Toronto to Manhattan - 4 summer nights

Bryant Park July 1st

Hotel Bellclaire is a charming old structure barely noticeable under scaffolding and renovations underway. A laid-back location in midtown Manhattan between the green at 77th and Broadway.

Late night dining and food shopping is everywhere.

With The Hudson River Greenway on the west side and Central Park to the East, it doesn't take long to see why this neighbourhood is in definite demand for young families.
Starting at the Teccumseh Playground on Amsterdam and heading towards Columbus and the
Museum of Natural History, the streets are busy with strollers, parents, neighbourhood residents.

Expect gigantic, lifesize dinosaur skeletons and be amazed by truly inspiring works of artistry and craftsmanship abound in the many showcase dioramas.
If only you had a week but take in enough to leave in awe and gratitude.

Rows of cafés and extended sidewalk patios are ready for lunch and dinner, presenting unexpected combinations with flair such as mexican flavors with japanese sushi.

Walking along Times Square

Head downtown to a lush and cheerful Bryant Park with sun-seeking bodies catching the rays at lunchtime. As things heat up on this first day on July, we chill with Starbucks and homemade gelato in Made in Italy geometric shaped takeaway cups at the cost of $7.US for a small.

Times Sqare masks it’s age well with enormous signs that cover entire buildings, a showcase for screen technology at it's finest. Loud but surprisingly friendly to pedestrians with painted greenspace street-areas, oversized pots filled with seasonal plants on street intersection create a cool sense of calm and a real compassionate approach with benches to take the load off for a while.

No Honking signs everywhere keeps car horns at bay and what a noticeable difference to the entire feeling of the city.


Get way downtown to Soho and the East Village. Activity and ideas at every turn with an abundance of lunch spots offer healthy, eclectic fare. Most may morph into some new experience by next year. Renovations are everywhere but equally visible are buildings in disrepair.

Walking up Canal Street and into Chinatown, there are unexpected finds such as art under the side walk grate - a super tortoise hiding in the hostas. Take a closer look.

Around the corner, the John Jovino Gunshop makes us stop for a moment. We're not in Canada anymore.


A carpark in the sky and too many hours spent on ipods and mobile devices playing games, watching previously purchased Law and Order episodes in the car.

The best of time is a bike ride through Central Park and then back near the hotel for breakfast of freshly-squeezed orange juice, croissant and tea without any traffic hassle.

It takes longer than the map predicts on google, with frequent gas station stops, bicycles on the roof and bathroom breaks.

It's getting hot on July 4th as we drive through the Adirondack Mountains on our way north east to Montreal.

The mountains, the sky, the landscape is breathtaking and I dream about walking around here and what it would be like to see beyond the highway.

Expect long lines at the border crossing and heavy traffic on the 401 once you make your way back into Ontario.

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