New York. A city I've visited more times than I can count, and a destination that is good that they named it twice. This trip really didn't feel like a vacation (even though it was,) and I guess I've got to the point where I know it so well that visiting the city now feels like catching up with an old friend!
In town for a mix of business and pleasure, the temperatures were in the high twenties (the eighties for my lovely American readers,) when I arrived, but slowly, and wonderfully dipped to a more acceptable fall climate.
On the first full day, we woke up early and headed to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum for an early access tour. Visiting the Museum and paying my respects has been something that I have wanted to do for a long time, and seeing the new World Trade Center complex was a restorative experience. Booking a place on the early access tour is something I would highly recommend. You start your tour at 815am, an hour before the Museum is open to the general public which allows you to see artefacts and experience the exhibitions before it gets busy. Our guide Victor was exceptional, and made the tour even more poignant and powerful.
The tour and the Museum is moving and emotional, and powerfully transports you back to the events of that awful day in September. Only 12 at the time, this experience made me realize that I am likely one of the few youngest of generations who will truly remember the events of 9/11. This makes the Museum and Memorial even more important to honour the victims, heroes, first responders, families and friends.
We didn't visit the observatory of One World Trade Center, and I think that I will be unlikely to in the future. The new tower is awesome in its size and presence, the design echoing elements of the original towers and rising to new heights. It's a beautiful building to look at and I imagine being inside looking out at New York and further afield would also be a special experience.
The rest of my trip was filled with meetings (including a trip to Tory Burch HQ!) and catching up with friends. But I also made time to revisit some of my favourite New York sites including Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Station, Central Park, the Met (the Psycho house roof installation was awesome,) Flatiron and Brooklyn. A bracing walk across Brooklyn Bridge was the main part of our final day in the city - and braving the cold was well worth it!
Take a taxi or a ride on the Subway to Brooklyn Heights (getting off at City Hall or Borough Market) and walk along Brooklyn Heights to take in the magnificent skyline of Lower Manhattan. Soak up the walk back into Manhattan over the Bridge, it truly is a special view.
Along with stock up stops at my favourite shops (J.Crew, Ann Taylor, LOFT, Banana Republic, Target and CVS!) it was nice to spend some R&R time in New York. I'll be back next year!
Check out some more of my photos from my New York trip
here.
