The homeless have returned to the streets, locals have stopped using the subway due to crime, garbage piles up everywhere, an espresso costs eight dollars (around 30 shekels), and many shops stand there with empty shelves.
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I went to see how Manhattan recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, and I discovered a city that is still buzzing, but has become shockingly expensive. However, on the other hand, wow, how much I enjoyed it.
If there's one thing that COVID didn't take away from Manhattan, it's its power. It's one of those places where on the one hand, you feel like a small and insignificant grain of sand in front of the towering skyscrapers and the never-ending stream of people in the streets, and on the other hand, the abundance of possibilities and the city's frantic pace make you feel the most alive you can be.
The pandemic didn't affect Manhattan's spirit, but it did bring the city back several decades, to the pre-Rudy Giuliani era, the mayor who cleaned it up from the homeless and criminals. By the way, marijuana is now legal in New York, and you can smell weed in every corner.
Shopping: Pricey, but outlet stores are your friend
The first thing you feel when you arrive in Manhattan is that it is much less crowded, except for the Times Square area, which remains at the same level of frenzy - a swarm of people, street performances, gigantic and dazzling billboards.
In the SoHo streets, which were always very busy, you can feel a decline in footfall, and the grandiose stores look even bigger when there aren't many shoppers inside. Many places have closed down. There are quite a few empty shops, and those that remain hold much less stock.
In pharmacies, most products are locked in display cases (even inexpensive ones), probably due to theft. Despite the price increase, you can still find much cheaper prices compared to Israel (for example, a black Lululemon t-shirt cost us $60 in SoHo, which is about 219 shekels. In Israel, it costs 319 shekels).
If you have time, spend half a day at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, with its over 200 stores, and it will definitely satisfy your shopping needs.
The view: The world's summit
If you don't suffer from a fear of heights, there are quite a few stunning observation points overlooking the city (some of them completely new), all competing for the title of the best. Since tickets are expensive, you probably won't visit more than one, so we checked it out for you: Meet SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
The best time to visit the summit is around 7:00 PM. This way, you can enjoy the view both in daylight and at sunset (currently around 8:25 PM). A little tip: They will only allow you to enter at the time you purchased the ticket for, but they won't tell you when to leave.
The observation offers an insane 360-degree view of Manhattan's skyline. Various attractions, such as mirrors, a glass floor, and a playful helium balloon room, make the experience enjoyable for the whole family. There are also several bars, both indoors and on the open terrace, for a light meal or a drink. For an additional fee, you can upgrade your ticket and take the transparent glass elevator to the top of the building.
Price: $42 per adult.
Address: 45 E 42nd St (entrance from the main complex of Grand Central Terminal).
Tour Hudson Yards and Chelsea
The Hudson Yards area is one of the newest and most rapidly developing neighborhoods in Manhattan. The neighborhood is located in Chelsea, between 30th Street at the beginning of High Line Park in the south and around 33rd Street in the north.
Ziv Hofmann, an Israeli guide, offers tours that start at Hudson Yards and the Vessel building – the largest construction project of recent years. It is a sculpture that stands about 150 feet tall and is built in a spiral style. Visitors can walk on it and climb to the top via 80 stairwells. Due to several suicide incidents, it is currently closed to visitors, but it is still impressive from the outside.
Hofmann's tour takes you to truly magical and unique corners, including the Edge observation deck, the High Line, Chelsea Market (don't miss the flagship Starbucks branch that is truly amazing), a tour of the Chelsea neighborhood - where you will encounter famous locations from TV series like the "Friends" apartment and the "Sex and the City" girls' hangout spots, shopping areas, and dining spots.
The tour also passes through the new floating park called Little Island - an artificial island built on columns. The tour lasts about four hours, involves easy walking, and includes many worthwhile stops for photos.
Tour price: $75 per person in a group, zivinny.com.
If you're not taking an organized tour and want to explore the area, consider having lunch or dinner at PEAK restaurant on the 101st floor of the Edge observation deck. It will save you the admission ticket to the observation deck, but if you want to sit by the window (which is what you want), you'll pay $125 per diner for a three-course meal. The food, by the way, is excellent.
A ticket for the Edge alone will cost you $39 per person. Please note that the observation deck has a transparent floor, so it may not be suitable for the faint-hearted.
Address: Hudson Yards 30.
On the second floor of the Hudson Yards Mall, you'll find Snark Park - an interactive gallery that changes its exhibition every three months. You can touch the displays and enter them. Price: $28 per person.
Address: Hudson Yards 20.
Bars and live music
If you're coming alone or don't know good places to go out in the evening, it is recommended to take the new tour by Israeli tour guide Ricki Sofer. The tour takes you to bars with live music, passes through the historic piano bar where only songs from famous Broadway musicals are played in a crazy atmosphere.
You peek into the oldest jazz bar in New York, munch on pizza at the world's most famous pizzeria where Spiderman worked, enter the bar where the Pride Parade started, peek at the best stand-up comedy clubs in the world, and see where all the comedians began.
For dessert, dancing at the "Café Wha" club, founded in 1959, where Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and even Bill Cosby started their careers.
The tour is primarily suitable for those who want to experience New York's nightlife and don't know where to go. The average age on the tour is 35+, and it lasts two hours. It takes place on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and costs $150 per person in a group (discount available for more than four people), including a drink at each club and pizza. Private tour (up to six people): $175 per person. Participation is from the age of 21 and above, rickiswalkingtours.com.
Karl Lagerfeld exhibition in the Met
Many eyebrows were raised when fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was chosen as the subject of the annual Met Gala, a fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the month of May. Racist and homophobic were just some of the epithets he was called, but since the exhibition opened, titled "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," the queues have only been getting longer.
Lagerfeld headed the fashion houses Chanel and Fendi, in addition to his own eponymous luxury fashion house. He was considered an icon but also one of the most controversial designers due to many controversial statements he made.
Around 150 of his works spanning from 1933 to 2019 are on display at the exhibition, alongside explanations of his working methods and sketches. If you're interested in fashion and want to attend, it is recommended to arrive at the museum about 15 minutes before opening and quickly sign up for the exhibition tour. While waiting for your turn, explore the museum, which features endless rotating and permanent exhibitions.
Ticket price: $30 for adults. Until July 16th.
Restaurants: High-priced, with a side of expensive
You will immediately feel the price hikes in all restaurants and cafes. Keep in mind that the menu prices do not include the city tax and a minimum of 18% in tips (luxury restaurants usually expect no less than a 25% tip!).
The final cost will only be revealed on the bill. Therefore, calculate an additional inclusive surcharge of at least 30% for each dish. Nowadays, even if you order takeout through the payment screen, you will be asked how much tip you want to add, but you are not obligated to add it.
Quick, light, and affordable meals:
• Chopt is a chain of customizable salads found in almost every corner of the city. It's not a bad option at all for a quick, healthy, and efficient meal. Price per dish: around $16.
• Eataly is a small market where you can eat at the bar with a selection of pasta dishes (personal recommendation: chestnut gnocchi), focaccia sandwiches, and reasonably priced pizzas in a joyful atmosphere.
Address: 200 5th Ave.
• Other food markets for light meals are Chelsea Market and the Spanish market in the Hudson Yards Mall.
• If you crave excellent and affordable dim sum, it's worth going to JING FONG in Chinatown. A meal will cost you $6.50.
Address: 202 Centre Street.
• Seki Sushi is the place for sushi — rolls starting from $7.
Address: 208 W 23rd St.
Upscale restaurants:
• COTE is the only Korean barbecue restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star (there is also a branch in Miami). It offers an interactive dining experience where the waiter prepares the meat in front of you on a smokeless grill built into the table. The atmosphere is joyful, young, and noisy, the food is excellent, and the prices are relatively reasonable. Example: around $30 for a plate of prime ribeye with cool extras. The concept is to take a lettuce leaf, add sauces, toppings, and slices of grilled meat in front of you, roll it up, and enjoy every bite.
Address: 16 West 22nd St.
• Fouquet's is a brasserie that opened in a new boutique hotel called Barrière Fouquet’s. People come to this restaurant to see and be seen. It is currently the most sought-after place in the city, frequented by models, actors, and influencers. The restaurant is located in the Tribeca neighborhood, and its chef has three Michelin stars. For example, the price of a main dish like salmon is $50.
Address: 28 Desbrosses St.
Transportation: Still better to take the subway
Despite the rise in crime and numerous incidents where people were pushed onto the train tracks, the subway option is still the most convenient and cheapest, although it is always preferable to walk.
There are safer and less safe lines, but generally speaking, the city center is still relatively safe, as well as fast and inexpensive. A weekly train ticket is worthwhile if you are staying for more than three days, and there is also the option to pay at the train entrance by swiping your credit card on the ticket reader and not buying a ticket in advance.