Leaving New York City is always a wrench. I’m obviously not alone in my yearning as countless writers, movies, stage productions, artists, musicians and creatives and have portrayed the city in all its glitzy glory and gory. These luminaries have a lot to answer for: Don Draper, Frank Sinatra, Carrie Bradshaw, Marilyn Monroe, Alicia Keys, Miles Davies and Tony Soprano. They’re the temptresses of my New York love affair.

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Even if Carrie Bradshaw could afford her one-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side on a columnist’s salary (impossible), it’s unlikely she’d be able to afford her lifestyle. There wouldn’t be any cosmopolitans, pricey brunches or even one pair of Manolos, let alone hundreds of designer shoes. She’s just another glamazon set up for failure in New York City.

The city simultaneously exhausts and energises, allowing very little time to process what the hell just happened. It leaves an enduring impression just the same, often in a hazy memory clouded over by the cost, filth, energy, hopelessness, hope, noise, crowds, simultaneous heat/cold/humidity and overwhelming humanity. In one moment, you’ll be enchanted while whizzing along the Brooklyn Bridge as the skyline emerges in poignant glory in your New York state of mind. In the next moment, you’ll be horrified while stepping around the homeless and junkies encased in a fog of filth and despair.

Nonetheless, my New York love affair burns bright. I especially yearn for it when I’m safely cocooned in Perth on the other side of the world. If I’m being completely honest, maybe I love it just a little bit more when I’m actually not in it. Ideally, I’d love a sleek apartment high above the Manhattan madness where I could write and relax until I craved the excitement below. It’s unlikely I’ll have that opportunity on a writer’s salary, I’m no Carrie Bradshaw waiting for Big to whisk me away in his limousine. I once met Candace Bushnell at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka, the author of Sex and the City, who is the real-life version of Carrie Bradshaw and married to a Russian ballet dancer. Die-hard fans will recognise the parallel with a similar character who was a love interest of Carrie in the later series of Sex and the City. Art imitates life.

When we checked into our apartment overlooking the Battery Park Tunnel, my heart sank a little, but the ongoing drone drowned out the cacophony below.

I suspect my adoration for the city stems from all those movies and TV shows, those Mad Men moments as Don Draper effortlessly seduces one tight-waisted starlet after another, much like the city has seduced me. This long-distance toxic relationship is bad for my health and bank balance. The living conditions with this temptress are appalling and inhumane, particularly when compared to laid-back Perth.

Times Square, the epicentre of New York City

Any apartment below the 5^th floor will keep you awake all night from the chaos punctuated by sirens and horns. On our first visit to New York City, we rented an apartment on the first floor for a month in Midtown on the corner of 9^th Avenue and 45^th Street. While the central location was incredible for accessing restaurants, theatres, shops, the subway and Times Square, the location was equally terrible for sleep, except between two and four in the morning when the cacophony would dull. Anything above the 5^th floor will keep your budget exhausted, and if it’s a walk-up, which is often the case in older buildings, you’ll be longing for an elavator to whisk you away from the madness.

Chinatown, New York City

Much like Draper’s affections, the temperature blows hot and cold. Razor sharp in winter and suffocating in summer, thanks to the heat ricocheting off the pavement into the concrete jungle. Older apartments were never built to accommodate air-conditioners, so the units are haphazardly shoved into windows with the gaps patched up with plywood and other bits and bobs. This does little to block out the endless sirens or the cold in winter, and from about September to March, you’re often at the mercy of the building’s superintendent as to when the heat is turned on and at what temperature. Surrounded by water, Manhattan island has its own unique micro-climate and is incredibly humid; it’s hot and steamy and not in the lovers’ way.

Then there’s the subway, the most efficient way of getting around. It’s also the most uncomfortable. A cesspit. Perpetually tropical. Even when it’s freezing on the street, resulting in endless layering and unlayering of clothes in a tangle of coats, jumpers, scarves and mittens. There’s not a Manola in sight due to the endless stairs in this subterranean city connected by tunnels and bridges, often with no end in sight. On a side note, given my petite nature, I tend to resemble a bag lady with all those layers, with no hope of elevating my height in sensible sneakers.

Apart from the many rats scuttering along the tracks, I have another fear when using the subway. In some instances, the platforms are very narrow and I’m terrified of getting pushed over the edge as the crowd rushes by, and given my stature would anyone even notice? I’ve heard of this happening and sometimes not by gruesome accident, in fact, I almost witnessed it once post-accident in the Village.

Despite all this, and many other perils, the city is intoxicating. Nothing prepares you for those heart-stopping moments when you spy the Statue of Liberty commanding her empire. Or seeing the Empire State Building or Chrysler Building glistening as sun rays hit their pinnacles of power. Visiting the 9/11 memorial is devasting. People-watching is as entertaining as the jazz, stage productions, festivals and comedy shows. There are few things as iconic as wandering through Central Park or along the Highline, a former elevated train track weaving its way through the Meatpacking District. A pastrami on rye from Katz Diner will leave you longing for a bit of what she’s having.

I already miss the city’s energy as I write this, even though these words were penned while I was in my sleek apartment in Battery Park with a birds’ eye view into hundreds of surrounding apartments and souls. My only saving grace is that I live on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on my own New York state of mind, it’s not like I can slip between her sheets (and potentially catch bed bugs) on an insatiable whim.

Want to share in the love affair? Or maybe you’re hungry for what she’s having and some Jewish food in the Lower East Side or craving for a bit of peace in the city that never sleeps? Stay in touch by subscribing to Fluffy Towel today. Thank you and happy travels.

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Thirty years have passed since Meg Ryan made cinematic history with THAT unforgettable climatic scene in When Harry Met Sally. While she orgasmically made her point, there’s certainly no fakery involved in pastrami sandwiches or bagels when hunting down Jewish food in the Lower East Side (LES) in New York City. Afterall, hundreds of years of civilisation have gone into the creation and enjoyment of Jewish food. There are few things as comforting as a matzo ball soup as falling snow silences the city. Or as iconic as dining at Katz’s Delicatessen to have what she’s having.

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Given a large proportion of the Jewish community who immigrated from Poland to NYC ended up in the LES, this gritty neighbourhood houses the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. The first recorded Jewish settler arrived in the mid-1600s, with the greatest influx in the late 1880s bringing with them their traditions, synagogues and Jewish food in the Lower East Side.

Located between the Bowery, East River, Houston Street and Chinatown’s Canal Street, tenement buildings are as synonymous as Jewish food in the Lower East Side. Where the crowded working class once spilled out onto the filthy sidewalks, hipsters have now claimed it their own with funky bars, restaurants, galleries and shops. Once home to Lou Reed and rumour has it Lady Gaga has digs in the LES, Bill Clinton and the late Anthony Bourdain also got their pastrami fix from Katz’s.

On arrival to Katz’s, you’ll be handed a yellow ticket and whatever you don’t lose it as it will cost you $50 if you don’t return it when you leave. Work out what you want to order before you get to the counter, or you’ll be yelled at.

You’ve probably gathered by now that Katz’s Pastrami Hot Sandwich is legendary. It’s cooked for so long and is so tender and juicy that it would fall apart using a meat carver and must be hand-carved to order. It’s best ordered with matzo ball soup, which are bready dumplings served in a homemade chicken broth; chicken soup for the Jewish soul. Many also order sides (knish) of potato, broccoli, spinach or the noodle dish, kasha. The serves are obscenely large so pace yourself and be like a New Yorker and take away the leftovers to enjoy later.

Other kosher favourites include chopped liver (“What am I, chopped liver?”) and the Corned Beef Hot Sandwich, where the beef is dry cured for a month. Add swiss cheese and sauerkraut and turn it into a Rueben Hot Sandwich and a side of pastrami if you’re up to the challenge. There’s always a side of pickles to help cut through the grease.

Another nostalgic favourite in the LES is Russ & Daughters known for their smoked fish, caviar, baked goods and bagels. New Yorkers take their bagels very seriously and believe that no bagel ever tastes as good as it does in New York due to the water. Joel Russ immigrated from Poland in 1907 and made a name for himself selling herring out of a barrel on a pushcart. Now a fourth-generation family business, smoked salmon slicers work in an open kitchen at Russ & Daughters honouring an over-the-counter tradition.

I lined up for 45 minutes at Ess-a-Bagel in Midtown founded by an Austrian baking family who have been hand-rolling bagels for 40 years. I had no idea there were so many variations ranging from cinnamon raisin and nine grain with honey, and that’s just the bagels. The choice of cream cheeses included chocolate chip, sundried tomato and cheddar. If you’re in a rush, you can avoid the line and buy the fillings and bagels separately and prepare them yourself.

Late one rainy night I stumbled upon 2^nd Ave Deli and I learned two things. Seinfeld filmed an episode in this deli and New York is a city that DOES sleep as the deli was closing just as we arrived. They gave us our matzo ball soups to go and directed us to the tiny bar next door which was open until the unrespectable wee hours.

While delis used to be dime a dozen, especially in the LES, the ones that have survived have done so because of their loyal following and traditions. It’s difficult to imagine any place in Perth being in operation for so long, but there are kosher options that don’t require a gruelling 30-hour flight 12 time zones away.

For more New York yearnings, you might enjoy A New York Love Affair and a stroll along The High Line: A New York City Favourite.

Originally published in Issue 27 of Menu Magazine

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The most obvious place to seek serenity in any city is within the leafy confines of a park. New York has no shortage of open green spaces, and plenty of clandestine pockets of calm to help you find peace in New York City.

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Known as the lungs of the metropolis, Central Park has many secluded spots within its 840 acres of vastness. Lose your thoughts on the elm-tree line Mall and Literary Walk or go into hiding in the secret garden within the Conservatory Garden or retreat into the historical museum at Belvedere Castle.

Tiny pockets of serendipity exist between the city towers, like a segment of the Berlin Wall on east 53^rd between Fifth and Madison or the Creative Little Garden in the East Village or Jefferson Market Garden in Greenwich Village. The High Line is too popular to offer solitude however the disused railway, converted into a sky-park, offers an interesting saunter amongst the street performers, art installations and has plenty of places to flop with a birds-eye view into the cacophony below and surrounding buildings.

Way uptown in Fort Tyron Park The Met Cloisters houses the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (The Met) medieval art collection within an exquisite medieval monastery. Overlooking the Hudson, it’s not on the tourist trail but worth the trek if only to languish in the medieval gardens and admire the unicorn tapestries which appeared in the Harry Potter movies. Established in 1902 in the Bronx, the New York Botanical Garden was cleverly planted to be blooming all year round. Green thumbs should allow for a lengthy visit to fully inhale all 50 gardens and regular exhibitions.

Downtown the Skyscraper Museum gives architectural buffs some perspective of the scale of Manhattan compared to other mega-cities of the world without even having to step out onto the pavement. The Museum of the City of New York celebrates the city and its wonderful history without the crowds. Unknown to many, The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers free entry for residents and is open on Friday and Saturday nights and you might find yourself alone with Henry the 8^th’s armour or the jewels from Cleopatra’s reign. While at the Met, rest your feet in the oriental gardens in Astor Court or pop up to the rooftop garden on the 5^th floor; that’s if you can find the entrance many struggle to locate, which means more space to spread out.

Relishing in the city from above provides a sense of calm and located 18 storeys above the chaos the rooftop lounge at the Gramercy Terrace Hotel offers an oasis with those heart-stopping views which beckoned you to the Big Apple in the first place. There’s many rooftop bars to sample, and Salon De Ning, perched above the Peninsula Hotel, is the epitome of oriental drama meets big city glamour. Imagine sipping your cocktail of choice while everyone below scrambles home during peak hour.

Keeping a lower profile, hotel lobbies offer anonymity which in itself is very liberating, especially if you aren’t staying there. The vast lobby at the Ace Hotel is sectioned up into intimate spaces by retro lounges designed for a leisurely slouch with a caffeine fix by your side and laptop perched where it was originally intended. The Paramount Hotel near Times Square has a chic lobby whispering for a quiet drink or secret rendezvous. Or there’s the exquisite Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle where the amber-coloured walls are adorned with artist Ludwig Bemelman’s depictions from the Madeline children’s books.

For more details about New York City, please check out www.nycgo.com

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One of the many art installations

It’s hard to believe the High Line was once destined for demolition. Built on a historic and elevated rail line, the community and City of New York rallied together and converted one of New York City’s most notorious spot into public green space. Since its opening in 2009, this popular attraction is often decorated with pretty young things sauntering along the elevated public space weaving 24 blocks through the lower west side.

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The big apple on The Highline

A popular tourist and local hotspot, there are many quiet pockets to admire the spectacle of the bustling below and to enjoy the birds-eye views into the surrounding buildings.

The Empire State Building watching over from afar

More than just a park, every visit is unique with an ever-changing view of the city below, above and all around. Many consider The Highline a performance in itself – adorned with art installations, live shows, tasty food and gatherings. A global inspiration for cities to transform unused industrial zones in dynamic public spaces. Plus a few friendly “locals.”

10^th Avenue became known as Death Avenue as by 1910, 540 people had been killed by trains. In 1924, street-level crossings were removed and later converted into an elevated rail line. By 1934, and named the West Side Elevated Line, the line was used for transporting meat, dairy and produce.

In 1999, and with parts of the line demolished and deemed an eyesore Mayor Giuliani signed a demolition order. Luckily, the not-for-profit Friends of the High Line advocated for its preservation and reuse as a public space.

A decade later, the first section opened to the public and began the trend of commissioning and producing artworks and by 2014, the Rail Yards section opened with a temporary walkway.

Now it’s a continuous 1.45 mile long greenway showcasing 500+ species of plants and trees and is home to world-class artwork, food and performances. The High Line is free and best way to enjoy it is to simply meander, pause and linger.

Once it’s safe to travel internationally again, I can’t wait to explore this iconic New York City spot once again.

The High Line is back open – BYO mask! If you’d like to know more or to make a donation please click here.

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