Ah New York.... The crowds, the smog, the noise, the constant bustle, those ever-present yellow cabs...
But perhaps the most adventurous part of being in New York is finding an apartment. The rent is astronomical and the spaces are tiny. For those searching for flats, Craig´s List is the holy grail. I, unfortunately, had little luck with the website and after weeks of scouring rental ads, I came to hate Craig - whoever he is. Ultimately, though, I was incredibly lucky to be refered to a fabulous one-bedroom in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, just a short hop from Manhattan.
Despite a few drawbacks, New York is one dynamic city. Working for the Clinton Foundation (the purpose of my stay) was a rewarding experience, particularly the opportunity to meet Bill Clinton and to play a small part in the 2007 Clinton Global Initiative. I was reduced to a starstruck child as I watched Clinton discussing critical social issues together with Desmond Tutu, Al Gore and the Prime Minister of Afghanistan. What a thrill!
Erwin and I spent a fun several weeks touring around New York. Erwin can proudly boast that he´s seen just about every neighbourhood in Manhattan, mostly on foot! Our favourite place has to be Katz´s Deli - the one made famous by the film When Harry Met Sally. Renowned for its pastrami on rye sandwiches, Katz´s is the only place in town where the rich and famous rub shoulders with authentic New Yorkers (if there is such a thing).
Our favourite spots:
- Katz´s Deli
- The hip Chelsea Market: great shops and restaurants and unusual architecture
- Restaurant 202: a cafe/ restaurant and designer store combined, located next to the Chelsea Market
- Central Park: a great place to hang out in summer and winter
- The Empire State Building: grand views of the city
- The Brooklyn Bridge: walking the bridge (which we did twice) is so special because of its historical importance to New York and the great view of Manhattan
- East Mountain Sports: an outdoor store in SoHo where we spent a lot of money preparing for our world trip; we spent so much time there that we were on a first-name basis with almost every staff member!
