First time in New York? Here's why you need to treat the city like a pizza

Like most hotel rooms in New York, the ones here are on the cosy side, but they’re feature-packed with everything I need for a city break and the coffee in the lobby from Blue Bottle Coffee is up there with some of the nicest I’ve ever had – perfectly spun milk poured over an almost-nutty espresso is incredibly moreish. The Walker Hotel’s location is brilliant, within a five-minute walk I’m either under the neon lights of Chinatown or whiffing the fresh scents pouring out of Little Italy’s restaurants.

Part of the story of New York is its history and evolution. The city is constantly in motion with something new happening on every street. As I leave the hotel to explore, I soon wander into a hive of news cameras, policemen, and reporters setting up equipment outside the courthouse for the trial of ex-President Trump.

Irish in New York

The Irish story in New York has its roots in the Five Points neighbourhood and surrounding streets in Manhattan, where I visit the Tenement Museum at 97 Orchard Street. 

“This was the period in American history where minorities first became the majority,” states my tour guide as we clamber up the stairs and into the space where Bridget and Joseph Moore lived with their five kids in the 1850s. The space delicately preserves the harsh and cramped life back then in New York. 

Only able to find work that others looked down upon, Bridget travelled north to become a housekeeper to the wealthy tycoon families like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Heated by coal and home to upwards of 100 people, the building marks a point in time where the Irish story changed and where the Irish American was born.

A slice of the city

Even after a few days of being here, I’m struggling to wrap my head around the sheer size and density of New York – it’s astounding. Every alleyway leads somewhere new and behind every door is the latest and greatest venue. I know I’ll need some help to get under the skin of the city, so I hop aboard the Brooklyn Pizza Tour. Like a bolt of lightning, my tour guide, and stand-up comedian, Marc explodes into action as we tour the highways and byways of Brooklyn with no interesting tidbit glossed over.

We make our first stop as the bright autumn sun shines in through the tall windows of Grimaldi’s, a stone’s throw from the famous Brooklyn Bridge, an iconic landmark of the city that was funded by the bank that once occupied this premises. The iron facade of the bank still stands today, but instead of cash being deposited here, nowadays two tonnes of coal are dropped off each week to fire the famous ovens. Grimaldi’s can trace its lineage back to the first ever pizzeria in New York, Lombardi’s. It is so well loved that Frank Sinatra flew the pizza by private jet to his shows in Las Vegas.

The Sicilian-style pizza at Spumoni Gardens, not far from the fairground rides on Coney Island, with its thick crust and cut into squares easily steals the show for me though. Where I’m eating is as much a part of the dining experience as what I’m eating, and as an Italian-American “Oh!” rang out from the kitchen, I knew I was having an authentic slice of New York life.

9/11 remembered

The biggest story in New York’s past is undoubtedly 9/11. Fire stations throughout Manhattan are marked with placards honouring firefighters who went to work that day and never returned. 

Walking towards Ground Zero, I expect a sombre and quiet scene, but as I turn the corner onto Greenwich Street, with another Blue Bottle Coffee in hand, I see kids playing on scooters, families sitting around and chatting, and visitors posing for photos. Rather than letting the site take on a church-like quietness, it’s a hub of life and a space used by New Yorkers.

“Sycamore trees were chosen for the memorial as they show the changing of the seasons so well,” notes my guide David from Downtown Alliance. David is what I imagine when I think of a Downtown New Yorker. Heavily involved in the arts, he was a professional harmonica player, produced a Van Morrison record, and renovated a dilapidated building into a home with his friends in the East Village. 

“Although a lot of people died here, this place is all about life,” he says. “Thirteen subway lines meet here at Fulton Street Station. That’s every single subway line, this is the centre of New York.” 

As I wander around the memorial, I read the names of those who died, carved out of stone with little other visual noise, their names take centre stage.

Green space

Stepping inside the One World Trade Center just steps away from where the Twin Towers fell, we’re whisked up to the observatory deck on the 104th floor, high above the city streets. Manhattan spreads out in from of me from the East River to the Hudson River and as far north until the buildings blur into the horizon. 

Among the towering skyscrapers and iconic buildings, my eyes are drawn to the parks, there are far more than I ever expected to see. I’m told that 14% of New York City is made up of parks. That’s just north of 108km2; for context, the entirety of Dublin city is roughly 117km2. These parks give the city to the people who live here, they’re spaces where conversations start and stories begin. It’s places like these that make the city what it is.

As I make my way back down to ground level and walk through the rejuvenated Seaport, I ask David if a city of this size ever gets too much. “I’ve travelled a lot,” he says, “and this is the only city that can hold my attention. It’s kept me here 35 years.”

His story is one of the millions upon millions that have taken place on these streets and that’s the magic of New York. Every trip creates another story about The City That Never Sleeps.

Irish success stories

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Irish Examiner (@irish_examiner)

You’ll find Irish pubs in almost every neighbourhood in Manhattan, but none have become a bigger part of the city than The Dead Rabbit.

Belfast duo Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry opened the pub on Water Street in 2013 and it has become the world’s most-awarded pub. Expect to find works from Irish artists on the walls and sawdust on the floor.

Another Irish-owned business flourishing in the city is Orior, a furniture business run by husband and wife duo Brian and Rosie McGuigan. Their beautiful and colourful pieces are owned by high-profile clients like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Oliver Jeffers, and Sonam Kapoor.

Visit their showroom on Mercer Street.

Surfing in the city

New York and surfing might seem like an odd combo, but there’s a burgeoning surf scene found on Rockway Beach in Queens.

Jump on the A Train out to the beach and book rentals and lessons with Local’s Surf School.

Surfing is possible year round, but some stretches of the beach are for swimmers only during peak summer.

Stop by Batesy’s BBQ and Rockway Tiki Bar to refuel afterwards and for some land-based activities, Jamaica Bat Wildlife Refuge has hiking trails to explore.

For more surfing destinations near the city, check out the waves at Long Beach and Montauk.

Escape notes

Aer Lingus flies multiple times per week to New York JFK and Newark airports from Dublin with a flight time of 7h 30min. aerlingus.com

Stay at The Walker Hotel Tribeca in Manhattan from $200 per night. walkerhotels.com/walker-hotel-tribeca/

Plan your very own New York story across the city’s five boroughs with NYC Tourism. nyctourism.com

First-time visitors to the US will need an ESTA before travelling and if you already have one, don’t forget to check if the date is still valid. esta.cbp.dhs.gov

• Cian was a guest of NYC Tourism and Aer Lingus.