New York, New York

New York is the one place that has left an indelible mark on me. There is something special about that city. Maybe it’s because it seems so familiar, we grew up with it imprinted on our imaginations.

My wife and I have been several times but this time we had to consider our teenage daughters. I’ve annoyingly become a bit smug about the city and decided to stay in Brooklyn where we could savour the vista and blend in with the hipsters of Williamsburg for the first couple of days. We all discussed at great length, what we would eat long before we arrived.

Everything was split into the most important food groups Burgers, Pizza, Fried Chicken, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Sushi, Pancakes ,Waffles and Doughnuts.

Tik Tok was their main reference point. Names of unheard restaurants were scattered about like confetti. In truth I didn’t like losing control. What the hell I thought to myself! What if they’re rubbish? It was their holiday, I was going to keep schtum and play ball.

One full day in Brooklyn was enough though. It was a bit scruffy and post-apocalyptic. It rained as we caught the ferry to gentrified Dumbo. We gratefully ducked into the Time Out indoor Market, a collection of carefully curated food vendors with public areas for eating. It’s Nirvana for the indecisive. You get whatever food group you fancy. eat up and people watch. We ate in Lilia that night, it was cool with heavenly pasta. I might be lifting a few of their ideas for my column in the future.

The next day we took a cab into the city, their eyes widened. This was the New York they expected.

Over the next few days I toned down my natural inclination to go to ‘Happening restaurants”. Thanks to my friend Tim Magee, we discovered “Hectors” the world’s most perfect diner which was right beside our hotel in the Meatpacking district. Burly men passed by the window with dead pigs curled over their shoulders. Horrified, the girls nudged their pancakes and bacon. I told them this area wasn’t always full of Tesla showrooms and designer stores. A few meatpacking businesses still remained in one stalwart corner. This area has a gritty past, and New York more than any other city is constantly regenerating.

We walked the Highline and went up the Edge in Hudson Yards where we took in the magnificence of the City. I hadn’t been to Times Square in years, too many tourists! However over the four days I found myself there twice. I enjoyed the first visit. It was dark and the flashing monolithic signs consumed us, necks craned to the Neon. The capital of consumerism was ready to gobble us up.

We queued in vain for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Tantalisingly we could see them being glazed before our eyes but the line wasn’t moving. An M&M superstore beckoned from across the street. Patient parents with small children stood in more lines for their turn. I watched my excited girls become small again and felt a pang.

We found ourselves in Times Square again the next morning for a Tour Bus. The city is back with a bang but yet we could see the ghosts of buisnesses past, not all have made it through.

We crawled downtown through the traffic. As we passed NYU one of the daughters wondered if any Kardashians went to college there. That worried me. We were told had to get off near ground zero as a movie was being shot. We hopped off and thought of food once again but first we had to visit the site of The Twin Towers. It silenced us and quelled our appetites.

We turned towards Canal Street in the sun. Cumulus clouds of dope hung in the air as we walked. It turns out New York has legalised recreational marijuana and boy do they embrace it. I had gotten munchies by proxy. We found ‘Wo Hop’ a charmingly raffish gem of an old Chinese restaurant in a basement on Mott St, deep in the heart of Chinatown. Food always cheers us up and soothes any potential familial acrimony.

The afternoon was earmarked for shopping so we agreed to separate. The eldest is a good shopper, like her Mother. To them it’s like a military campaign. My youngest is more chilled. In time she’ll probably be sent to keep an eye on me. I met a friend who lives there and we shopped for beer in some of New York’s edgier bars. Later the family reunited in Arturos on Houston for coal fired pizza.

Next morning we took the subway intending to go to Central Park but overshot and ended up in Harlem. As we waited for a train to go back downtown we heard about a shooting in Brooklyn. Above ground we crossed through the Park, it insulated us from the sirens.

Despite having tickets, a rather massive line at the Met Museum almost put me off. I’m glad it didn’t. It was exceptional. I saw some Vermeers and the girls saw the dress that Taylor Swift wore to the Grammys, cultural box ticked.

The daughters proved quite resourceful. We separated a couple of times and they always found us. One mis-communication saw us in a cab to go for an unplanned lunch. We had enough of the clamour Fifth Avenue for one day and they wouldn’t leave, consumed with shopping fever. Outraged at being abandoned they followed us later. Yet, they hopped out of the cab unfazed, like the sex in the city girls, laden with bags.

I’m not sure whether we will ever be back again in New York as a family. Pretty soon they probably won’t want to come on holidays with us. I’m glad we did this trip, it was special. Sometimes you have to store a memory, keep it warm and nurture it. In years to come hopefully it will be a highlight of their young lives. We tried our best to help them fall in love with New York, I hope they did.

First published Irish Times 28^th June 2022
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