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Statue of Liberty
istock_rypson

New York pleasures

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18th Jan 2017
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New York is always exciting and offers a wide range of ways to have fun. If you are planning a trip soon, this selection should whet the appetite

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

In around 15 visits, your dedicated columnist had never visited the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. In part, that omission resulted from the timing of trips, around the turn of the year, to accommodate office and client needs.

On a mid-January day when the temperature hit the mid-60s and a t-shirt was adequate, the trip finally took place.

The ferry is memorable for its views of Lower Manhattan and then Liberty Island. Once there, it is possible to walk around, reach the plinth below the lady’s feet or head for her crown.

To be honest, as with a round of golf at St Andrews, most of the enjoyment comes from an epic sense of history. This is compounded by a visit to the museum, which allows tourists to learn the story, architects and engineers to relish the construction and accountants to count the cost of this gift from France.

Next stop is Ellis Island, for the period from 1892 to 1924, the sole point of access for immigrants to this great city.

As someone who is wary of museums, the experience was an unexpected delight. There is a vast amount of social history delivered in intelligible and manageable portions to fit any visitor’s mood and time constraints.

In addition to charts and extracts from the mouths of immigrants, the vast space houses audio presentations, innumerable fascinating photos and a great swathe of memorabilia and intelligently presented information. All builds to a full understanding and empathy with those who risked all to become Americans.

The history also informs the present day, when once again it seems that new governments in both Britain and the United States are determined to restrict immigration, for better or worse.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Of all of the New York Art Museums, the Met is the biggest and has the widest variety. It always comes up with something special that you have missed in the past and takes the breath away.

For this art lover, the paintings from Europe old and new and the United States are always favourites but then ancient artefacts and assorted sculptures take the eye too, as did the views of Central Park. As a bonus, the Met has also taken over the old Whitney building, now the Breuer and dedicated it to modern exhibits.

The Other Met

The Metropolitan Opera House is another of New York’s pleasures, offering top quality performances from the world’s leading stars.

Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette offered singing of the house quality and will be available in cinemas and on Radio 3 live on 21 January. This is your chance to enjoy a slice of New York luxury without paying the $400 or more that a top price seat would set you back.

Broadway-Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812

The title may be a mouthful but Dave Malloy’s glorious musical based on an episode from War and Peace delivers pure unadulterated joy.

It is intelligent but passionate and the staging in a completely reconfigured theatre is exciting with the actors threading their way in and around their delighted paying guests.

Add in some cracking music and this is likely to be the highlight of any trip to the Big Apple.

To be fair, Hamilton would almost certainly also be up there, if only tickets were ever available.

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