New Amsterdam to New York

Inquisitive minds may wonder how New York started and became the largest city in the United States today. I am one of those minds so here's a brief overview.
Native American tribes who occupied the area first came into contact with Dutch and French settlers in the early 1600's. Dutch forts sprang up over the next 20 years but the area fell to the Brits who annexed it to their empire. The governor of New York State was apprehensive about joining the revolution as he feared that vital ties with Europe through it's port would be severed.

But it did join the revolution and became the seventh state of the U.S. Allies, and major contributors to the war against Britain, France donated the now world famous Statue of Liberty to welcome in the thousands of new arrivals to America that were now flooding in. Many people stayed in or around New York and the city grew to what is now one of the major world players in all things financial, cultural and commercial.
Before we returned to the city we had to sort out a new motel in New Jersey. One just down the road had a room that was cheaper than our last and double in size. Oh, and it also had a large jacuzzi in it!
Into the city we try and cover as many sights as possible so it's straight to Fifth Avenue to see what all the fuss is about. It's dull as hell to be fair. Just another shopping street that could be anywhere. At one time maybe this kind of thing was uncommon and special but now it rivals Preston for it's shopping delights, although with some slighter more upmarket designer labels flashing about. From the mundane to the more interesting East Village part of town. The streets are more familiar around here and the people have turned from fairly ugly smart dressed merchants of dull to hip young rockers and fashion trend setters, I hadn't realised how popular the cross-gender Israeli scarf has become! Leafy streets lined with tall terraced apartments with their obligatory metal fire escape staircases. And the sun continues to shine. We sit for a while in a couple of tree filled squares watching the world go by as we realise how tired we are from all this walking. The people round here are more hippy-ish too and it's probably where the sitar playing hippy we saw at Central Park by John Lennon's memorial lives. We briefly enter Greenwich Village and admire the people admiring the basketball matches. It's slightly grotty around here as most of the streets seem a bit rough around the edges.
We dive into the over the top decor of the Jaffa Cafe for a bit to eat in the sunshine of it's busy outdoor decking. People from all nations are represented here but I'm surprised how many Russian voices I hear, considering the yanks despise the communist superpower. Still, you can never tell a true American because such a thing doesn't exist. The sheer amount of world nations that have contributed to the U.S. means it really is a cultural melting pot, unless you're in Utah of course.
Straight from here we dive into a photo exhibition from a rock photographer of famous punk and rock icons of the last 30 years. Nothing much punk about the price of a print though, the cheapest and smallest size is $500! Next we visit your atypical New York independent music shop where the owner tells us of his trip to London and plays the latest tracks he's excited about. A splurge on CDs and we're off to check out the Rockefeller Centre back in the more touristy centre. John D. Rockefeller was at one time the richest man in the world and in turn America's first billionaire. He made all this wealth through oil in the 1800's and ended up with his fingers in many pies as he set up the Chicago University and funded immense amounts of medical research.

The Rockefeller Centre in New York City is a collection of buildings that to me look like they'd suit the gaudy facade of Las Vegas rather than here. An ode to making money is embossed before a tall skyscraper and a fountain in which gold statues are posing looking a little plastic. I'm not sure why there are soo many tourists looking around at this dirge but I suppose we also fall into that category.
We're blowing the budget fast here so settle for another excellent burrito outside of the public library on the lush grass surrounded on all sides by imposing skyscrapers. The night is still warm enough to be sat out and plenty of people are relaxing on the tables and chairs or busy on laptops buried in work. A nearby wine bar is heaving with suited loud Americans enjoying the balmy evening. There's a good atmosphere here and only San Francisco is in the same league as far as American cities go.
We elect to stay another night as there's still plenty to see and not enough time in the day to see it. It's that evening as we begin to fill the jacuzzi that we discover that the lush grass of the previous square is now the new home of Laura's cash card. After some panicky phone calls home and to the bank things should be back on track, not that the New York spending is helping.
The next morning we head straight for the ferry for our free trip to the Statue of Liberty island. Great views back towards the city across the water even though today is overcast. We wander around the small island that mainly consists of a huge souvenir shop and burger joint. You can't go up to the top of the statue like you once could due to health and safety and terrorism blah de blah blah concerns. You can gain access to just below foot level although you have to apply in advance and be security screened. Or if you're me you pretend to a be a dim witted Englishman and they let you in anyway. Not that all the security precautions and queuing is worth it as you don't really get as good a view up close to the base of the statue as you do from the lower island floor level. Still, the statue is impressive no matter how you look at it. The French gift has now become one of the most iconic images of America and is a great addition to an already attractive port. The boat trip included a stop off at the neighbouring Ellis Island which was once an immigration station to process some of the hordes of newcomers but now just looks like a slightly run down warehouse. We chose not to get off the boat as time was against us if we wanted to see a bit more of the city.
We step back onto Manhattan at the south tip for a a walk around the financial district around Wall Street and it's meandering narrowness. The stock exchange and surrounding buildings are OK but nothing special but the area as a whole is a decent stroll as the high buildings on the narrow streets make you feel extra small. We sit for a while on Hanover Square which was opened a few years back by Prince Charles. It's a tiny square but has a chiseled brick inlay in the rough shape of the British Isles weaving around it with every county's name inscribed on it. I never thought I'd see 'Lancashire' written in stone in New York!
We stroll along the water's edge to the iconic Brooklyn Bridge as the light fades. We've no time to go across to Brooklyn or to the other neighbourhood of Queens so at least there's reason to come back. In four nights you can't see everything here but we've seen a lot. We sit eating again besides public library whilst an odd photo shoot is going on with some of the ugliest old women I think I've ever seen.
New York City is in no doubt that it's a great city, even the evening news starts with the line "and what's gone on in the world's greatest city today?". Times Square barely gets a mention here because it's not really a square and is really just a small crossing of two long roads that happen to have a bit of bright advertising dotted about it. But most other things live up to their billing. The Empire State's great views, the classic buildings like the Flat Iron's triangular form or the shimmering Chrysler building, the varied neighbourhoods, the abundance of life and probably the best city park in the world.

All this does make it a great city but is it the greatest city in the world? Of course not. I'm not sure what is either but one thing that the most amazing cities have that nowhere in America can conjure is the vibrancy of life. New Yorkers are supposed to be rude and outspoken but I just thought they were as rude and miserable as every other American city we'd visited. From the packed slick cool of Tokyo to the in your face colour of Mexico City to the street music and random drummers in Buenos Aires, New York has tough competition. But when Americans are told that they're the best at everything I don't think half of them even think to look anywhere else.
However, I like New York a lot. I'd come back in an instant but I wouldn't be so sure if I had the choice between here and a handful of other cities. Is it even the best city in America? Possibly, but for me personally I think San Francisco just pips it. It has all the trappings of a city but with the benefit of being on the best side of the country in the best state and so close to plenty of stunning outdoors. No doubt I'll be back here again at some point, just next time I'll bring more money!