Fairytale comes true in New York
A short break in the city that never sleeps is no longer a dream, says Paul Bradley.
If your looking for a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of work then forget about a trip to New York.
But if you’re after a taste of the high life around some of the world’s most iconic sights then jump on the plane to the city that never sleeps.
Nestled between the glamorous boutiques of Fifth Avenue and the awe inspiring snow covered Central Park, my hotel’s location made walking into the street in the morning just like entering a Hollywood movie.
A few blocks south was the Empire State Building which King Kong famously climbed, a short walk past Central Park and you came to the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot dead, and if you ventured a little further you could see the remains of Ground Zero, which still throws up vivid images of 9/11.
Thanks to Continental Airlines, it is now possible to fly to Newark, New Jersey, in around five and a half hours – roughly the same time as flying to Cyprus.
And the beauty of arriving at Newark Airport is that you see the full Manhattan Island skyline as you drive in to the city, before zipping through a tunnel and arriving in the middle of some of the world’s most impressive skyscrapers.
Imagine, leaving Birmingham Airport at 9am and being ready to start knocking back the Cosmopolitan cocktails in a Manhattan bar by midday.
It’s no longer just a dream.
But I knew the cocktails would cost me a limb or two so I opted for the bars with a more homely feel, where a pint of beer only cost $6 (£4.10).
The best place for this was Brooklyn.
I wandered around some of the small time bars, chatting to some of the friendly locals who have transformed the neighbourhood from one of the state’s roughest districts to one of the most sought after places to live.
The pubs were cosy, the shops were small, and the atmosphere was a lot more laid back than the hype of Manhattan.
But if you go to New York you have to think big so it wasn’t long before I was heading back to Manhattan Island.
The Empire State Building was unreal and the night time view from the 82nd floor was simply breath taking.
The Statue of Liberty was bigger than I expected, probably because everyone had told me it was smaller than I’d expect, and the American Museum of Natural History, which looked like the cast of Jumanji had just left, was so enormous it would take a weekend to look round properly.
And then there was the food.
The Four Star Hilton which I stayed in had everything you need and boasts some of the biggest rooms in the city.
The showers, I was pleased to find out, were super powerful and super warm – just what I needed when the outside air temperature was plummeting to -4c.
A winter break in New York is worth every penny, and you can bet your bottom dollar you will remember it for a lifetime.
