Day one in New York with my wife  started with breakfast at the Brooklyn Diner on West 57th Street. This was entirely my choice, and while adequate, not worth a trip out of the way. The Diner is pleasant enough, but a typical tourist trap. I wouldn’t imagine any self respecting New Yorker would dine there.

A quick look around the West 57th Street and also near 5th Avenue predictably led us past the Tiffany & Co jewelers.

The route to the Natural History Museum took us through Central Park. At the beginning of April, this was somewhat cold, but the Cherry Blossom had already started to bloom.

New York has the luxury of being full of iconic buildings, and no visit to New York would be complete without a visit to the Empire State Building. There are two observation floors, the ‘Main Deck’ being on the 86th floor, and the ‘Top Deck’ on the 102nd floor.

After you have been through the  labyrinth of queueing systems, and security, the view of NYC is fabulous.

Evening on our first full day was taken up with a visit to Dizzy’s Club – Jazz at Lincoln Center.  A small intimate venue, recommended by out hotel concierge. While not a lover of Jazz music, this was not disappointing, with the Tierney Sutton Band being the main act. After she had finished, The Gabe Schnider and band came on for an hour. Quite frankly, this group was the main event out performing the Tierney Sutton Band despite their much younger years. A photo of Gabe Schnider and the band who performed on 7th April 2016 can be seen here. The venue is popular, needing your name on the list to gain entry. Not only would we have not known about “Dizzy’s” had the concierge recommended it, but we would not have been able to attend had a reservation for the table not been made. Dizzy’s also offers a good food menu, and the cover of $35 was reduced to $10 if you dined. The food was good, and so was the service.

There was a strict no photography policy in the venue, which I honoured for a change, only to see persons taking photos later on. While I might not have got snaps of anything worthwhile inside, I did get a couple of snaps from the outside.

Finally, a gallery of images taken on the day.

Buses stand top-to-toe outside Mangia Restaurant on 57th Street, New York City

The Atlas Clock dating from 1853 above the main door of Tiffany, New York.

The Crown Building (formerly known as the Heckscher Building) is a mixed use property located at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City, one of the most expensive retail and office space locations in the United States. The property is an iconic fixture in Midtown Manhattan designed by Warren and Wetmore, architects of the Helmsley Building and Grand Central Terminal.

An American citizen making a living from recycling plactic bottles. A hard life, but a living none the less.

The new order of Yellow cabs in New York City is Japanese. Large American cabs are now hard to find.

The Junction of Broadway and West 57th Street

Cherry Blossom of Central Park, New York

The inconspicuous Subway Entrance at the Natural History Museum, New York

A homeless man takes shelter from the cold of New York City in the entrance of a Subway Station.

Taxi-Cab Race

The classic view of the Flatiron Building

Street signs mark the junction of Broadway and 5th Avenue in the Flatiron District, New York City.

The M Train departs from 34th Street, New York City Subway

Empire State Building, New York City

A view looking South West from the Empire State Building, New York City

The impressive backdrop in the Empire State Building Lobby

The M Train arrives at 34th Street, New York City Subway

The M Train waits at 34th Street, New York City Subway

The M Train departs from 34th Street, New York City Subway

A Subway train departs at speed from 57th Street, New York City Subway

The Lincoln Centre, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola 1

The Lincoln Centre, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola 2