This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, May 28, 2012 - I have a confession to make. It has been 13 years since my last visit to New York. And while many things remain the same -- the Statue of Liberty, golden torch held aloft; the iconic Chrysler and Empire State buildings; the oasis that is Central Park -- so much of New York is, well, new.
So when I finally made a return visit a few weeks ago, I enjoyed some wonderful old favorites, but mostly felt that I was exploring the city afresh, every day a jam-packed adventure. After eight days, my scorecard looked something like this: five museums, four markets, three plays, plus innumerable New York must-sees, ranging from the raging bull of Wall Street to Ellis Island to neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy to the Top of the Rock -- too, too much to mention.
So in the spirit of David Letterman, I offer:
Top 10 things I love about New York
1) 9/11 Memorial: Still a work in progress, the former World Trade Center site is surrounded by fences and the construction of new skyscrapers. The memorial and museum, which is not yet open, occupy just half of the 16-acre site and are impossible to see from the street.
The memorial itself, two large reflecting pools designed by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, is simple and affecting. Appropriately called "Reflecting Absence," the deep pools, in the spaces where the twin towers once stood, have waterfalls flowing down all sides. The names of those who died in the attacks are etched in bronze panels, not in alphabetical order but in "affinity groups," of people linked together in life.
I went early, before the lines and the crowds, and on a day that was blessedly sunny. While suggesting solemnity and loss, the pools -- and the hundreds of trees in the plaza -- also inspired peace, serenity and hope.
2) Metropolitan Museum of Art: A world treasure, it would be easy to spend a week exploring its vast collection. To avoid museum fatigue, I usually select a few galleries and concentrate on those. This time, I wanted to see the special exhibit, "The Steins Collect," and also the recently renovated galleries of Islamic art, now organized by style, material and civilization. The new presentation conveys the sweep of Islamic art and civilization from Spain to India over the course of more than 1,000 years. There are ceramic dishes and vases showing the influence of China in color and design; patterns in ceramic tiles from Islamic Spain that would be at home in Spanish missions in America; rugs; calligraphy; even a reconstructed Moroccan room.
3) Frieze Art Fair: The Met may be timeless, but the Frieze Art Fair is totally of the moment, as contemporary as contemporary can be. This was the first time this London-based show crossed the Atlantic for a four-day Brigadoon-like appearance. It was an event with a capital "E," starting with a packed ferry ride to Randall's Island where a gigantic tent housed representatives, and art, from 170 galleries around the world -- ranging from Beijing to Istanbul to Johannesburg to Paris.
Sure, some of it was a tad, shall we say, conceptual (a densely packed mound of dirt) -- but other pieces delighted (Anish Kapoor's pulsating yellow oval sphere, Chinese dissident's Ai Weiwei's marble doors and African artist Nicholas Hlobo's sprawling leather and fabric installation). Also ranking the fair high on the cool meter was a celebrity sighting of actor Adrian Brody.
4) National Museum of the American Indian-New York: New York is nothing if not rich in museums, but the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian-New York is a true gem. Housed within the historic Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in lower Manhattan, it is surprisingly small, but its permanent collection, the "Infinity of Nations," is filled with exquisite artifacts from just across the Americas and across the various cultures -- colorful carved masks from the Northwest, intricate beadwork from the Plains, pottery from the Southwest. And it's free.
5) Theater: Theater is what first drew me to New York. I still remember the very first show I saw --"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" -- and I'll never forget seeing Raul Julia in "The Threepenny Opera" and Meryl Streep in "Happy End." No visit is complete for me without a live performance. This time we took in a modern, very physically demanding, and enchanting "Midsummer's Night Dream" with Bebe Neuwirth in a small, intimate black-box theater; "Gatz," a challenging reading cum enactment of "The Great Gatsby," which lasts eight hours, including intermissions and dinner; and the now-closed "Leap of Faith," with the incredibly charismatic Raul Esparza. And we just scratched the surface.
6) Farmers' markets: I'll never forget the ricotta ice cream from Princeton's Bent Spoon at Sunday's small but enticing New Amsterdam Market on the East River. And I loved the historic Essex Street Market, which started in 1940 catering to Jewish and Italian immigrants and continues to offer an array of ethnic fare -- not to mention mouth-watering upscale cheeses. And while we didn't see any TV chefs on the loose at the attractive Chelsea Market, the home of the Food Network, we did indulge in some sinfully rich gelato from L'Arte del Gelato and Italian specialties from Buon Italia.
But even in the rain, the best had to be Saturday's Smorgasburg, a weekly "flea market of food" in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. We did see Mario Batali making the rounds, but frankly we were too busy stuffing our mouths with Italian "gravy," Colombian arepas, Spanish anchovies and patatas bravas, savory "cupcakes" and citrus horseradish samples to pay much attention. One word of advice: Go hungry.
7) Restaurants: Of course, you can drop a fortune and eat supremely well in New York. But, even better, you don't have to spend a lot of money to eat supremely well at New York's many small neighborhood places and ethnic eateries. (Also see No. 6.) During a week when every meal was wonderful, two stand out: the Latin-influenced small plates at Empellon Cocina (who knew that roasted carrots with mole could be so heavenly?) and seafood restaurant Blue Fin (where else can you get sushi and crab empanadas and they both taste outstanding?).
8) High Line: One of the most innovative approaches to public parks in years, the High Line is a park built on an abandoned elevated railroad track. A mile and three-quarters long, the High Line is notable for its lush plantings, mostly native species; artfully placed benches to enjoy the views; and even places to eat. It's not really for running or power walking; it's way too crowded for that. But it's the perfect place for strolling, gawking and wondering what it's like for the people in the adjacent condos to look out their bedroom windows.
9) Running: I never really thought of New York as a place to jog, but it is, with paths galore. The Brooklyn Bridge, a mile across, has dedicated lanes for bicyclists and walkers; the only drawback is that you want to stop and take in the vistas of the Statue of Liberty and the bridge itself. By far, my favorite place to run was Battery Park and its esplanade, past Clinton Castle and the folks lining up for the Statue of Liberty, past the Museum of Jewish History, past the playgrounds, the gardens, the ferry terminal, the marinas. Among the pieces of public art worth exploring along the way: the Irish Hunger Memorial by Brian Tolle, which captures Ireland's rocky landscape and its abandoned stone cottages; and the South Cove area designed by Mary Miss, with a wooden walkway and grove of trees.
10) Times Square: Yes, it is gaudy, cheezy, bombastic, but it is also exciting, exhilarating, exuberant. FUN -- in huge letters. In almost every direction, gigantic screens blast out loud, seductive, ever-changing ads, mostly to the under-30 crowd. The piece de resistance, though, is the ruby-red glass bleachers, evocative of the porch stoop where generations of New Yorkers watched the world go by. Climb to the top step, survey the swirling mass of humanity and feel like you have found the center of the known universe. Because you have.