New York was a lifelong destination point for my partner Lynda and I and it exceeded all expectations. The one thing we didn’t expect was the humidity and 30+ degrees temperatures. I hope many of these photos will bring to life how hot it actually was. We stayed in the Caribbean Quarter of Brooklyn for two and a half weeks which was fascinating as we were in the heart of African American New York. We were witness to the biggest African American Festival on Labour Day where over a million people celebrate black culture. We are both big lovers of art so we overindulged in everything New York offers. I have only included one art photo, that being from a Jeff Koons exhibition at the Whitney Museum but needless to say you could fill several books with what’s on offer in NYC. We feel we barely touched the sides of this incredible city in 2 1/2 weeks so there is no doubt we will be back one day.

These photos were submitted as part of my Travel Journalism course and are taken from the original blogs. I haven’t uploaded them as yet as they will need some filtering! The first 2 days in New York were cathartic to say the least, suffering from a combination of severe jet lag and sheer joy at being in the Big Apple. My writing at that time was somewhat overzealous and cryptic! I hope these 20 photos can tell a bit of the story at least. Cheers.

The High Line. Bought for a dollar, this is a converted section of old railway line that’s been converted to a beautiful, landscaped, traffic-free walk over approx 1 1/2 kms at a height of 3 stories. Absolute must do.

Most of where we stayed in Brooklyn was lower socio-economic. Like all northern hemisphere countries, they tend to do a lot of construction and repair work while the weathers good. This photo typified our daily 10-minute walk to the subway in the searing heat.

The Guggenheim Museum. Designed by the incredible architect Frank Lloyd Wright this is a gallery like no other.

There are no backyards in NYC so Central Park is it. Who’s complaining though? It kept dragging us back over the time we were there and we cycled around and through it a couple of times.

A Brooklyn comedian in the West Village one night reckoned the Cyclone at Coney Island was the scariest ride in the world. Not because of its technology, but because it was built in 1932 by a bunch of drunk men! He was right. This ride scared the hell out of us and had us both at the chiropractor when we returned home! He also mentioned he liked to play a trick on unsuspecting tourists. As everyone takes their seats in the Cyclone he would yell out “this is my 200th ride on the Cyclone!”. The tourists would clap and cheer, then as the carriages get slowly dragged up to the highest point before gravity takes over, he would yell out, “what’s that noise…I haven’t heard that before..my God what is that!” The Cyclone would then go hurtling into its terrifying trajectory snapping vertebrae at will!

We walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to ground zero on our first day. It’s such an impressive bridge. Rock solid and as a result of its almost indestructible frame I nicknamed it the “Leigh Matthews Bridge”. Manhattan Bridge was named the “Nick Riewoldt Bridge” for its sleek design and elegance. Clearly, jetlag had got the better of me. You can see the newly built Freedom Tower in the background of this shot.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum. Not for the faint-hearted. An extraordinary collection of artefacts from that day but not a lot of information around the “why” it happened.

Times Square

The “Top of the Rock” at the Rockefeller Centre is probably the best place for shots of Manhattan.

Sheeps Meadow, Central Park. Great community feel and a haven for New Yorkers wanting to stretch their legs, throw a ball or just chill.

Lynda dancing with buskers, 34th St subway station

Performer, Labour Day Parade Brooklyn

Performers taking a break, Labour Day Parade Brooklyn

Lynda chilling, Central Park

Jeff Koons exhibition, Whitney Museum

Lynda chillin’ with the brothers, Harlem

Washington Square West Village. Once the home to beatniks and folk musicians, the West Village is home to celebrities such as Hugh Jackman. Beautiful tree lined streets and brownstone buildings it still has a vibrant nightlife and home to the city’s comedy fraternity.

Although the biggest borough of Brooklyn has been gentrified in parts like Williamsburgh, most of it is still tough and working class.

Mural, Chinatown. Chinatown and Little Italy are adjacent to each other on the Lower East Side and can be easily discovered in a day. Incredible food options as you would expect!

The season opener, Metlife Stadium New Jersey. New York Jets v Oakland Raiders. Metlife holds approx 80,000 and thousands in the carpark with state of the art trailers and RV’s containing satellite dishes having BBQ’s!