Walking through the numberless streets around Greenwich village, Chelsea and West village neighborhoods, we found a lot of strange shops, bars and live music halls. There, Manhattan shows another face, forgetting its incredible agitation, the buildings get lower and seem more ancient. The traffic diminish and the numerous small parks fill up with young boys playing basketball. It is so pleasant to drink a cold beer, resting under the enormous trees and being observed by the unflagging squirrels… And it is already a red sunset. Going home we walked along the banks of the Hudson river in the Riverside park. As any other day, millions of people passed under our eyes, numberless colors and features. New York is really cosmopolitan: how many emigrants came to the big apple, looking for any kind of dreams?

Just a suggestion for backpackers: Mount Royal hostel (W 94st, 351 Manhattan), price to be negotiated. This hotel is situated in a beautiful zone, near Central park and the subway.

Finally, the American sun! And with it a renewed desire to see, discover and travel… We are knowing a lot of people, who are leading us to more and more interesting surprises. We are understanding that New York is actually a complex city, that requires a lot of time to be visited. On Monday we spent the whole day walking between Times square and Central park. This is such a big park that seems quite simple to loose yourself in there. We knew a guy in the subway, who suggested us to visit Brooklyn city. We spent the afternoon there, looking for alternative pubs and lounges, we had a good time. We haven’t seen so many artists on the road us expected, but we saw some unforgettable performances: above all a break dance show in Central Park.

It is the second day, here in Manhattan. We are still very tired, because of the jet lag. This full of lights America can’t stop itself: shops always opened, continuous traffic, people who eat at anytime. Maybe, exactly how we were thinking about it… and then lights, lights, lights. There is often a typically British fog, but a smiling sun is shining this morning. Yesterday we have been walking a lot, always with a look towards the sky (it is so impressing to watch at the buildings: you can’t even see the top of them). I don’t usually love modern things, but the skyline of Manhattan is something unique. We thought New York was a city with more social contrasts and differences, but it’s too early to understand it. People are very good, it is so simple to start speaking with anyone, from the homeless of central park to the merchant of Chinatown.