A weekend break in the city that never sleeps

Cathy Desmond took a bite of the Big Apple some thirty years ago — and now that she’s back for more, she finds a calmer, quieter place.

ACCORDING to Dorothy Parker, she of the Algonquin fame, “London is satisfied, Paris is resigned but New York is always hopeful”. And Midtown Manhattan seems surprisingly laid back and cheerful on a spring break, especially when it’s considered that it’s image is more often the backdrop of gritty cop dramas.

With wide sidewalks built for strolling and oodles of squares and green spaces, it somehow feels less frenetic than London, as I discovered when I spent a few days in the city over Easter.