There’s upstate and downstate and never the twain shall meet. The two have about as much in common as the Upper East Side and the Bronx. And yet everyone shares the same governor and legislature in the capital, Albany. While this incompatibility produces legislative gridlock, it’s a blessing for those who cherish quiet and pastoral idylls as much as Lower East side bars and the subway.
Defined largely by its inland waterways, the Hudson River, the 524-mile Erie Canal connecting Albany to Buffalo, and the St Lawrence River, New York stretches to the Canadian border at world-famous Niagara Falls and the under-the-radar Thousand Islands. Buffalo is a cheap, foodies’ paradise and wine aficionados can pick their favorite vintage from around the state, but especially in the Finger Lakes region close to the college town of Ithaca. From wilderness trails with backcountry camping to small town Americana, miles and miles of sandy beaches, from the historic, grand estates and artists colonies in the Hudson Valley and Catskills to the rugged and remote Adirondacks it’s easy to understand why so many people leave the city never to return.

New York city

New York can be anything you want it to be. It’s why countless people have pinned their dreams on the place, thrown caution to the wind and shown up on its doorstep.
If you like a day filled with culture, start with a look at some Tseng Kwong Chi photographs celebrating East Village creativity in the eighties at the Paul Kasmin gallery, before ducking through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the current Japanese art exhibition.
Round out your afternoon with some off beat/experimental theater at the Abrons Art Center on the Lower East Side. If you rather your city a little grittier, spend some time in the hidden, restful Trinity Church cemetery, then cross to the Lower East Side where the Tenement Museum paints an evocative portrait of early migrant life on the island. Grab a hot dog from a street cart and stroll around the recently renovated Columbus Park, watching the mah jong and domino players compete against a backdrop of basketball.
Just don’t be too shocked if your day of high culture turns into a long afternoon of chicken soup and matzo balls at a downtown diner – or if your bohemian day runs off the rails when you stumble into a gold mine, and walk out with bags of goodies you didn't realize you needed. Whatever. New York is easy that way.Show in Lonely Planet
It’s why visitors keep streaming in from all corners of the globe, grasping at their silver-screen visions – and finding them – but discovering plenty more on the way. If you are willing to approach New York with a combination of organization and openness, you’ll be met with some staggering and unexpected rewards.
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