I remember the WTC Globe that sat in the middle of a fountain in the outdoor concourse very well.  I spent many an afternoon sitting on the concrete edge of the fountain enjoying my lunch the years I worked in the World Trade Center.

Tears came to my eyes when I saw this dented globe and the eternal flame in Battery Park.

Its that time of year again when the old year fades away leaving room for a bright new one. With that in mind, here’s an idea for a great gift for anyone who loves New York City, a 2010 NYC Calendar.

Calendars make great gifts simply because they’re not that expensive, yet very practical. Just imagine, every time your friend or love one checks to see what the date is her or she is reminded of you by your thoughtful gift.

My personal favorite is the NYC Firefighters calendar, but there is a large variety to choose from, such as simple cityscapes, fabulous black and white prints, to the New York City sports team calendars.

Whichever NYC Calendar you choose, it will be a great gift that will last the whole year long.

I just thought this was so beautiful. Mother Nature decorating the harsh metals of the concrete jungle on a rainy day.

Do you like to wear designer clothes, but would rather not pay designer prices?  Then Century 21 Department Stores is a place you should visit during you trip to New York City.

Located in lower Manhattan just across the street from The World Trade Center Site, at 22 Cortlandt Street (between Church and Broadway), Century 21 has a large selection of designer clothing for men, women and children for up to 65% off.  In addition to clothing, they have handbags and accessories galore by designers like Juicy Couture, Steve Madden, BCBG, Charles David, Tommy Hilfiger and many more all at prices that will make you want to buy more then one.

My favorite part of their store is their housewares section.  They always have a fantastic selection of bedding, towels and kitchenware items at very reasonable prices.  Whenever I have to purchase a housewarming gift, the first place I head is Century 21 and I always find items that make excellent gifts well within my budget.

One thing to keep in mind when visiting the store, is that it can be very, very crowded.  The store is so packed with merchandise, that there are times when its hard to get around, especially during lunch time with tourists and New Yorkers a like are searching for bargains.

If one of your goals when visiting New York City is to indulge your shopping bug, then Century 21 Department Stores is one place you won’t want to miss.  For more information, such as store hours and travel directions, visit Century 21’s Website.

Happy Shopping!

If you find magnificent bead work, master craftsmanship in leather and a strong sense of pride in ones culture interesting then the National Museum of The American Indian should be added to your must see list when you visit New York City.

Yesterday, after a meeting I had in lower Manhattan, I took the opportunity to visit The National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center.  It is located at One Bowling Green and is housed in the former Us Customs House, an incredible Beaux-Arts building that was completed in 1907.    The sheer size and magnificence of the architecture of the building will wow you before you even see the Museum’s collection. 

What the collection on display of Native American art, beaded garb and ceremonial masks lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.   The handy work is all beautiful and impressive when you think of the amount hours put in to create them.

What makes this Museum even more of a must see is that it  is absolutely FREE to visit.  If you find yourself in lower Manhattan, why not take an hour and visit the The National Museum of the American Indian.  For more detail, such as location and visiting hours, visit the American Indian Museum page on our main site.

Thanks to our location in the Northeastern part of the US, New York City experiences every one of the four seasons (some more then others).

Its fall, my favorite time of year.  The leaves are turning brown, yellow, red or orange and the temperature reaches, in my opinion perfection, between 60 and 70 degrees.  There are some drawbacks to November in NYC.  The days are getting shorter and shorter and the temperature does do that funny thing it does every year around this time, waffles between Indian Summer and the chill of the onset of winter.

One of the questions I almost always get from someone planning to visit New York City is “Whats the weather like in _____ (insert month)”.

Well, right now on the day I write this post, the forecast looks terrific for this upcoming week, so if you’re traveling here at this time, you’re in luck.  Get all your outdoor activity in during the early part of the week, because the weatherman (or women, depending on what news you watch) says the weather will be clear and a comfortable low to mid 60s.

To answer the weather question more generally, take a look at New York City weather and your visit on our parent site. Its got great information on what you can expect from the weather during any given month.

Of course, weather prediction is not an exact science, not yet anyway, and there can be 75 degrees in December and snow in April so be sure to go to the weather.com and check the forecast before your arrival.

However, if you step out of the terminal at Kennedy or LaGuardia and find that you’re simply not dressed property, don’t fret, we’ve got plenty of stores for you to shop in.   My favorites places are………..OK lets leave that for another post.

Sunday is the one day of the week that you can be sure not to hear (or should I say read) a lot from me.  Instead, you’ll see beautiful scenes from New York City that I hope will speak for themselves.

So here is the first installment of Silent Sunday.  Its called Autumn In Brooklyn. Enjoy!

As someone who lives, works and plays in New York City, I am constantly running into exciting things to do, interesting places to see, fantastic restaurants and wonderful ways to save money. This blog gives me the opportunity to let you know about them in a more informal way then the main NYCbynatives.com site.

I hope you enjoy my insights into the Big Apple, and visit the blog often. Once again, welcome to the NYC By Natives blog.