Solo Travel with Renee
Dear New York City:
Every year, you’ve enticed me to break winter’s monotony with some delectable dining, therapeutic shopping and a night at the Opera in style. February 2020 was no exception, and I had a wonderful time enjoying many of your sights and delights.
I was stunned when the vortex of COVID sucked you into a pandemic epicentre literally overnight. Your teeming sidewalks, lively art and museum scene and endless shopping emporiums became eerily silent. The ‘city that never sleeps’ now only existed within the pulsating ERs and ICU’s of your exhausted hospitals, and I worried over the fate of your people and survival of the places that had given me so many happy memories.
You are uniquely different from the rest of America; your vibe is reflected in every twinkling light, gracious Brooklyn brownstone, flashy glass storefront and New Yorker bustling to their own beat. With your soaring architecture and vibrant neighbourhoods, you’re a walker’s paradise: The High Line for lofty, leisurely strolling, the splendors of Central Park, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (stunning during Cherry Blossom time), breezing along your waterfronts, a trek across one of your iconic bridges spanning the East River or just idling along 5th Avenue, Broadway or any of your other major arteries. https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/city-vacations/best-scenic-places-to-go-on-a-walk-in-new-york-city
Avoiding your more popular, often crowded sites, I try to emulate a native New Yorker, scouring the neighbourhoods and nooks they frequent for shopping, dining and entertainment. Rather than Little Italy or Manhattan’s Chinatown, I head to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx or the East Village for a more authentic ethnic experience. https://www.frommers.com/destinations/new-york-city/planning-a-trip/neighborhoods-in-brief
Further forays into Brooklyn, Queens, Harlem, or jaunts to Staten Island via the free Ferry bring me a trove of
memorable adventures that intensify with each trip. One of my serendipitous pleasures has been unearthing some of your more quirky and obscure museums, sometimes free or more affordable than the ‘big three’ (MOMA, the MET or the Guggenheim). Spending a reflective hour or two at the American Folk Art Museum, the Fashion Institute of Technology, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Tenement Museum, the Jewish Museum or the charming Fraunces Tavern Museum has beguiled and enlightened me, and the afternoon spent at The Cloisters was purely magical. https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-museums-in-new-york-city
I love jumping on your subway with its affordable passes and efficient routing. The ‘subway buskers’ are always a surprise and often a delight – I’ve seen impromptu ballet, heard opera arias, lively jazz and clapped hands to youngsters break-dancing in the aisles. https://www.nycsubwayguide.com/
Like any major metropolis, you have your danger zones and common sense must be taken regarding personal safety. Staying away from tourist traps, dressing simply and returning to my hotel at a reasonable evening hour, I have never felt in danger nor been in threatening situations, but find a welcoming warmth from your people.
To avoid expensive accommodation, I avoid booking in Manhattan. Many smaller hotels and alternatives such as B and B’s, guesthouses and short-term apartment rentals with reasonable rates abound in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, and I’ve never been disappointed in my choices. All are interconnected on the subway line and you can zip downtown in no time. https://www.booking.com/region/us/outskirts
New York City, despite this devastating pandemic, your people are tough, full of heart and have surmounted calamity before – the ravages of Hurricane Sandy come to mind, and I remember 911 with sorrow. https://www.911memorial.org/
In the face of your worst adversities, you’ve always rallied and come out on top of the world. I strongly believe in your resiliency and though I had to scuttle this year’s pilgrimage, I promise to encourage Solo Travellers to consider making your acquaintance as soon as we can safely cross borders again. And I look forward to my next Opera extravaganza!
My travel thoughts are with you,
Renee