Is New York city the greatest city in the world? It is an opinion owned by many and I am yet to meet anyone who has lived in New York with a different view. Is it the history, the economy, the people, the restaurants, the sights, the money, the sounds or just the diversity of it all? It will take a long time to taste it all, and even longer to savor it but here a few pictures from a weekend in NY.

We started the weekend with a brunch at Soho Village. Italian food with bellini (champagne with peach) and orange juice. Soho is a charming neighborhood with art fairs, sidewalk cafes and a summer atmosphere through the year. We then caught a subway to Cortlandt street to see the WTC site. The subway is the best way to get around NY, an unlimited day-pass costing $7. The WTC site is slowly getting built back, stone by stone. It always brings me to tears to realize that there are still people who think much is to be gained from destroying the most beautiful things in the world.

From the site, Battery park is only a short walk and you will pass through Wall Street. We wondered as we passed through if the sense of power in Wall street was greater than what we felt in the middle of New Delhi, the world's largest democracy. Money or power?

Battery park is tourist heaven. Indians especially flock during the summers, descending from across the nation. We counted 82 out of 180 in a single ferry to Liberty Island. During previous visits we had caught the free Staten Island ferry to and fro but this time we went directly to Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty up close has certainly changed my mind about its beauty. I wan never a big fan, but it really is an engineering marvel. We stopped at Ellis island and were educated about America's immigration history and statistics.

We proceeded back uptown to 34th street and went up the Empire State. It is $18 to go up, and the wait is long but the view is worth it. You should plan to spend an hour in line and another hour on top to get the return on the long wait. The night ended with dinner at an Indonesian restaurant on 9th and 45th called Bali Nusa.

Day two of the weekend started late with brunch at Queen of Sheeba, an Ethiopian restaurant. There is a variety of vegetarian dishes, and like all restaurants in NY have to be, the food was delicious. We followed the heavy food, with a stroll through Central park, walking from Strawberry field on the West side to the MET on the East. We chanced upon the Puerto Rican day parade and it add a party flavor to our weekend. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a masterpiece, and it will take many days to do justice to its collections. We spent a few hours, knowing we would have to come back.

We took the subway back downtown to City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge and walked across the bridge. There is a walking path running through the middle and it is one of the most romantic spots in the city. We sat for a while soaking in the smell of the water, the sounds of cars beneath us and the sights of NY and Brooklyn. On the other end, in Brookyln we caught a subway back to 42nd street from the High street station. Dinner was a simple New York pizza slice and as we headed back home we knew it was a good weekend New York trip.