Genuinely nice building, and a cut above your average mall. Plenty of upscale shopping, clean and…read morewell kept, and it makes for a pleasant escape from the chaos of the streets outside, even if the area itself is thoroughly touristy. I headed down to the basement for the Whole Foods, which is where my one real complaint lives: I cannot believe people do their regular grocery shopping here. The prices are sky high. This is "grab a fancy snack because you're already in the building" territory, not "do your weekly shop" territory. Your wallet will feel the difference. Worth knowing if you're looking for it today: this got renamed the Deutsche Bank Center back in 2021, though the shops and that pricey Whole Foods are all still there. Nice place to wander. Just maybe eat before you visit the grocery store.

I can't get used to the new name. Deutsche Bank took over the long-term lease from Time Warner, and…read morethe building was renamed the Deutsche Bank Center last year. Even Time Warner changed its name to Warner Media after it was acquired by AT&T, so I guess I have to get used to it like most things I hate. I just think Time Warner has a certain snap to its name and the mass media cachet that a multinational bank simply doesn't. The Shops at Columbus Circle are gratefully still here, especially to people who actually buy stuff, although some of the shops have left like Amazon Books. Thomas Keller's Per Se is still there though it's as unattainable as it's always been. Whole Foods has also survived in the basement because presumably the filthy rich owners of the luxurious residential units above still need a convenient place for their domestics to get their groceries. Jamie W. and I are just grateful the public restrooms are kept in immaculate condition. That and the still-spectacular view of Columbus Circle from every public level of this complex (photo: https://bit.ly/3S8Omlq). Now what's the name of this place again? RELATED - Exploring Manhattan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2ZvQA2F

Even though I live on the East Side I occasionally wander over to the Upper West Side to hang with…read morefriends at a bar or restaurant. Love the main stretch of Broadway where you'll find all types of shopping, stores, bars, movie theaters, and places to eat. There are famous museums in the neighborhood such as the Museum of Natural History, also Lincoln Center for Arts, and Riverside Park where I've done some races at. Plus, at many of the cross streets on Broadway they have seating areas with benches which I think is pretty cool. We've sat and chatted on these as traffic drives by in each direction. I do like that this part of town has kept much of it's old school architecture especially with its brownstones which are such an iconic NYC thing. As such, apartment rentals usually average on the higher side here as compared to the East Side/Yorkville area. The main MTA subway 1,2,3 Red lines serve this neighborhood, along with the A, B, C, D Blue/Orange lines.

Upper West Side is still one of my favorites places to spend the day. I can spend many days in many…read moreUpper West Side neighborhoods. It's historic in my opinion. I don't see as many old buildings being torn down to make way for high rise buildings. I think the West Side residents are into historic preservation more than my modern community on the Upper East Side. I find I love being here UWS for the day but I have to admit I like shiny new buildings with lots of amenities!! Come visit Upper Manhattan!

Manhattan, the heart and soul of New York City, is a bustling island that has captured the…read moreimaginations of people from all over the world. With its iconic skyline, rich history, diverse neighborhoods, and world-famous attractions, Manhattan stands as a symbol of the American dream and serves as a global cultural and financial hub. Manhattan's history is an intriguing saga that begins long before the arrival of European explorers. The Lenape people originally inhabited the island, which they called "Manahatta," meaning "hilly island." Manhattan's history dates back to the early 17th century when it was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. In 1609, Henry Hudson, an English explorer sailing for the Dutch, journeyed to the island, paving the way for Dutch colonization. The Dutch soon established the colony of New Amsterdam, which was later seized by the English and renamed New York in 1664. The 19th century saw significant development in Manhattan. The grid system of streets and avenues was introduced, Central Park was created, and the borough became a major hub for immigration. In the 20th century, Manhattan solidified its status as a global power player with the creation of iconic structures such as the Empire State Building, the United Nations Headquarters, and later the World Trade Center. Manhattan is divided into 7 different areas. soho, Harlem, Financial District, Greenwich village, Upper East side, Midtown and Chelsea. Definitely a place to come and enjoy yourself, that is if you are open to some fast pace fun!!

Manhattan is the envy of cities worldwide. Ambition, culture, and contradictions collide. But while…read moreits dazzle looms large, it's no longer the old classic it once was. Its edge is very polished. Tourists capture Manhattan in a couple of days, racing from Times Square to Central Park to the Statue of Liberty. They go where everyone has already been. Yawn. But to truly experience it, you need more time. A week, at minimum. Enough to watch the city wake up, ride the subway without a plan, and let the neighborhoods reveal themselves at their own pace.

Since I retired I enjoy walking all the way down to the Bowery to spend the day. The Bowery is a…read morestreet and neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough of Manhattan. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the North. The historic 1.5 mile Bowery is the oldest thoroughfare on Manhattan Island. Long before Broadway became Manhattan's Famous gathering place. Also known as Skid Row I'm very familiar with the neighborhood due to my years working in Human Services. My job took me there many days. When I was growing up my Mother told me stories of visiting the city as a young girl. Once she was very frightened when she came to the city and it became a rainy day. She was lost at night in the Bowery trying to find the train to return home. She and my father warned me that people there would kill you for a quarter. I never forgot these things. I don't go alone at night. Even on a Sunny day I remain vigilant. That's really a given anywhere you go in any city in this current age in America. My Opinion. Right now I'm looking forward to returning. Weather permitting I won't have to wait long. My days in this lifetime are precious. I'm having trouble being everywhere and seeing everything my city has to offer. For now here's a few photos I've taken in Bowery Neighborhood. Don't be any more afraid to visit The Bowery than you would Times Square. There's a lot to do and see in and around this neighborhood.

The Bowery has a fascinating history in NYC. My experience in the Bowery initially was as a…read morevolunteer at the Bowery Mission. I also shop at the Whole Foods in the area. Or I go with my husband as he shops. Now there are many restaurants and clubs that once housed the homeless. At forgotten NY the Bowery's history is documented. http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/bowery/bowery.html In the 1940s through the 1970s, the Bowery was New York City's "Skid Row," notable for a large concentration of the city's homeless. The Bowery is home to the famous Bowery Mission. http://www.yelp.com/biz/bowery-mission-new-york The Bowery has been expeirencing a gentrification along with the entire lower East Side of Manhattan and specifically the Bowery starting 2005. http://cooperator.com/articles/1697/1/Skid-Row-to-Luxury-Gold/Page1.html The area in my opinion has had the most amazing transformation of any NYC neighborhood in my life time! http://nymag.com/nymetro/realestate/neighborhoods/maps/10117/ It is hardly recognizable as the same place any more. This area needed it even though there are always protests against the gentrification. Some believe the goal is really ethnic cleansing. I hope that is not the case. But I have to say it does seem to be the case in Red Hook Brookyn. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/gentrification-as-benign-ethnic-cleansing/ I personally think this area needed it. However I am also hoping with the gentrification the Bowery Mission is not pushed out of the neighborhood. As some have suffered with the gentrification. http://cooperator.com/articles/1697/1/Skid-Row-to-Luxury-Gold/Page1.html The Bowery from Houston to Delancey Streets serves as New York's principal market for restaurant equipment, and from Delancey to Grand for lamps. The Bowery is home to the Bowery poetry club.http://bowerypoetry.com/ The Bowery has been noted in many movies and TV shows such as__________ Mentioned in the film The Basketball Diaries by Leonardo DiCaprio In the 2002 film Gangs of New York, the Bowery is a mentioned territory of the Bowery Boys, a street gang of the late 19th century, The Bowery, a 1933 film about Brodie A popular B-movie series made between 1946-1958 featured "The Bowery Boys. In the 1949 Looney Tunes short "Bowery Bugs", Bugs Bunny tells an old man an imaginative story about a gambler named Steve Brody who jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886. The sailors are headed across the Brooklyn Bridge and to the Bowery to get tattooed. On the Bowery, Lionel Rogosin's 1956 film, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary. Mentioned many times in the original TV series Kojak (1973). The Bowery is home to the famous CBGB's.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBGB The club closed in October 2006. The Bowery was home to the famous Amato opera until it closed in 2009.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amato_Opera The Bowery is home to the Bowery Ballroom which reopened in 1997 it was built in 1929. http://www.boweryballroom.com/ And of course the famous Bowery Boys. http://theboweryboys.blogspot.com/ Even though I am 48 The Bowery Boys came on TV on a regular basis when I was a child. http://theageofcomedy.com/bowboys01.html I had no idea at the time there was an actual Bowery Boys. I thought it was just entertainment. http://www.amazon.com/Abbott-Costello-Show-Anniversary-Collection/dp/B000GNOGCE Then there is the adventurous Bowery hotel. It opened in 2007 and was an adventurous undertaking at the time. http://www.nysun.com/arts/blossoming-in-the-bowery/47578 It is a fascinating area with a fascinating history.

Broadway (important street) - Broadway always leaves a strong impression on me. It is a vibrant…read moreartery of the city, full of history, theaters, people, and constant movement. Walking along Broadway has a unique atmosphere where culture, entertainment, and everyday New York life blend together. Each section of the street has its own character. We found ourselves coming back here several times.

Just go. Amazing people watching. Great street vibe. Lights at night are a can't miss stop…read more Theaters and shows nearby. Hundreds of restaurants.

This street has something for everyone. It's artsy w…read moremusuems, theaters, restaurants, clothing and shoe establishments, etc. 1 stroll down 125th is surely the cliff note to this wonderful city.

Decent train station with reliable service due to multiple trains stopping here. It's def a central…read moretrain at a central location. Just wish it was a cleaner station with more police involvement for safety

So much can be said and written about the beloved gem that is Harlem. It is my favorite borough in…read moreNYC (it's a part of Manhattan, i know). I truly love all of nyc, but Harlem is special. The history, the sites, the food, the energy/vibe...it reminds me very much of where I was born and bred. The best part is its location right across the bridge from NJ. It has been interesting to see the "rebirth" and ever-changing landscape. The love is still there, though. And always will be!

Oh Harlem, who can touch your incredible culture and your iconic history? The history of my people…read more Black people. Amazing people. The birth of our culture, our music, our dance, our literature. But also, once a story of struggle, poverty, and crime. Every person and every place has a past and a story. The story of Harlem encompasses the great history of black culture. From the Harlem globetrotters, to the Apollo Theatre, to the Harlem Renaissance; this district is a one of a kind. I only wished that I could have spent more time here. Harlem still seems to get a bad rap, but I have to admit that it's not that bad at all. It kind of reminds me of how outsiders think of Oakland. You have to experience it for yourself to see its' true beauty. And, that there Harlem is pretty damn beautiful. The architecture, the restaurants, the wonderful parks, its' lively character, and its' people. All of it is worthy of a visit. Yes, there are some rough parts like there are in many other cities around the world. But, don't let that detour you from experiencing the Harlem culture. There's just so much history in this town, and it has truly evolved over the years. I'm grateful to have experienced the charm of lil' ol' Harlem.

I think this poem explains how the LES gets under your skin once you've rendezvoused with the 6th…read moreBorough! By Miguel Piñero co founder of the Nuyorican Poet Society LOWER EAST SIDE POEM Just once before I die I want to climb up on a tenement sky to dream my lungs out till I cry then scatter my ashes thru the Lower East Side. So let me sing my song tonight let me feel out of sight and let all eyes be dry when they scatter my ashes thru the Lower East Side. From Houston to 14th Street from Second Avenue to the mighty D here the hustlers & suckers meet the ****s & freaks will all get high on the ashes that have been scattered thru the Lower East Side. There's no other place for me to be there's no other place that I can see there's no other town around that brings you up or keeps you down no food little heat sweeps by fancy cars & pimps' bars & juke saloons & greasy spoons make my spirits fly with my ashes scattered thru the Lower East Side . . . A thief, a junkie I've been committed every known sin Jews and Gentiles . . . Bums & Men of style . . . run away child police shooting wild . . . mother's futile wails . . . pushers making sales . . . dope wheelers & cocaine dealers . . . smoking pot streets are hot & feed off those who bleed to death . . . all that's true all that's true all that is true but this ain't no lie when I ask that my ashes be scattered thru the Lower East Side. So here I am, look at me I stand proud as you can see pleased to be from the Lower East a street fighting man a problem of this land I am the Philosopher of the Criminal Mind a dweller of prison time a cancer of Rockefeller's ghettocide this concrete tomb is my home to belong to survive you gotta be strong you can't be shy less without request someone will scatter your ashes thru the Lower East Side. I don't wanna be buried in Puerto Rico I don't wanna rest in Long Island Cemetery I wanna be near the stabbing shooting gambling fighting & unnatural dying & new birth crying so please when I die . . . don't take me far away keep me near by take my ashes and scatter them thru out the Lower East Side . . . If you can't feel THAT, or at least appreciate it, then maybe Alphabet City isn't for you.‍

I've spent so much time in the Lower East Side over the years, and it still remains one of my…read morefavorite areas. There is an irreplaceable energy in the mix of old-school tenement history, incredible street art, and some of the best food in the city. Whether you're grabbing a classic pastrami sandwich at Katz's or just wandering down Orchard Street, the neighborhood always feels alive and authentic. It has definitely changed and gotten trendier recently, but that gritty, creative soul is still very much there. It's the kind of place where you can just walk for hours and never get bored.