American Romance: New York City – Part 3

After spending a few days in New York City, we start feeling very comfortable here. We hunt out some of the coolest roof bars to try out – here’s the view (and Mrs Romance) at Le Bain. It’s the rooftop bar on the top of the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District – the party side of town.

Mrs Romance loves it here. The views are incredible – all the way south over the villages and the financial district, and then west over the Hudson all the way down to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We find the atmosphere this time of the afternoon is as chilled as the margaritas, which aren’t too expensive.

Here’s our full review of Le Bain and the Top of The Standard.

We discover Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. It’s full of people having fun, performing, playing chess or just taking in the scene. It even a marble arch, as every great city should. This one’s almost 120 years old.

Hunting the LOVE sculpture in New York is something people like to do. I – on the other hand – just bump into it as I wander the streets eating a giant pretzel.

This is the giant pretzel I’m eating as I stroll around Manhattan. It’s only $2, which I’m pleased about. It’s really weird. On the other hand, I’m pretty sure I’ve made a good choice. The hotdogs the guy’s selling from his little cart look quite dodgy.

Evidence of Mrs Romance’s shopping spree. To her credit, she’s very excited about her new shoes. I’m still a little confused as she only has two feet. Anyway…

Heading to 30 Rockefeller Center, we take a trip up to the Top of the Rock. The views from here are incredible. North, we can look out over Central Park. It’s a vista you don’t get from the Empire State Building – the other top view of the city from these parts.

Looking south over Manhattan, you get a real understanding of what an incredible place you’re in. These old binoculars are great too, with important buildings marked out as you pan round.

Our apartment in the West Village is right in the heart of Brownstone territory. The view from our living room window shows off the neighbourhood at its leafy best.

Some of the buildings on our street are the very picture of New York. We’re living next door to Willem Dafoe, and across the street is where Sex in the City was filmed.

We’re not huge Carrie fans but her famous brownstone stoop have forced the building’s real occupants to put up a rope and signs to stop visitors climbing up to the door.

Round the corner from our place is this beautiful little park and fountain.They’re all over the city and make us wish we lived here even more. We can both imagine spending time on one of these little oases, reading, writing, talking, eating…

Thinking of eating, we stopped by Bleeker Street Pizza for this late-night cheese fest. The bottle of Brooklyn Lager in the corner is a full-size bottle by the way. Needless to say, we had some left over!

Another rooftop bar we visit turns out to be even cooler than Le Bain. Gallow Green is about as cool as you can get before people think you’re just putting it on. Great drinks, perfect atmosphere, a train carriage we can’t work out how they got up to the roof and probably the best people watching outside Grand Central Station.

At the top of the McKittrick Hotel, its rail theme comes from being so close to the High Line park and the Hudson Rail Yards redevelopment project in Chelsea.

We meet up with the exceptional Reagan of @reagan_b and of Hairdresser on Fire fame on the High Line. It’s the first time I’ve had the pleasure but Mrs Romance – in her Hair Romance capacity – is old friends with her.

Mrs Romance spotted this flower stand on the street somewhere. She insisted on including this picture. I don’t mind because it gives me the chance to tell you about a very important post. Here’s what He Said, She Said when men should buy women flowers.

Here’s our swan song before we head for the airport and home: our last American burger. And it’s a belter! Mrs Romance is very happy with the amount of onion involved. I’m just happy with this one in general!

We found this on our doorstep in the West Village: an excellent little restaurant called Extra Virgin.

Goodbye New York! We’ll be back as soon as we can… you never know, it might be sooner than you think!

As a little addendum to our diary, we thought you might like to see this incredible lightning storm we saw pass under our plane on the way home:

Ever seen lightning at 30,000 feet?! Here’s a vid of the storm we flew over! #AmericanRomance #cloudporm #storm #lightning by @mrandmrsromance

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Here are some more of our Instagram diaries from across the USA:

American Romance – Instagram diary: San Diego Part 1.

American Romance – Instagram diary: San Francisco.

American Romance – Instagram diary: San Diego Part 2.

American Romance – Instagram diary: Chicago.

American Romance – Instagram diary: New York City Part 1.

American Romance – Instagram diary: New York City Part 2.

Images by Mr and Mrs Romance via Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance, @HairRomance and of course @AngryBastard!