Second day in New York, and probably the busiest of the trip. After arriving in Manhattan the day before, we take in Chelsea Market, the High Line, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central and then an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Wear good shoes: we did almost everything on foot.
Waking up to the skyline
Early start at the Hyatt Place in Chelsea, with the skyline right outside the window. Our first real American breakfast: Belgian chocolate waffle, scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon. Enough to keep us going until lunch.
Chelsea Market, a former biscuit factory
First stop, a few blocks from the hotel: Chelsea Market. The covered market fills a former biscuit factory, the one where Oreos were born, and the industrial setting is beautiful. Lobster, ravioli, pastrami sandwiches, cupcakes: you come here to eat and have a drink.
We arrived a little too early and most counters were still closed. No problem, it’s the best time for photos, and the High Line starts right next door.
The High Line to Hudson Yards
If you only do one free walk in New York, make it this one. The High Line is a former elevated railway turned into a park in the air. We walk the whole length from Chelsea Market to Hudson Yards, far from the noise of the street, and in autumn the colours are gorgeous.
Along the way: plants taking over the old rails, street art on red brick walls, a view of the Empire State Building and some surprising architecture. We pass Thomas Heatherwick’s bubble-shaped Lantern House, the Zaha Hadid building and a rather puzzling pink fountain shaped like feet.
At the end, Hudson Yards. Here you have to look up: The Shed and its quilted facade, the giant towers seen from below… it almost hurts your neck, but it’s worth it.
Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s
Subway to Rockefeller Center, then a walk along Fifth Avenue, New York’s answer to the Champs-Élysées: luxury boutiques, a PSG store, the NBA store and every kind of souvenir. We also pass those tall white and orange chimneys steaming in the middle of the street. New York has the largest steam heating network in the world, running since the late 19th century, and the chimneys simply vent the steam above passers-by.
At Rockefeller Center, the big Christmas tree is being put up above the ice rink. Right across the street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, neo-Gothic and built between 1853 and 1878: the contrast with the glass towers around it is striking.
Trump Tower, the Louis Vuitton trunks and Carnegie Hall
Further up Fifth Avenue we step inside Trump Tower: an atrium in pink Italian marble (Breccia Pernice), a waterfall about 20 metres high and even trees on the facade. On the corner of 57th Street, you can’t miss the Louis Vuitton building dressed up as a stack of giant trunks during renovation work. A little further on, we walk past Carnegie Hall, the legendary concert hall opened in 1891.
Lunch at Brooklyn Diner, then Grand Central
Lunch break at Brooklyn Diner, near Central Park: a real 1950s-style American diner with leather booths, rock’n’roll, burgers, pastrami and milkshakes. Then on to Grand Central Terminal: the Beaux-Arts main hall, its painted celestial ceiling and famous four-faced clock are well worth the detour.
Knicks - Nets at Madison Square Garden
The highlight of the day: the New York NBA derby, New York Knicks against Brooklyn Nets, at Madison Square Garden. National anthem, pyrotechnics, entertainment at every timeout, cheerleaders: the show is as much in the stands as on the court. The Knicks won 134 to 98, with 28 points and 12 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns. I bought the tickets on Ticketmaster, the official site, about two months in advance.
Times Square and tacos to finish
After the game, off to Times Square and Broadway, a few minutes’ walk away. Giant screens everywhere and huge crowds, a bit like Tokyo. The queue at Joe’s Pizza was far too long, so we ended the evening with proper Mexican tacos at Taqueria by El Prieto: tortillas and chicken, nothing like the one-kilo tacos you get in France.
Also on Instagram that day
Practical info
- High Line: free, from Gansevoort Street (near Chelsea Market) to Hudson Yards, about 2.3 km.
- Chelsea Market: come at lunchtime to enjoy the counters while they’re open.
- NBA game at Madison Square Garden: tickets on Ticketmaster, booked about two months ahead.
- Grand Central Terminal: 89 E 42nd St, free entry.
- Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Avenue, the atrium is open to visitors.