North America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 197

The new new York

Restaurants are celebrating farmers' produce; taxis and buses are running on hybrid
fuels; community-run tours take visitors to see places they might have once avoided,
run by people they'd never normally meet. Whether visiting for the first time or a regular
who's done with downtown, the following will help you see New York with fresh eyes.

more on the harbour's wildlife refuges see W www.
nyharborparks.org. If you want to do it alone,
W www.downtownboathouse.org/links.html has an
extensive list of places to hire a kayak.

259 Get a bird's-eye view from the
harbour
The iconic view of Manhattan is best appreciated
from the water. On a 90min eco-cruise with
The Audubon Society, one of the world's oldest
conservation organizations, you'll also get close
to a lesser-seen side of the harbour - its wildlife.
Each summer three thousand herons - protected
by Audubon's Harbour Heron's Project - roost
on the islands, along with flocks of egrets and
ibis; in the winter the waters are teeming
with brants, cormorants and mergansers, kept
company by a few barking seals. Guided by an
Audubon naturalist, this trip is a reminder that
this urban jungle is full of wildlife - and not just
the human kind.

260 Bite around the Big Apple
Restaurants come and go in New York, making
the “Farm Chef Express scheme” a wholesome
serving of stability. The programme connects
quality farmers from the state of New York with
city chefs, guaranteeing one a market and the
other the best local ingredients. For a sweet
treat, head to the Birdbath Neighborhood Green
Bakery; it has walls made of wheat and serves
the best cookies in the city. And for a taste of the
city's Latin influences, Café Habana's two buzzy
outlets serve delicious, authentic Cuban and
Mexican food to a vibrant backdrop of regular
burlesque and live music.

Need to know For birdwatching trips in New
York, go to W www.citybirder.blogspot.com. For

Hudson River, New York

Need to know Find a Farm Chef
Express restaurant at W www.
farmtochefexpress.org. For more on
Birdbath, see W www.birdbathbakery.
com, and for Café Habana go to W www.
ecoeatery.com.

261 Discover the roots of
hip-hop, jazz, gospel or
salsa
Music-lovers: head for Harlem.
Whichever genre you're into, Harlem
Heritage Tours will cater for you. On
a jazz tour, expert local guides take
guests to see the sights - houses,
clubs and restaurants - associated
with greats such as Lena Horne,
Duke Ellington and Coleman
Hawkins, finishing up in one of