The head concierge at New Yorks historic Carlyle Hotel has a genuine love of the city and plenty of great ideas on what to do and see. He takes us from the docks to a Mad Men-era bar
The essence of New York is that we are a brassy Dutch town that hinges on mercantilism. People here are accustomed to it; theyre not shocked or embarrassed by it. For example, on the day that Lincolns funeral cortege was paraded up Fifth Avenue, ticket brokers bought windowsill seats on the houses there and sold them. Thats so New York. And the day after 9/11, they ran out of US flags, but the next day they were everywhere for sale again! You wondered, where did these flags come from? Its shameless, but thats New York. And Im the luckiest man in the world to know this city and its people.
My favourite time of year in the city is autumn. Its when I first came to New York from Texas, and the autumn air is just magical. Its so sensuous. You take a deep breath and it gives you the energy to walk. It also signals the opening of the opera season, the symphony, the ballet, Carnegie Hall It doesnt matter if you cant get to all of them, its enough just to recite them like a mantra: it is Autumn in New York, as the song says!
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