallet.

Dos Caminos (Soho): With made-to-order guacamole and some of the best margaritas in town (in addition to more than 150 tequila selections), you can’t go wrong with the city’s top Mexican spot. With indoor and outdoor seating options, this place brings the fiesta downtown! Dos Caminos is located at West Broadway & Houston (along with a location on Park Avenue and a Midtown location opening in Fall ‘06).

Jean Georges: It’s simple, French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten can’t get it wrong (ever!) This restaurant, inside the Trump International Hotel, is as sophisticated as it is superb. Located off Columbus Circle (1 Central Park West, between 60th and 61st Sts.), this divine masterpiece offers a formal dining room, more casual cafe and an outdoor terrace for those cool summer nights. Don’t you dare leave without sampling the baby scallops and the four-part citrus tasting.

Babbo: Who doesn’t love Mario Batali? With its trademark pasta tasting menu, make sure you aren’t watching your waistline when you arrive at this two-story townhouse. You’ll find that the simplest ingredients have never tasted so good! Everything is tasty but we fancy the ravioli with beef cheeks and the goat cheese tortellini. Reservations are a must. Babbo is located at 110 Waverly Pl., between 6th Ave. and MacDougal.

Una Pizza Napoletana: Seriously, who needs Italy? This is, by far, the best pizza in the City - “The Best, Jerry…the best.” Each bite is light, fragrant and oh-so delish! The buffalo mozzarella is shipped directly from Italy and pairs nicely with the finger-licking-good basil-infused tomato sauce. Una Pizza (349 E. 12th St., between 1st and 2nd Aves.) is not to be missed.

Bouchon Bakery: Located on Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Building, this casual French Boulangerie is anything but plain. You’ll find everything from mouth-watering fresh croissants, to good-ol’ PB&J sandwiches. This place has the best tuna fish sandwich we’ve ever had. And, did we mention they make their own hand-made chocolates?

Momofuku Noodle Bar: If you need a quick ramen fix - this is your spot. Just be prepared to wait (they don’t take reservations). And, if you don’t mind getting packed in like sardines and eating thigh-to-thigh with your fellow patrons - find your way to this amazing noodle bar. The three-variety steamed buns (pork, chicken or shitake) are worth the trip and the wait. Momofuku is located at 163 First Ave. (at 10th St.).

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So I am sitting here back in my office and I want to bring our last 2 days in New York City to paper. Considering that the weather forecast for Saturday was pretty bad (rain and maximum temperatures of 13 degrees C), the day turned out much nicer than expected.

Surrounded mostly by Caribbean retail outlets, we got a headstart by walking down Flatbush Avenue in the heart of Brooklyn. At Avenue U we grabbed a bus to the west end of Coney Island and started walking along the boardwalk.

When you come from Toronto you associate the term “Boardwalk” with a nice upscale residential neighbourhood, mature trees, manicured lawns, Victorian houses, well maintained playgrounds, tennis clubs etc. Well, the boardwalk in Coney Island is just a little different.

Essentially it is a very wide beach with a wooden boardwalk, made up of 5 sections of wooden planks laid down in a different orientation, probably 15 to 20 m wide, that is surrounded by a large number of low rental apartment buildings. There are huge parking lots for school buses, and all the buildings are closed off with high fences so residents and visitors only have access through the main streets to get to the boardwalk.

Then you reach the main drag around Key Span Park, home to the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team. Just a bit further east is the Astroland Amusement Park where the more than 75 years old “Cyclone” roller coaster is still giving kids a thrill. Right in front of it are a few huts with food, including the famous “Nathan’s Hot Dogs” (”Since 1916″, the taste wasn’t actually as famous as you might think..), and various fast food and amusement booths (”Shoot The Freak - Live Human Targets” paintball).

The area to the west of this park had a bit of a desolate feel, but from the Amusement Park on eastwards towards Brighton Beach we started to see more pedestrians strolling about, people sitting down and reading on benches… By this time the weather had warmed up nicely and the locals were enjoying the outdoors.

We headed up from the Brighton Beach boardwalk into the local neighbourhood, also called Brighton Beach, or more informally “Little Odessa”, due to the large number of Russian Immigrants. The stores, delis and hairdressing shops underneath the elevated subway tracks were humming with shoppers, a very lively neighbourhood.

Then we decided it was time to explore Harlem. Encouraged by our Greeter’s comments yesterday, we figured Harlem these days was safe enough to go and explore on our own without any fear for our safety.

Sure enough, just like moles we popped up at Broadway & 145th Street and walked all the way south to 103rd Street and Harlem sure felt pretty much like any other neighbourhood in NYC. The historic apartment buildings looked like they were in pretty good shape, the streets were quite clean, lots of local Black and Latin residents were ambling around on the streets or hanging out with friends in front of buildings, the whole area seemed quite well kept and did not have a dangerous or dingy feel to it. At 3333 Broadway we were awestruck by a public housing project consisting of 5 huge apartment block towers, up to 35 stories high, and we tried to figure out just how many thousands of people would be living in just this one complex. Along this stretch we actually saw lots of older apartment towers, but viewed from the street, everything looked pretty orderly.

Both my husband and I remember New York City very differently. We had both been there more than 10, 15 years ago, and New York City had a distinct edge, tons of graffiti, dirty streets with lots of litter, people occasionally giving you some questionable looks.

The contrast between then and now is amazing. We have literally ridden subway trains, buses and ferries all over New York City, and we were hard pressed to find candy wrappers in any public vehicles, streets were clean, as a matter of fact we saw tons of cleaning crews cleaning up street debris. And most importantly, we always felt safe and comfortable, and we were out sometimes in public transit until close to midnight.

Now that doesn’t mean that crime doesn’t exist, as evidenced by the little incident on the Staten Island bus on Thursday, but overall, in our opinion at least, New York City seems to have lost a lot of its grime, dirt and threatening air, and we did indeed explore huge areas of Queens, Brooklyn, Harlem, Staten Island and Manhattan, so I figure we have gotten a pretty good overview.

Further south we checked out the Campus of Columbia University and had a nice little dinner in a Mexican restaurant on Broadway, called Nachos. Broadway south of Columbia University has a very upscale feel to it, with lots of designer store windows, French-inspired bistros, whole or gourmet food outlets. Some parts with outdoor patios almost have a Parisian feel to it.

Later that evening at dusk we took a bus down to Columbus Circle where we were awed by Time Warners Corporate Headquarters, which are flanked on the right by the glitzy Trump International Hotel & Tower. Then, after a little walk through southern Central Park, past the glitzy lit up Tavern on the Green (soups from $15 and up….), we were off to pick up a few souvenirs, and we finally managed to find the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where David Letterman entertains his global audience with his late-night sarcasm and wit. Wading our way through a throng of people (mostly tourists) we finally got on a subway near Times Square that was crammed with late night party goers.

About 45 minutes later we plopped into bed, exhausted, from another day with about 4 to 5 hours of urban trekking.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions(http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest(http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey

New York City is known for many things - the bright lights of Broadway, fine cuisine and corner vendors, glamour and excitement. Yet for those interested in the paranormal and unexplained, the Big Apple may very well be renamed the Big Haunt.

Once you’ve seen the popular sights the city has to offer, why not take a trip down the eerie side of the city many call home…years after they have departed? If you’re in the mood for a frightfully fun stay in New York, and can’t wait until the Halloween, the city is not without yearlong otherworldly charm.

Certain times of the year, Merchant’s House Museum presents ghost tours and lectures on various topics, including the art of dying. If you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of any of the curious spirits known to wander the property.

It’s said, too, that spirits haunt the Hotel Chelsea, and that the ghost of Dylan Thomas (who died after drinking too many spirits at the White Horse Tavern) haunts the pub to this day. Of course, he was taken to the Chelsea after collapsing outside the pub, so maybe he’s pulling double duty?

Did you hear the one, too, about the Ziegfield Follies showgirl who haunts the New Amsterdam theater? Many have claimed to see Olive Thomas strutting the stage in her beaded costume.

The ghost of Roxy Rothafel is said to haunt the theatre he built, Radio City Music Hall, and various members of the Algonquin Hotel’s Vicious Circle are rumored to have continued their stay at their favorite table and elsewhere in the hotel.

If you’re interested in more contemporary ghosts, it’s said the ghost of John Lennon has been seen outside the Dakota, where he was fatally shot.

When you do decide to come to New York, the ghosts are waiting. Hop in a limo and you just might see a few wandering around Manhattan.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance travel writer who writes professionally for many travel bureau and travel company websites, including NYCLimousine.com.

Before you embark on your New York journey read about the hotels that will make your stay a memorable one.
The Library in Midtown Manhattan

The Library Hotel is more ‘literati’ than ‘glitterati’: more private club than hotel. Each of the ten guestrooms is dedicated to one of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System: Social Sciences, Literature, Languages, History, Math & Science, General Knowledge, Technology, Philosophy, The Arts and Religion. Each of the sixty rooms is individually designed with a collection of art and books relevant to one distinctive topic within the category of floor it belongs to. Guests may request their room based on their personal interests. The Writer’s Den with its skyline views and the Poetry Garden, a sparkling green house, are perfect places to relax and absorb this culture.

Tips:

Access to the hotel’s video library of the American Film Institutes top 100 films — Monday through Saturday there’s a complimentary wine and cheese reception — For the night time players, magical nights await you at the Bookmarks Lounge on the 14th floor, which serve signature cocktails like the Great Gatsby and the Capote.

Sofitel New York in the Manhattan area
The contemporary 30-story Sofitel New York, represents the French art of living through its d

New York is arguably the premier city for American art; its variety of eclectic galleries always provides something for the art lover, whether you’re a fan of impressionism or post-modern sculpture. Some of New York’s most famous galleries are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art and, perhaps most famously, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).

MOMA first opened its doors in 1929 and has been the toast of the modern art world ever since. The first New York gallery to dedicate itself solely to modern art - though it was closely followed by the opening of the Guggenheim in 1936 - MOMA’s first director, Alfred H. Barr Jr. soon realised the gallery’s potential as an outlet for new forms of modernist art. Barr commented:

“This museum is a torpedo moving through time, its head the ever-advancing present, its tail the ever-receding past of 50 to 100 years ago.”

Nearly 80 years on this still seems to be a very accurate summary of MOMA’s ambitions and aims. Its current collection houses some of the art world’s most infamous pieces, including works by iconic American painters Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, as well as those by celebrated international artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo. Furthermore, its photography collection is one of the most important in the world hosting works by important photographers like Cindy Sherman and Andreas Gursky.

While the stature of its art collection is staggering, one of the main reasons that MOMA has remained so important today is its intriguing architectural landscape. Since 1929, the museum has shifted its location four times - three of those in its first year - before moving to its present permanent home between 5th and 6th Avenue. Between 2002 and 2004, MOMA was closed for renovation, while its building was designed and re-imagined by Yoshio Taniguchi. Taniguchi is the celebrated Japanese architect, also responsible for Tokyo’s Nagano Prefectural Museum and the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures at the Tokyo National Museum.

When MOMA re-opened in November 2004, Taniguchi’s redesign was initially very controversial; however, it has since been lauded as one of New York’s most interesting landmarks and upheld as a bold example of contemporary architecture, making MOMA in itself a piece of art that visitors can enjoy. MOMA is certainly an essential point to visit when you’re on a trip to New York; its optimum location means that visitors will find plenty of great hotels near the gallery, such as the luxury Waldorf Astoria, through to other slightly less lavish accomodation options for the budget conscious. So make sure you visit MOMA on your next trip to New York - your understanding of the American and international modern art world will never be the same again.

Andrew Regan is an online journalist who enjoys socialising at his local rugby club.