Here is what you need to know about NYC: you have to experience it yourself. I cannot suggest anything per se because you will go and experience it in 1000 other ways and ask yourself “WTF was she thinking telling me to go and see this”? New York City gives me such a  mindfuck on all possible levels – here is a visual taste of how NYC feels to me and some brief information where we stayed and what we did.

My Dad lives in DC so the most convenient way to go to NYC for me is by bus or train. We stayed at Hotel Pennsylvania just across the street from the iconic Madison Square Garden and Penn Station– the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Walking distance from the theatre-district – Broadway and Times Square right around the corner. Alone the area and the hotel is a true New York experience for me – it is really busy and really big- it originally opened in 1919 as the world’s largest hotel! It screams neoclassicism and has many original interior pieces that made me feel like I’m on a nostalgic treasure hunt.

Far from luxurious.. but served its purpose because of the location and affordable price. We paid a bit more for a newly renovated room to avoid unpleasant surprises – still got a shoebox-sized room, but at least clean and updated. If you are into outstanding sexy breakfasts- skip this meal at Hotel Pennsylvania, they serve only fruit, cupcake, coffee, or hot chocolate and croissants in a place across the street from the hotel. As we were fasting until late afternoon – the shitty breakfast-problem was no problem.

Much more important to me was- Fashion District with all of its amazing little textile and hardware shops right behind Pennsylvania Hotel. I visited button, feather, and textile shops until my eyes turned into buttons themselves.

I have a thing for cheesy classic American diners. George’s Restaurant is in the Financial District, only a few minutes by foot down to the Staten Island ferry and 10 minutes to the World Trade Centre. Everything we ate was super fresh/made from scratch/very American hearty portions, good value for money. I’m no food blogger I just fucking love peanut butter milkshakes, pancakes, eggs with bacon, burgers, fries and very American cheesecakes.

This picture on the left warms my heart. We were walking through Little Italy and I had to stop when I saw these beautiful felt sausages hanging in this Butchers’ window!! I hoped to take a picture without the cute man noticing- he made the picture so perfect. He did notice though, laughed and waved HELLOOOO. Turns out, it was local legend MOE THE BUTCHER himself. This cute shop is in Elizabeth Street since 1923! It is full of charm and has this special vibe that I long for. I keep thinking about Albanese Meats & Poultry every now and then, even though I am 6500 km away haha! It is considered to be the last remaining butcher shop in the area. I found an article about Moe & his granddaughter, Jen- click!. When in Nolita, visit Moe.

We popped into the National Museum of the American Indian in New York with high hopes. Both National Museums of the American Indian in Washington DC as well as in NYC are components of the famous Smithsonian Institution. My stepmom is a mine of information and speaks highly about this Institution- she suggested visiting the museum in DC and it blew me away. The building itself was fascinating (designed by Douglas Cardinal) and the exhibits are outstanding- SUPER informative, and colorful, displayed so creatively! Lots of artifacts, art, historical and cultural objects from Native Indian communities. The museum in New York was much smaller than its “brother” in DC and even though the architecture with its classic structures was breath-taking and worth a visit alone, all in all, it seemed “under-exhibited”. Most Museums in NYC are free or have Free Museum Days or Pay What You Wish-Days, very cool!

I LOVE CHINA TOWN. Chinese immigrants have brought their traditions, culture, and business to this neighborhood in New York City’s Lower East Side, from Canal Street to Bayard Street. No matter which China Town I go to I get sucked into a visual orgasm, the vibrance, colors, neon lights, smell, noise, food, patterns- wow! I heard there are better ones around the world than the one in NYC, but I personally really like this one. We went randomly into some bakeries, patisseries, and shops not knowing what we would experience inside: most of the signs are in mandarin- and it was fascinating how within a few minutes you feel you actually left NYC. We bought pastries and walked and walked… and suddenly we were in Little Italy.

There are documentaries about these shopping windows at Bergdorf Goodman. They are designed by David Hoey (senior director of visual presentation for Bergdorf Goodman) for over 20 years now! He’s the creative mastermind behind the store’s world-famous holiday windows. Each year Hoey and his team (around 100 people!) of designers, prop artists, installers, electricians, and carpenters transform those Fifth Avenue windows into mindblowing holiday fantasies, real art for real real. Soon there will also be documentaries about girls taking selfies in ladies rooms.

“Let there be Neon” is a studio, gallery & business founded by artist Rudi Stern. A really unique New York institution. Rudi Stern was a multimedia artist and built his museum of “illuminated nostalgia and temple to neon” (word-gasm!) in the 70ties. He made some crazy kinetic multimedia installations for Timothy Leary.

If you watched Netflix’ “Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics” (if you haven’t, you should!) you probably know about Timothy Learys’ strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Nixon called Leary “Americas most dangerous man”, but I am drawn to these types of figures as I am drawn to neon-light-installations: very.

BTW: Did you know Leary had a Ph.D., lectured at Harvard, and said he “learned more about the brain and its possibilities, and more about psychology, in the five hours after taking mushrooms than in the preceding 15 years of studying and doing research in psychology“?

PS: Neon Rudi Stern was also friends with Oskar Kokoschka, badass!