It is still dark when our employee Jörg makes his way to Frankfurt Airport. From there he will fly to New York City with a little detour via Munich. But he's not traveling alone. With his weekender "NELSON", As well as his camera bag"HARRY & SALLY". Fashionable, functional and pleasantly light. So they accompany him on his journey.  

After an 8 hour flight, the plane gently touches down at John F. Kennedy Airport. Grab his weekender, which fits perfectly in the hand luggage of the aircraft, put "HARRY & SALLY" on his neck and the New York City adventure can begin.  

The first full day in New York City starts with an invigorating breakfast in the hotel. In the hotel “Arlo SoHo” local products are served freshly prepared. In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, you can also choose from the delicious pancakes typical of the country and juicy bacon.  
Well saturated, Jörg leads his first trip to China Town. Hung around his shoulder, "HARRY & SALLY" is well filled with his camera Fujifilm X-T2so as not to miss an important moment, as well as other little things for everyday use. On his foray through the streets with the colorful signs, labeled with Chinese characters, he walks past many souvenir shops. Although in the middle of Manhattan, the smells of typical Chinese cuisine that emanate from the many small food stalls on the roadside make you feel like you are in a completely different world.  

What would a visit to New York City be without seeing the city's main landmarks. Relaxed and full of breakfast, Jörg makes his way across the city to his first stop, the statue of freedom.   

It goes through Manhattan, this time by subway, to 4 South Street, NY. There is the landing stage of the "Staten Island Ferry", which is one of the oldest ferries in New York. Long before connecting bridges existed, people were being transported from Manhattan to Staten Island through them. Every year more than 22 million passengers use the connection, which promises the best view of the "Statue of Liberty". Jörg also uses this and is not disappointed. With a height of almost 100 meters, “Lady Liberty” is right in front of his eyes. Tourists, who view the stature up close, look like small toy figures in contrast. 

An impressive experience.  

 Located in St. George, you can visit this district with its remarkable houses from the 17th and 18th centuries. Jörg is particularly impressed by the "Conference House" which was built in 1680 and is one of the oldest surviving school buildings in the USA. After a short stop in a bakery with delicious coffee and cake, it's back to the ferry.

Arriving back on the mainland Manhattan, a stop at the memorial for September 11, 2001 is made on the way back. This is located on the former site of the “World Trade Center” in the south of the district and is known as “Ground Zero” after the attacks. 

Today the hotel breakfast is canceled for Jörg and he visits Katz Deli, well known from the movie "Harry and Sally". Of course, ours accompanies him to the delicious American breakfast in this famous diner HARRY & SALLY!
Well strengthened, take a taxi to the edge of Central Park. Since the weather should stay dry, a long walk through the center of the city is recommended. 
The last puffs of winter in combination with the first rays of spring sunshine make the atmosphere in the park perfect. Fascinated by nature in the middle of the urban jungle, Jörg does his laps across the park. Passing small rodents and chirping birds, he enjoys the time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Here Jörg buys a classic “New York Style” hot dog at a small stand right by the famous “The Rink” ice rink.   

   From Central Park you can take a taxi to the Brooklyn Bridge. 

With a length of 1825 meters, it is right in front of the breathtaking skyline of New York when viewed from Brooklyn. As day 4 is slowly drawing to a close, he and many other onlookers watch the sun slowly setting behind the skyscrapers.

   

DAY 5 - HIGH LINE

In the morning, another and still relatively young highlight of the city will be visited. It meanders across the city, the "High lineIt is an old disused freight train route in the west of Manhattan which has been redesigned into a steadily growing park since 2006.
It is a meeting and resting place for many New Yorkers and a real “place-to-be” for every traveler. The former route, covered with greenery on the left and right, stretches along a distance of 2.3 km. 

As a true coffee fanatic, a visit to the "Starbucks ”roastery on the agenda. The largest “Starbucks” branch in New York City opened its doors on December 14, 2018 as the fourth “flagship store” directly in Manhattan.

In addition to a roastery and Starbucks coffee specialties, the Milan boutique bakery Princi offers its products here. For the first time in the USA, coffee and tea-based cocktails are also served at the Arriviamo Bar.
In order to gain energy for further activities in the afternoon, Jörg strengthens himself here with a delicious ham croissant with a grande cappuccino.

  In the afternoon Jörg decides to make a little stop in the “Westfield World Trade Center” mall right in the heart of Manhattan to get a little souvenir from the 8 million city.

This not only impresses with its 125 shops, but also has a lot to offer architecturally. It was opened in 2016 to replace the underground shopping center destroyed by the events on September 11, 2001.  

   An eventful journey with many new impressions must also end accordingly. For this reason, Jörg is looking for the restaurant near his hotel "Tribeca Grill" by actor Robert De Niro on. This is particularly characterized by many awards such as the coveted "Grant Award" from "Wine Spectator Magazine".