During a visit to the beautiful Brookfield Place shopping mall, I visited the "amazon go" supermarket. I had already heard a lot about Amazon's supermarkets, as they are supposed to show what supermarkets could look like in the future. 

When you enter the store, you have to scan the QR code of your Amazon app or alternatively your credit card at the barrier. Once in the store, you put all the products in the bag and leave the store again through the barrier. There is no queue and you don't have to scan any products yourself at a self-service checkout. There is no sales clerk in the store itself, just a bell to call the goods scavenger if there are any problems. The shelves have weight sensors and recognize when goods are removed from the shelf or put back. The products purchased are recorded by over 100 sensors and cameras and the price is automatically debited from the credit card when the customer leaves the store. The stores are criticized because a lot of data is collected about customers and used to analyse their shopping behaviour. Leaving the store without paying someone first felt forbidden. At the same time, it was a nice feeling to get into the store quickly, grab a cold drink and walk out again without having to wait. 

After my visit, I asked myself whether this concept will catch on. There are only 43 of these supermarkets in the United States, whereas Walmart is the largest private employer in the world with over two million employees and over 10,500 stores. In Germany, too, over 3 million people work in retail, but many of them would no longer be needed in such a supermarket. I can't wait to see what the supermarkets of future generations will look like!

Time Square is located at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and is basically a large square surrounded by numerous huge billboards. The eponymous Times Tower stands in the center and originally belonged to the New York Times; today it is home to the world's most expensive billboards. New buildings are required by law to have brightly lit billboards to maintain the familiar image. It is indeed very impressive to sit in the square and look at the elaborately designed advertisements. Among other things, the companies try to attract the attention of passers-by with 3D advertisements from which figures literally jump out. On my first visit, there was a free jazz concert in the square, where I was able to sit down at a table with the food I had brought with me and watch the sea of passers-by and advertisements to beautiful music. One evening I visited Time Square again, where the many brightly lit screens that bathe the square in daylight are even more impressive. Numerous acrobats, musicians and costumed people mingle with the many tourists - a huge hustle and bustle.

I visited High Lane on a day off. This is an old freight train route that runs for 2.6 kilometers through the city at a height of 7.5 meters. The Meatpacking District used to be home to many meat factories and other businesses that used freight trains to bring their goods to the port. At the beginning of the 20th century, 10th Avenue was nicknamed "Death Avenue" because the tracks ran along the street and there were many accidents involving cars and pedestrians. In 1932, the elevated railroad line was put into operation to allow train traffic to run along the street. The last train on the line ran in 1980, after which freight traffic increasingly shifted to trucks. When the demolition was called for, the "Friends of the High Line" initiative was founded in 1999, which campaigned for the preservation of the structure. Demolition was averted and instead the line was converted into a park and opened to the public in 2009. Further sections were gradually developed and the last section was recently opened in June 23. A beautiful park maintained by numerous volunteers who support the wildlife by planting local plants. Creative artwork, remnants of track systems and breathtaking views of New York make the walk in the park an experience. My favorite piece of art was a pair of binoculars with an integrated camera. When you look through the binoculars, your eye is filmed and projected onto a large screen. Above people's heads, a huge, searching eye looks out onto the street, giving everyone the feeling that they are being watched. What a beautiful idea! 

The "Climate Science Fair" took place in the park that day, a fair on the topic of climate protection with interesting lectures on the background and consequences of climate change, stands from associations and companies on possible solutions and free iced coffee. I also received two T-shirts as a gift, which are now among my favorite shirts at Triform. My highlight, however, was a corner where videos from the "Nature is Speaking" series were presented. In these videos, nature has its say, well-known actors (Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Robert Redfort...) speak from the perspective of forests, ice, oceans, coral reefs about the importance for the world and humanity, the current problems and risks if we don't act in time in the face of crises. I couldn't tear myself away from the videos, so I sat there for almost half an hour and listened to the visually powerful and emotional appeals, which moved me deeply. 

I recommended the videos at Camphill and one afternoon we actually gathered in the hall with the Biodynamic Spraying group to watch the video series. The residents were also captivated by the videos and they became aware of the importance of the different parts of nature for us humans. Water, soil, flowers, many things we take for granted and waste little thought on. Be sure to watch the videos, there is no more powerful way to show the danger of climate change. Most of the videos are in English, some have been translated into German.

Nature Is Speaking: Joan Chen is Sky (English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8d_JvMpoY4&list=PL5WqtuU6JrnXjsGO4WUpJuSVmlDcEgEYb&index=3

Nature Is Speaking – Harrison Ford is The Ocean (English)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM6txLtoaoc&list=PL5WqtuU6JrnXjsGO4WUpJuSVmlDcEgEYb&index=8

Nature is Speaking: Hannelore Elsner ist Mutter Natur (German)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eFDhIeAM6A

Roosevelt Island is a large island in the East River on the east side of Manhattan. The island can be reached by a cable car that crosses the East River and offers a beautiful view of New York. 

At the time, prisons, psychiatric wards and hospitals for infectious diseases were located on the island to protect the city from danger. In 1968, the now dilapidated buildings were demolished and the land was used instead for urgently needed housing. What remained was the ruins of the "Smallpox Hospital", which had quarantined immigrants infected with smallpox since 1856. Nurses were later trained here until this school was also relocated and the building gradually fell into disrepair. Fortunately, the medieval-looking ruins, overgrown with ivy, were not demolished, as they bear witness to the interesting history of this island.

At the tip of the island is the "Four Freedoms Park", which commemorates Franklin D. Roosevelt's State of the Union address on 6.1.1941. He gave this speech at a time when the Second World War had already been raging in Europe for two years, but there was hardly any readiness for war in the USA. Both the formation of the anti-Hitler coalition and the founding of the United Nations referred to the four freedoms mentioned in the speech:

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech, and expression—everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

Especially now, when two wars are raging not far from my home, these are words that could not be more important. The park is very beautiful, quiet and has a viewpoint at the top with a view of Manhattan.

After two months, the time came for my first hair appointment in New York. I chose the hairdresser "Barber on Pearl", which is located in Dumbo (Brooklyn). I thought I had made the appointment with enough of a buffer, but underestimated the crowds of tourists on the Brooklyn Bridge. So I crossed the bridge in a hurry, dodged the oncoming groups and reached the hairdresser two minutes before my appointment. Here I got an excellent undercut haircut with a beard trim and had a nice chat with the hairdresser. Not a cheap haircut, but I am very satisfied! 

Afterwards I walked to nearby Washington Street, where the cover picture for the movie "Once Upon A Time in America" (1984) by Sergio Leone was taken. Even if you don't know the film, you will recognize the famous photo motif. I also watched the film, which is the third part of Leone's America trilogy, the first of which, "Once Upon a Time in America", is much better known. In four hours, the movie tells a story that spans over 50 years and tells of a group of friends who start out as teenagers with small robberies, slide deeper and deeper into crime and eventually become part of the New York mafia. As expected, it doesn't end well for the group of friends. I enjoyed the movie very much, but I also understand why it hasn't become as popular compared to the similar movies "The Godfather" and "GoodFellas". The movie is not as accessible due to many time jumps and also has some lengths in the four hour running time. If you can put up with that and place less emphasis on the action and more on the personal relationships between the friends, then the movie gives you a nice insight into New York in the 20s, 30s and 60s. 

Afterwards, I treated myself to a triple choc milkshake and enjoyed the view in Brooklyn Bridge Park. On the way back, I had more time and was able to enjoy crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which is famous from numerous films.

Before my trip, I asked friends which travel guide they could recommend. The most frequently mentioned was "lonely planet", so I bought the New York travel guide from the Australian publisher. I'm a big fan of good bakeries and often miss the variety of breakfast in Germany, where I was used to pretzels, baguettes, croissants and poppy seed rolls. Here at Triform, I have sliced fruit (banana, apple, orange) and muesli with raisins for breakfast every day. They also offer milk and yoghurt, which I leave out as I can't digest either. Dry muesli and fruit is a bit boring in the long run, so I used the travel guide to find a good bakery in New York City. My favorite: the Supermoon Bakehouse. 

It's an Australian-owned bakery with an open design so that you can watch the hard-working bakers at work. The guidebook praised the bakery on Rivington Street (Lower Eastside) for having "perhaps the most creative and unique crossaints in Manhattan". Indeed, there is a huge selection of delicious croissants, cruffins (a mix of croissant and muffin), doughnuts, eclairs, baguettes and cookies. I paid just nearly 20 dollars (18 euros) for 3 pieces here, which may seem expensive, but is completely justified by the fantastic taste. 

A menu with pictures can be viewed here, who's mouth isn't watering?

https://www.doordash.com/store/supermoon-bakehouse-new-york-1856936/?utm_source=mx_share

After half a year in New York City, I missed one dish from Berlin in particular: doner kebab! 

Hisar fresh food near the Yorkstraße train station in Schöneberg is my favorite place to eat in Berlin, I loved buying a kebab here after work, sitting in the sun in the nearby Gleisdreieck park and having a picnic. So I went in search of a good kebab store, of which there are several in New York City. I decided on the store "German Doner Kebab" on 6th Avenue, an international kebab chain that sells German kebabs in the UK, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Canada and the USA. This sounded very exciting, as the most popular kebab stores in Berlin are single stores or only have a few locations in the city, but I am not aware of an international chain. 

If you're hungry and want to eat cheaply, this is the place for you! For 20 dollars (18 euros) I got a large box with a bottle of Coke, beef kebab, french fries, three sauces and two kebab spring rolls. The single kebab is more expensive than in Berlin, but after the recent price increases there's not much difference, especially together with the extras it would certainly be the same price. We German volunteers had different opinions about the taste.

I really enjoyed the kebab and was delighted to finally bite into a juicy kebab with garlic sauce again after the long withdrawal. I heard from the other Germans that they were a little disappointed with the taste, which I can't understand. But as we all know, tastes often differ when it comes to kebabs, so try it out for yourself! If you like it more unusual, you can also order doner burgers, doner wraps, doner panini, doner spring rolls or doner quesadillas. 

Forbidden Planet near Union Square is one of the world's largest stores for comics and graphic novels. As a science fiction fan, I found many interesting books and comics here and read many of them. If you want to decorate your apartment with memorabilia from well-known films and series, you will also find many figures, posters and shirts here.

The Strand Book Store is also located near Union Square and is a paradise for all book fans. The family-owned bookstore was founded in 1927 and is now the largest bookstore in New York and one of the largest in the world with 5,100 m² and 23 miles of bookshelves. In 2016, the store was named "the undisputed king of the city's independent bookstores" by the New York Times. Interestingly, many celebrities have also worked in the bookstore during their lives: Patti Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, Neil Winokur, Adam Bellow, Sam Shepard, Mary Gaitskill, Burt Britton, Lucy Sante, Marvin Mondlin, Ken Schles and Thomas Weatherly Jr. The huge bookstore is often used in films, for example in Six Degrees of Separation, Julie & Julia, Sex and the City and Remember Me. I bought the book "Starship Troopers" by Robert A. Heinlein from 1959, which won the Hugo Award in 1960. The book had a great influence on the science fiction genre, but is also very controversial. The book is set in the future in which a militaristic central government is in power. The soldier Juan "Johnnie" Rico rises through the ranks of the military in a society in which only veterans have the right to vote and to stand for election and are considered citizens. Heinlein takes a critical look at US society in the 1950s and the Eisenhower administration, considering the Sputnik shock, the founding of NASA and the Cold War. A gripping novel on which the 1997 film "Starship Trooper" is based.

Little Germany is located on the Lower East Side. In contrast to "Little Italy" and "Chinatown", this district is little known, as you have to do a little research to find traces of the German community.

In the 1870s, more than 170,000 residents of New York City were of German origin, and more than half of the bakers and carpenters in New York had German ancestors. Many fled Germany after the failed revolution of 1848/49 and helped to form trade unions. At the beginning of the 20th century, 50,000 people lived in Little Germany around Tompkins Square Park, also called "Deutschländle" by residents, where there were many German libraries, schools, churches, beer gardens, sports clubs and shooting clubs. However, a tragedy caused the German community to be torn apart in one fell swoop. The Evangelical Lutheran Church celebrated the end of the school year on June 15, 1904 with a pleasure cruise. Shortly after departure, a large fire broke out in the storage room of the paddle steamer "General Slocum." The lifeboats and rings were rotten and not floatable, and Captain William van Schaick made bad decisions that led to the deaths of 1,021 German New Yorkers. One percent of the population of Little Germany died that day, most of them part of the upper class who could afford such a trip. Many businesses then had no owners and had to close, surviving family members sometimes took their own lives, argued over the distribution of compensation money, or moved to Germany or other parts of the USA to live with surviving family members. The First World War caused the reputation of the Germans to decline, and the third generation of immigrants identified more with the Americans than with the Germans in their homeland. German terms disappeared from everyday language and German schools and libraries disappeared. If you walk through the district today, you have to look very closely to find traces of the German community. For example, the sign "German-American Rifle Club" on a house, a German restaurant, a German butcher's shop or the German-speaking community in the Evangelical Lutheran Zion St. Mark's Church. There are several German organizations here, such as the Goethe Institute, which offers German courses and German literature in its own library. I looked around the library with interest to find out what image of Germany is conveyed here. Unfortunately, I could not attend the Steuben Parade because I had to work that day. The parade commemorates the German origins of many New Yorkers and has been held since 1957 to maintain the traditions of the German homeland. Around 15 percent of all Americans are of German descent, and around 500,000 people of German descent still live in NYC. Several thousand people attend the parade every year, which is named after Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Freemason and Prussian officer who, as a US general, renewed the Continental Army and became a hero of the American War of Independence under George Washington. German music clubs, traditional costume groups, rifle clubs and carnival organizations take part in the parade and present German culture. In 2007, the German-born former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was the parade marshal, and the guest of honor was Helmut Kohl. Funny anecdote: Donald Trump said in 2002 "The Steuben Parade is the only parade in New York where the streets are cleaner afterwards than before."

Governors Island is a special island. Although it is located directly in front of Manhattan, many people have never set foot on the island, as I discovered in conversations with long-time New Yorkers in Triform. The island has only been open to the public since 2005! In 1698, New York was still an English colony, and the 70-hectare island was reserved for the use of the Royal British Governor of New York. From 1776 to 1966, the island served as a base for the US Army, and until 1996 it was a base for the US Coast Guard. During the Civil War, Confederate soldiers were held in Castle Williams and officers of the Southern States in Fort Jay. During World War II, the island was the main base for embarking soldiers for the European fronts. In 1988, the summit meeting between US President Ronald Reagan and CPSU General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev took place here. Until then, a restricted area, the island was opened to the public in 2005. A ferry takes visitors to the island for $5. It's worth a visit; two historic fortresses protecting New York Harbor (Fort Jay & Castle Williams) and the former US base with its 60 buildings can be explored. My highlight, however, was a large hill from which you can enjoy a perfect view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. It was a bit chilly and rainy that day, so I was practically walking around the island alone. It's a strange feeling to be so close to Manhattan and yet so alone.

The Stonewall Inn bar is located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village. On June 28, 1969, police raided the bar, which was frequented primarily by homosexuals. The mood towards the police was already tense beforehand, as the identities of the bar patrons were established due to "offensive behavior" such as kissing, holding hands and wearing women's clothing, and the names were subsequently found in newspaper articles. Homosexuality was very stigmatized at the time, so many bar patrons had to expect consequences in their professional and private lives. The patrons, mostly blacks and Latinos who often suffered from the racism of the police at the time, fought back this time and forcibly drove the police out of the bar. Many homosexuals showed solidarity and took to the streets to protest against the discriminatory raids. The anger and frustration erupted, and now the LGBT movement publicly stood up for their rights (GLF "Gay Liberation Front"). Unfortunately, transgender people and African Americans were excluded from the movement because they hoped this would give them a better chance of getting anti-discrimination laws passed. Little by little, the movement spread to other countries, where people fought for the rights of LGBT people everywhere. The raid is seen as the birth point of the LGBT movement. One year later, the first CSD (Christopher Street Day) march was held, and to this day there are parades in New York, Berlin and many other cities. In 2016, Barack Obama proclaimed the Stonewall National Monument, a national monument that commemorates the injustice suffered and the courage of homosexuals.

Grand Central Terminal was opened in 1913 and is now the station with the most tracks in the world, with 67 tracks on 44 platforms in 200 square kilometers. Why terminal? Because it is a terminal station and no trains pass through it. In 1976, the station was declared a National Historic Landmark. 500,000 people use the station every day, so there is a lot going on in the beautifully designed main hall. The ceiling shows an astrological mural of the Mediterranean winter sky with 2,500 stars. It shows the sky not as we see it, but from God's perspective. Grand Central Terminal is featured in many films, such as "The Avengers," "Cloverfield," "I am Legend," "Madagascar," "Ghostbusters" and "Unbreakable." Near the "Oyster Bar" is the Whispering Gallery. If you whisper at one end of the arched entrance area, you can hear all the words loud and clear at the other end.

The headquarters of the United Nations (UN), built in 1952, and the seat of the UN Secretariat are located in New York. The General Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and Social Council meet here. The history of the UN is very exciting. Its roots lie in the Hague Peace Conferences and the League of Nations, which was intended to ensure world peace after the First World War. The Charter of the United Nations was finalized at the Yalta Conference in 1945, and China and the Soviet Union also ratified the treaty.

According to Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, the main tasks of the UN are:

• maintaining world peace and international security

• developing better, friendly relations between nations

• international cooperation, solving global problems and promoting human rights

• being a center where nations negotiate these goals together.

Due to the enormous importance of the UN for international diplomacy, numerous embassies have settled in the neighborhood, including the German embassy, ​​which I visited. In hindsight, I should have made an appointment there to apply for my new passport, then I would have saved myself the stress of going home on holiday. German citizens get an appointment quicker and can also complete many of the services provided by the citizen's office in consultation!

The iconic Empire Statue Building is certainly the most famous skyscraper in New York City. In "King Kong," the giant ape climbs the 381-meter-high skyscraper and strikes at attacking fighter planes. In fact, on July 28, 1945, a B25 bomber flew to the 78th floor near Neben, killing 14 people. Betty Lou Oliver was in an elevator that fell 75 floors (300 meters) after the collision. She survived the crash and made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the highest survived fall in an elevator.

Interesting fact: the building was built in just one year from 1930 to 1931! If you look at how long construction projects take in Germany, it is almost inconceivable that such a landmark could have sprung up in such a short time. During construction, the skyscraper was equipped with an anchor mast for airships so that airships could drop off and pick up passengers here. However, airships went out of fashion shortly afterwards and only test flights were carried out. It was the tallest building in the world until 1972 and the tallest building in the city between the collapse of the World Trade Center and the construction of One World Trade Center. The observation decks are among the most visited sights in the city. I didn't make it to the top as the many observation decks all cost over $40 and so I had to choose a skyscraper. I chose the Rockefeller Center because I could admire the Empire State Building from here! The name Empire State Building comes from "The Empire State", the nickname of the state of New York, which can also be found on many license plates.

New York has, alongside many smaller universities, two very large universities: New York University (NYU) and Columbia University. You can compare it a little with the two universities in Berlin. NYU is located in the middle of Manhattan and is housed in 171 different buildings (10 undergraduate schools and 15 graduate schools) near Washington Square Park. There is no real NYU campus; if you leave a university building you are in the middle of the city. Columbia University is located north of Central Park and therefore not so central. Instead, there is a real connected campus around the Butler Library, where university life takes place.

NYU was founded in 1831/32 and, measured by enrollment numbers (51,848 students), is the largest private university in the USA. NYU has an overseas campus in several countries, including Berlin. 39 Nobel Prize winners have studied here. Unlike Columbia, NYU is not part of the Ivy League, the association of the eight elite universities in the USA. Unfortunately, the buildings are not public like in Germany. While at Humboldt University you can simply walk in and sit in on a lecture, here there are barriers at every door that you can only pass with a student ID. The "German House" is interesting, where German students and participants in German courses deal with German culture and language. Many events are also organized here that focus on German books, films and current newspaper articles.

Columbia University is older, founded in 1754, even before the United States itself. It belongs to the Ivy League, the ten best universities in the world, and is one of the most selective universities with an admission rate of 3.85 percent. It has produced 103 Nobel Prize winners, 39 Oscar winners and three American presidents. In April 2024, the university even made it into the German news because there were major protests here in response to the Gaza war. University buildings were occupied, police stormed into the buildings, hundreds of students were arrested and some were suspended. Jewish students expressed the feeling that they no longer felt safe on campus in view of the many expressions of solidarity with the Palestinians. Some media criticized the cooperation with the police and the arrest of many students, others the hesitant attitude towards anti-Semitic protests and attacks and the tolerance of tent camps on campus. In August, the university president resigned in the face of the never-ending criticism.

The Washington Square Arch on Washington Square is known to many from films ("I am Legend", "When Harry Met Sally"). Located in the immediate vicinity of New York University (NYU), students often meet here and enjoy a break with a coffee by the fountain. The triumphal arch was built to celebrate the centenary of George Washington's inauguration. Originally built from wood, it was so popular that it was rebuilt with marble. The area is very popular with artists and street musicians like to perform here.

To my disappointment, there was no snow in New York at Christmas. When it suddenly snowed at the end of January/beginning of February, I quickly booked a train ticket to New York City. New York, especially Central Park, is a completely different experience in winter with snow! I went to the Museum of Natural History and walked through the snow in Central Park. While in summer there are families sitting everywhere, young and old playing sports and there is a lot of hustle and bustle, the snow brings a lot of peace and quiet to the park. To my surprise, it was surprisingly slippery in some places; the snowfall and ice had probably surprised the park wardens too.

If you ask people for a tip about what you should definitely do in NYC, everyone immediately mentions the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry, which takes you from the southern tip of Manhattan to Staten Island, is free and offers great views of Manhattan, New York Harbor, Governors Island and the Statue of Liberty! The ferry takes 22 minutes to cover the 8.4 km, and at the end you have to get off the ferry and get in line for the return trip. When you go in, think about which side you want to see and try to get a seat outside. Save the side with the Statue of Liberty for the return trip so that it is not so crowded.

If you are near Wall Street or the Staten Island Ferry and would like to relax a bit in bad weather or after a long run, you should stop by here at 66 Pearl St.

They sell coffee from Puerto Rico and incredibly delicious cookies! I was never a coffee drinker, but now I really like drinking mocha. The shop is beautifully designed, the seats are very comfortable and interesting magazines like the "New Yorker" are laid out. During a heavy rain shower, I relaxed here with my Spanish colleague and read interesting articles about American politics.

The New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue is one of the largest libraries in the world with 55 million media items and is the second largest library in the USA. I had already visited the largest library, the Library of Congress in Washington DC, and featured it in "Washington DC Highlights". The Beaux-Arts architecture of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, built in 1911, is very impressive. The library is known from films such as "John Wick", "Spiderman", "Ghostbusters", "Sex and the City" and of course "The Day After Tomorrow", where the library plays a central role as a place of refuge for people in frozen New York.

The Chrysler Building was built in 1930 in the Art Deco style and was intended as the headquarters for the Chrysler Corporation. However, the building never belonged to the car manufacturer and they did not pay for it. Walter P. Chrysler paid for it with private funds so that he could pass it on to his children. In 1930 it was the tallest building in the world until the Empire Statue Building was completed a year later. It competed with the tower of the Bank of Manhattan. The iconic spire was kept in a heating shaft, brought to the 65th floor, assembled and placed on the skyscraper within 1 1/2 hours. Chrysler surprised its competitors and its skyscraper was taller than that of the Bank of Manhattan. The building features striking decorative elements in the form of winged helmet-like figures that are reminiscent of gargoyles and are modeled on the Chrysler hood ornaments from 1926. At night, the skyscraper is beautifully illuminated by fluorescent lamps on the window frames.

The Flat Iron Building was built in 1902 and is certainly one of the most striking skyscrapers in New York. It owes its name to its wedge shape, which is reminiscent of an iron. The building site is very acute-angled, so the architects had to be inventive in order to make full use of the site. The building is only two meters wide at the pointed end, and it gets wider towards the back. If you look at photos of the rooms at the top, it looks like my old student room - with the difference that here you have a fantastic view of the Empire State Building.

The Civic Center is the administrative and government district of New York City. The Manhattan Municipal Building (built between 1909 and 1914) is a striking building with its golden spire, which is often shown in camera flights over New York. Anyone who wants to cross the Brooklyn Bridge walks right past here. Opposite is the town hall, the New York City Hall, and behind it is One Police Plaza, the headquarters of the NYPD.

The 3.4 meter high and 6 meter long "Charging Bull" statue stands in Bowling Green Park. It is a symbol of rising prices and is intended to represent the optimism and readiness of the capital market to attack. The artist, Di Modica, brought the statue with friends and a truck under a Christmas tree near the New York Stock Exchange in 1989. He even stopped time and matched police patrols so that his work of art could be placed there undetected. The work of art attracted many tourists and was shown in many media. At the end of the day, the city had the sculpture removed, but the then mayor, Ed Koch, campaigned to have the statue re-erected.

The "Fearless Girl" statue in front of the New York Stock Exchange. It was originally erected opposite the "Charging Bull" in 2017. The artist of the Charging Bull was unhappy with the placement of the confident girl opposite the bull, as it made the bull a negative symbol. Instead of symbolizing "freedom, peace, strength and love," the bull now became a threat. In response, he erected a statue of a pug that urinated on the girl's foot. In 2918, the "Fearless Girl" was finally moved to its current position directly in front of the New York Stock Exchange. The girl with her hands on her hips looks confidently towards the stock exchange. On the occasion of International Women's Day 2017, the statue was intended to draw attention to how few women are represented on boards and other leadership positions.

The city of Yonkers borders directly on New York City to the north and is located on the Hudson River. Right by the train station is a nice cafe, Paxos Cafe, I tried "Chicken and Waffles" there. It is not a new food trend, but very common in the south of the United States. It combines fried chicken with breakfast waffles, served with butter and syrup. Warm breakfast is always very unusual for me as a German, but it tasted wonderful. A nice idea that I will take with me to Germany for upcoming Sunday breakfasts.

I then walked through Yonkers to the Bronx, the northernmost borough of New York City. The name "Bronx" comes from the Swedish settler "Jonas Bronck", who settled in the area in the 17th century. The Bronx is very different from Manhattan, as the borough is very multicultural. 41% of residents were born outside the United States, with many coming from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, Africa, or Kosovo. Half of the people speak English, the other half Spanish. Beginning in the 1960s, the Bronx became internationally known for gang crime, muggings and drug trafficking. The origins of hip hop and breakdancing developed in the borough, and crime has since declined sharply. In the neighborhood, you still meet few tourists, which was very pleasant.

My destination was the International Wildlife Conservation Park, the Bronx Zoo, founded in 1899. It is the largest zoo in New York and the largest urban zoo in the United States with 4300 animals and 765 species. The zoo is very well laid out and the wayfinding was very pleasant. Especially compared to the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark, I really enjoyed following a main path here and seeing the majority of the animals without having to backtrack paths and make many decisions. During a ride on the monorail, I could observe many animals and hear interesting facts from the friendly zookeeper. The ride reminded me a lot of the monorail in Jurrassic World.

One of my favorite books is the 1990 book "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine. In search of the world's most endangered species, the authors visited Madagascar, Indonesia, New Zealand, Zaire, China and Mauritius. The book impressed me so much as a teenager that I presented it at school. It made me realize how threatened our environment is and how urgent the need for action is. In the book, they also describe their encounter with the Komodo dragon, a very fascinating animal. The lizard, which lives on Komodo, grows up to three meters long and weighs 70 kg. The lizard hides and bites its victims, including wild boars and deer, who then run away, thinking they are safe. But with the bite, the lizard transmit venom, from which their victims die. They also pursue their victims for several days until they find the corpse. At the zoo, I was able to observe the animal described in the book up close, which was very fascinating.

In the Catskill Mountains, where we were already hiking, live 1500 to 2000 bears. Luckily we didn't meet any bears while hiking, but in the zoo I could have a look at the bears from a safe distance. The bear reminded with very much of the "Charmin bear", he scratched himself at a tree and sat down afterwards on his butt, which resulted in a funny picture. Nevertheless, one should not underestimate the animals, as some newspaper articles about bear attacks in the Catskills prove.

During my last two visits to the zoo in Berlin, the red panda had always hidden. But this time I was lucky and could look at two red pandas, just beautiful animals that I could watch forever.

After the visit to the zoo, I took the train and visited the "Pizza Barn" in Yonkers, as this place was recommended to me by my guidebook. The pizzeria is advertised with the slogan "Biggest Pizza Slice in the world". In fact, the pizza had dimensions that would have convinced even Jumbo Schreiner. The pizza was not only large, but also incredibly delicious. I didn't make a large portion and took it with me to treat myself to a nice movie night or two of pizza the next week after a long day at work. Arriving in Hudson, I was then faced with the problem of how to transport the pizza home. The box didn't fit in the backpack, nor does the bike have a bike rack, so I ended up riding one-handed back to the Camphill Community at 23:00 with a pizza in hand. Must have made a funny picture for the drivers, but it was worth it.