Michelle Jackson’s returning to the Big Apple to check out some of the places that inspired her second novel Three Nights in New York and see what’s new.
The crisp white linen tablecloths and bright yellow awnings frame the view of the pond, where couples glide by in rowboats. I’m back for another Three Nights in New York and soaking up the ambiance in a pivotal location from my 2009 novel. 
The Central Park Boathouse has been a favourite for stylish New Yorkers and visitors to the city since 1954 and it’s the perfect setting to experience a bit of that Carrie-Bradshaw-lifestyle. I’m with my friend who lives in Astoria and she’s enamoured by Flamur, our charming waiter, whose good looks easily earn him a place in a novel.
I order the Jumbo Crab Cake for my main and it follows a cracking starter of stuffed mushrooms. Cocktails are another must have but this time it’s a mocktail for me with cucumber and I’m whisked away into the pages of a book. The revisit more than met my high expectations and remains my favourite spot to dine in New York. centralparkboathouse.com
Manhattan oozes culture so for our first brush with the arts we visit the Morgan Library, where an exhibition of books containing psalms from mediaeval times is beautifully curated on the second floor. I’ve been curious to see JP Morgan’s mansion on Madison Avenues since learning about the steel mogul’s interest in astrology. As we stroll into the book clad walls of his personal library I look up to the finely painted ceiling showing the twelve astrological signs.
Aries and Libra sit in prominence over the doorway – a nod to the millionaires association with the Zodiac Club, a secret dining society of 12 elites that was founded in the mid-nineteenth century and still meet monthly. Membership is by strict invitation only and each member takes on one of the zodiac signs. The fact that so little is known about what is discussed at these dinners makes it intriguing for the ‘scorpio rising’ in me. Permanent exhibitions include sculptures from Cairo and Mesopotamia, as well as an extremely rare Lindau Gospel encased in a bejewelled covering. www.themorgan.org
We hop in a taxi and whiz up Madison Avenue to the recently refurbished Frick Collection that now includes galleries on the first floor. Renaissance Masters, hang next to Vermeers and Rembrandts. This beautiful museum was once a living home, albeit one where Hans Holbein’s Thomas Moore rests on the drawing room wall. The Frick is an oasis of Gilded Age grandeur and a gentle retreat from the cacophony outside. Entry tickets are in high demand, especially during weekends so booking is essential. www.frick.org
Another day and another list of things to do and they aren’t all expensive. We get the subway into Manhattan and I use my credit card to pay the $2.80 fare. We arrive into Hudson Yards followed by a leisurely stroll down the Highline. This park in the sky, on what was an old railway line, runs through the Meat Packing District and opened to the public in 2009.
I was so impressed with the concept back then that I put it into my novel as a romantic location and am delighted to see how it has flourished into mature parkland today. We are in a hurry to get to Chelsea Market and meet Kevin, who is taking us on a food tour with Like a Local Tours. We have six stops to make that include donuts, dumplings and the best beef tacos ever.
Kevin explains how Chelsea Market morphed from a biscuit factory, and the home of the Oreo Cookie, into a cornucopia of culinary delights. Before we finish up at pier 57 we’ve absorbed all the fascinating history of the Meat Packing District and shoreline. www.likealocaltours.com
An unusual but charming addition to this area is Little Island, a manmade park and theatre venue with children’s playground built on stilts of martini-glass-shaped-concrete. Concerts are given here year round and with the backdrop of New Jersey across the Hudson, the setting is comparable to the amphitheaters of old found across Southern Europe. In the distance, the One World Trade Center AKA Freedom Tower beckons – the tallest building with a spire in the Western Hemisphere.
We stroll down the promenade and piers passing new eateries and watch joggers and families make the most of the tasteful parks and beautifully maintained playgrounds. As we arrive at the 9/11 Memorial it’s a hive of activity. Flowers and flags fill the names of the two thousand who perished and are now remembered in the sculpture of tears that fill the pool where the south tower once stood. It’s a moving experience and tragic reminder of the fragility of life.
We use the City Pass to enter the Memorial Museum having booked in advance. The City Pass saves money on visiting eight key attractions from the Empire State Building to the Guggenheim and from Ellis Island to the Museum of Natural History. It can be bought online www.citypass.com/new-york
It’s a reasonable $4.50 to get the ferry from Wall Street back to Astoria, in the Borough of Queens. Staying with a local helps the budget and finding hidden gems. For dinner we sit out on the deck in Aliada, a wonderful Greek restaurant on the corner of 31st Avenue that serves the best Greek salad outside of Athens or Crete. The vibe in this borough is easy and relaxed.
This time I was surprised to find plenty of free things to do in New York and I was taken with the city’s pristine appearance compared to my last visit two years ago. It has a similar energy to 2008 and the dollar is back to a more manageable exchange rate at $1.17 to the euro giving more bang for your buck. I’m already plotting and planning…not a sequel, but my next Three Nights in New York!
For more from michelle read Three Nights in New York on amazon.co.uk
Factbox
For all you need to know about New York go to www.nyctourism.com
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