NYC3: The Outdoors

New York's a funny place in a sense, and a city of contrasts. It's all things to all people - Broadway shows, shopping, sightseeing, art, music, food... you name it. It has great outdoors things as well as indoors.

Went up the Empire State Building (which I do on every trip it seems - there's always something else to look at). We were there late afternoon/early evening so could see the lights coming on all over the city - a great sight! A new high place to worship the mammon of New York is the Rockefeller Centre which has opened it's observation deck on three stories for the first time in 20 years - and we were there the day it opened. So were lots of TV journos and, believe it or not, Tim Vincent doing a TV slot (for a travel programme I assume).

The Rockefeller has more wandering round space than the ESB and is better than the ESB too, if only because you get great views over Central Park (which you don't from ESB since Rockefeller blocks it) but also because you can see the ESB from Rockefeller and it's a great sight in all it's towering glory! The lift to the observation deck has a see-through ceiling and the lift shaft is lit up so it's strangely exciting to watch as the lift swiftly rises up through the brick tunnel. Scenes from a film were also projected onto the ceiling to make it more exciting. I would definitely go up the Rockefeller again.

Another great landmark is, of course, the Statue of Liberty. We've all seen it loads of times and it's almost a cliche of itself, but it's still a powerful and admirable symbol. Particularly since it's next to Ellis Island and all the stories attached to that place. Echoing halls and ghosts, a place bursting with joy and sorrow.

Lovely blue skies aside, New York is mistress of the night and the glorious (and incredibly wasteful) lights of Times Square. Our hotel was just 50 yards from Times Square so we saw it a lot but it never loses its appeal to me. Not sure I would've liked it in the '70s but now it's a perfect expression of the city that never sleeps. I, of course, do sleep, but I can quite see people wandering round there at all hours - we went shopping in the big Virgin store on Times Square at midnight and it showed no signs of closing. That really contrasts with London - everything closes early here and London virtually shuts after 5pm on a Sunday.

Central Park is another favourite place I like to visit, to get away from the traffic and the streams of people. I've never been there in autumn so it was a must-see visit, to wander round and see the leaves change colour. The last time I was there the place was covered in a blanket of snow so it was nice to see the range of colours on display on this trip.