NEW YORK TIMES

Got up early and left the hostel. The hostel is run by this lovely Chinese fella who lives there with his wife and 6 year old kid. The communal shower is their shower with all their stuff in it and the kitchen is their kitchen that they use. Lovely place to stay, feels like your staying with friends in their own home, which I guess it is.

Went for breakfast in a diner round the corner from the hostel, scrambled eggs on toast and endless top ups of Quwwoffeey!!

Set off around Manhattan as soon as we'd finished breakfast, we've only got one day here as we're leaving very early tomorrow morning to fly home, so we're making the most of being here. Walked round the corner to Times Square then down Broadway to see the wedge shaped Flatiron building which looks class. Its Saturday, so there were a load of people out walking their little designer dogs in Madison Square Park. I dont get them daft little dogs, you know them ones that look like shaved rats! I bet its just a matter of time before we find out that they're carriers of the Bubonic Plague!!

Stopped to take a few photo's of the Empire State Building, didnt bother going up it as we went to the top on our honeymoon and remembered how long we queued inside.

Walked up 5th Avenue all the way to Central Park, diverting slightly to have a little look inside Grand Central Station. Had a Quwwoffeey there and watched the world go by for a bit, its a canny busy station! Saw the Crysler Building, which is a cool building!! We then walked up the rest of 5th Avenue and had a look in F.A.O Swartz the big toy shop near Central Park and got our Chloe her birthday present. Spent about an hour walking round Central Park. There was loads of people about, running, walking dogs and that! Then we stopped to watch the University team play softball on the playing fields. (now thats just rounders, at least with baseball they pitch the ball, but in soft ball they use a massive ball and throw it under arm)

Manhattan is stunning. Its such a cool city. Now I know I can only comment on what Ive seen and experienced in 5 days back in 2005 and 2 days this time around so I have no idea what it would be like to live or work in Manhattan and from what Ive read and heard its a pretty tough and hardened city to exist in. Something I read about New Yorkers said that ' The faces in New York look like they've played a game and lost'. But to spend time in New York is truely the best thing I can think of doing if you're in need of something to do! Flashing lights, city nights, busy streets, I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!

We went to Appleby's on Times Square for some scran, the same one we went to on honeymoon and had some ribs. Then the plan was to go to a few bars and head back for an earlyish night as we have to leave at 3:30am to catch the subway to JFK.

Found a bar on 9th avenue on the way back and stayed there all night as the music was quality. Mostly British guitar music: The Cribs, The Smiths, Lilly Allen, The Who, The Beatles they even played Maximo Park so I wasnt going anywhere. Had a great night in there.