A business trip to NYC - not the usual sights

Central Park, April 2018.

"New Yoik City"

I was very lucky to bag a free trip to NYC in 2018 when my partner's company sent him to Philadelphia for a conference. We had a few days in New York and then he went off to Philly while I flaneur-ed (yes, real word) my way around the city and did a few of the sights. A seven hour flight to JFK airport was perfectly doable and then a yellow cab (there's no other way - well there is, it's called the subway, but it's a long trip if you're tired from your flight) to downtown (or uptown) Manhattan where we were staying. It's a set fare from JFK to Manhattan (worth knowing, I think).

I took this photo on my phone to help navigate part of the subway. We were staying somewhere a little south-eastwards from here. It hasn't taken long before I've started referring to trains but the subway was a prominent feature of our trip and it would be for any traveller. It tooks a bit of getting used to: some trains don't stop at smaller stations and some stations are only serving one direction (uptown or downtown) plus when you purchase a travelcard (which is similar to the oyster card) it can be tricky to top up without small change.

The Highline https://www.thehighline.org/

One attraction we wanted to see while stateside was the Highline: a section of disused railway which has been turned into a garden of sorts. It was in its infancy when we visited as a lot of the flora hadn't really taken hold yet; it seemed a little sparse. But it is interesting nonetheless as you're walking above busy roads and the hustle and bustle of NYC life it is a little oasis. The highline supporters organise free tours - we didn't partake but it seemed to attract a healthy following. Something different and well worth a look.

The Met

During my two days of exploring by myself I had a good look around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This may be a usual sight to see for some but not really for me. I'd decided that I wanted to visit at least one museum in NYC and plumped for the Met. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Firstly, it's huge and I could have spent the entire day there. Secondly, there were whole areas of Japanese and Chinese art - including some interesting installations - which I was very impressed by. Below are some Japanese Cranes and a scene (I think you'd call that an installation). The photos (taken on a phone) don't really do it justice.