Still the Top of the Heap!

For decades, the observation deck of the Empire State Building, which opened in 1931, was the only game in town for standing atop "the center of the universe" and taking in breathtaking views. That distinction also meant long lines and elbow-to-elbow crowds gazing out and snapping photos like this one of Lower Manhattan, the Hudson River, and downtown Brooklyn.

Nearly 100 years later, things have changed dramatically. As the number of supertall skyscrapers has grown, so have the options for jaw-dropping views of New York City and beyond. Now, you can choose observation decks at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Hudson Yards (The Edge), One World Trade, and more. In this case, more is better because it has freed up space atop the Empire State Building—still the best view in town thanks to its location in the heart of the action.

FiDi Diaries: New Tour, Old Story

Today, Musk, Bezos, Altman, and other tech billionaires are often criticized for wielding enormous wealth and influence, while millions of people have become financially strapped and increasingly dependent on the products and platforms they control.

A strikingly similar dynamic played out in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when Gilded Age titans like Vanderbilt, Morgan, and Rockefeller amassed unprecedented fortunes while shaping nearly every aspect of American life.

On my newest tour, FiDi Diaries: The Sites and Stories that Made New York So Rich, we explore the places where that story unfolded through fascinating sites and events, including the Standard Oil Building, the 1920 Wall Street bombing, and the Gothic Cunard ticket hall pictured above—a magnificent private space that few people ever get to see.

Are You Sitting Down?

This is the actual chair George Washington sat in at his first inauguration in New York City on April 30, 1789! Today, it sits in a glass cube in the new wing of The New York Historical, a manageable gem of a museum that's packed with remarkable artifacts from the city's past.

Among its treasures are the cot Washington slept on during the brutal winter at Valley Forge in 1777–78, the pistols Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr used in their fatal 1804 duel across the river in New Jersey, and much more.

When you visit, don't miss the museum's excellent new restaurant, Clara, or its rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park, which is set to open this fall.

Take a Team Tour

My biggest surprise this summer has been how much I enjoyed the World Cup! Even more than the matches, I loved introducing New York City to first-time visitors who traveled here to attend games, including a mother and her son from Ukraine, a medical assistant from Mexico, and this group of colleagues from Croatia that took time out to tour Midtown, FiDi and the 9/11 Memorial.

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a lifelong New Yorker, you, too, can experience New York City through its incredible history, fascinating people, and vibrant neighborhoods. I lead small private NYC walking tours and curated experiences for visitors, work groups, special events, New Yorkers, and more—along with inside-track recommendations for special spots to dine, drink, and lounge like a local.

Newsletter recipients and your friends receive 10% off tours, so cclick here for tour options, and let’s create an amazing NYC walk and experience!

Enjoy Amazing NYC Songs

I created this Apple Music playlist of tunes that tell New York stories from Dylan, Hamilton, JAY-Z, Sting, two Simons, two strangers carrying a cake, and many more. See and stream it for free here and subscribe when you’re there so it will automatically update when songs are added.

The playlist’s cover photo (above) was taken on the exact spot where Bob Dylan and Suze Rotolo were photographed, a random shot that became the cover of his 1963 breakthrough album The Freewhellin’ Bob Dylan.