Simon Says Goodbye

Three months have gone by and my time in New York City is coming to an end. Obviously, it's been a fantastic experience. So thanks to Bonnier in Sweden for making it possible and thanks to Dagens Nyheter for letting me go. And most of all, thanks to my colleagues at the research department here in New York for making me feel welcome and useful.   

Three months in this city is impossible to summarize. I've seen and experienced so much, and yet all I can think of right now are all the things I might have missed out on. I probably should have visited more museums and fewer bars and restaurants. With that in mind, I thought I'd finish off by telling you about my favorite places and things to do in New York City.

The place I visited most frequently was the 11^th Street Bar in the East Village. I went there almost every Saturday morning to watch Liverpool play. After the games, I usually walked to my favorite part of the city, the West Village. There is no better place for a stroll. I especially liked to walk up and down the residential streets. It's very quiet compared to the rest of the city and the streets are very pretty with trees and classic New York style stoops. There's also an abundance of restaurants, bars and cafes, so I was never hungry or thirsty for long in the West Village.

Another great place for a stroll (I've strolled a lot in New York) is Brooklyn Heights. It's just across the Brooklyn Bridge (a very nice stroll in its own right). Not only is the neighborhood pretty, there's also a great view of Manhattan.

Like I told you, I didn't go to a lot of museums. I didn't go to a lot of shows either. In a way, Central Park makes up for it though. It's like a combination of a museum of anthropology and a theater show. Some of the shows are intentional and you gladly pay the artists a couple of bucks. But most of the shows are unintentional and absolutely free. The best spot for watching truly original New York characters is this kind of roller skate disco they get going in the southern part of the park. Considering the cost of everything, it's probably the best way to spend an hour in New York without spending money.

And finally, there's a place I discovered this weekend which I definitely would visit more if I was staying here for the summer. One of the bad things about Manhattan is that there are highways next to the water both on the west and east side. You'd think that with this entire coastline there would be a lot of nice places by the water. Well, there aren't. But this weekend, as I was idly walking north along the Hudson, I saw this pier with a boat and a bunch of people. If you had any idea of the heat this weekend I'm sure you would sympathize with my desire to dampen my throat at that moment. Thinking it might be a mirage, I walked out on the pier and lo and behold, it was a restaurant and a bar doing brisk business. I ordered a cold beer, found an empty chair on the boat, took off my shoes and my socks, and basked in the sun with a view of lower Manhattan (and New Jersey). This was probably my favorite New York moment.

So, if you're ever in New York and the heat is getting to you, I highly recommend the Frying Pan.

I guess that's all I had to write about my time in New York. If you've been reading this, thanks. And I'll miss you because I assume you're a colleague of mine at the research department.