Personal Reflections: Exploring the Allure of the Late 90s in NYC

A Tribute to My Parents’ Move to New York in 1997

It’s a Saturday morning in September 1997, and you’ve just left your apartment on 57th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, in Midtown Manhattan, heading to Crate and Barrel with your newlywed husband. You can feel the crispness of autumn in the air, signaling the change of seasons. Together, you decide to take a stroll around Central Park before searching for furniture for your new apartment.

Despite the noise of the city, the towering buildings, and the crowded corners that line the main streets, there’s an almost magical energy in the atmosphere. It feels as if you’re constantly living in a movie. You spot dog walkers strolling through the park and see joggers wearing short shorts and crewneck hoodies. People on rollerblades also catch your attention.

For the first time in your life, you truly feel like you’re at the center of the world. Everything seems to be happening right here, right now, all around you. As you take in your surroundings, you notice people from all parts of the globe—tourists and locals alike—exchanging ideas in a multitude of languages. Each person is on their own journey, heading to different destinations and shaping the dynamic character of this unique place.

The city seems so easy to navigate, and you just know that Central Park will be your permanent natural refuge for the next few years. The vibrancy of this new place fills you with excitement as you explore it for the first time as a NYC resident.

After deciding on a new dining table and making a quick stop at Dean & DeLuca to buy groceries and sushi for dinner, you head back to your new home. Home—that’s the word you’ll use to define this city where you’ll be living for the next few years. Somehow, it feels special and unique, like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. You know this moment is fleeting, but you intend to savor it fully while it lasts.

I wasn’t an adult living in New York in the late '90s and early '00s but my parents were. I hope you enjoy reading this piece as much as I loved writing it in celebration of their move to the city in September 1997.

It seems I’m not alone in my fascination with the idea of being a 20-something living in New York City during the late 90s. This era, as depicted in film and television, has an extraordinary atmosphere that feels almost dreamlike—like a bygone world that’s hard to believe was ever real.

Neighborhoods like SoHo, with its trendy boutiques, the gritty charm of the East Village, the vibrant character of the Upper West Side, and the buzz of Times Square created a mix of experiences that defined a generation. There was a cool blend of optimism and lightness in the air, especially with all the tech changes happening.

The internet was starting to change how we connected, but there was still a real sense of community in the cafés and bars where people gathered. Starbucks was also experiencing a major boom in the city, becoming the go-to spot for coffee on the go.

"Don't you love New York in the fall?" — Tom Hanks as Joe Fox in one of my favorite movies from this era, You’ve Got Mail

The late 90s were also a time when music, fashion, and culture really thrived. The city felt like a playground for creativity, sparking trends that still resonate today. Looking back on this period, it’s easy to feel nostalgic for a time that seemed almost perfect and felt full of promise and excitement.

Nowadays, we seem to crave the feeling of strolling through NYC in the fall, wrapped in a big fluffy coat and commuting to work. It’s a longing for a time we have never experienced, yet somehow feel connected to.

Growing up in São Paulo, after being born in NYC and living there until I was 5 years old, I often felt a sense of disconnect when discussing my origins. The Brazilian backdrop of my early years seemed so removed from the glamorous and dynamic Manhattan portrayed in the media. At times, it felt as if I was almost fabricating my experiences, drawing inspiration from movies like You’ve Got Mail, Serendipity, 13 Going on 30, When Harry Met Sally, and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Afraid of sounding presumptuous or even like a liar, in Brazil, I usually shared details about my birthplace and upbringing only with close friends, when absolutely necessary at school, or while exploring my birth chart (a nod to fellow astrology enthusiasts). In contrast, my parents have always been open about their time living in NYC and the special experience of raising their family there. They frequently reflect on how extraordinary those years were and the privilege of having lived through that period in Manhattan.

And although I didn't experience NYC specifically as a young adult during this iconic era, my parents definitely did. So, in seeking to understand the Allure of Manhattan in the 90s, who better to turn to than them? Their firsthand accounts provide a tangible connection to a time that feels both incredibly familiar and surreal.

What is the one place you miss the most that no longer exists in New York City today? Actually, there are two: The best bookstore ever on Earth, Rizzoli, located on 57th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. We spent endless hours there, especially on Saturday afternoons. And definitely the restaurant La Caravelle, one of our favorites at the time. We would give anything to have a meal there once again.

“Featuring stylishly classic and totally delicious interpretations of French cuisine, La Caravelle with its sparkling decor almost made a meal there feel like having spent a few brief hours in Paris. Sunny, Raoul Dufy-inspired murals of Parisian scenes by artist Jean Pagès and lipstick-red velvet banquettes that flattered women, attracted movers and shakers in all fields, along with others who simply valued great food and service, and could afford that pleasure. Cold striped bass, seafood terrines, billi bi mussels soup, Dover sole, roast duck with green peppercorns and a sublime, deceptively simple poached chicken gros sel were just a few of the enduring favorites as were the ethereal dessert soufflés and caramel-glazed crème brûlée.” - Mimi Sheraton

What was the most memorable meal you had at a restaurant in NYC? During our first years at NYC we had unforgettable meals especially at La Caravelle, Le Cirque, Jean Georges, Aureole, Daniel, Balthazar and Aquavit. Some of the best food and service we had in our lives.

What experience or event in New York City stands out the most in your memory? Visiting the Metropolitan Museum frequently and then strolling back home through Central Park. Admiring the MoMA collection time and again. Having the opportunity to watch and listen in person to some of the very best performers of our era at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, the Blue Note, and other great artistic venues in Manhattan. Enjoying the finest international and American cuisines at some of the best restaurants in the world.

The matchbox collection from my parents’ favorite restaurants at the time

Where did you like to buy your groceries? We usually shopped for groceries at nearby places within walking distance from our apartment, such as D’Agostino's. Years later, when it became available online, we preferred to order mostly from FreshDirect to avoid the hassle of carrying everything back to the apartment.

Which neighborhood or area in NYC did you enjoy exploring the most? Midtown, Central Park, Central Park West, Soho and Wall Street.

What was your go-to activity or pastime when you lived in NYC? The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a permanent collection that remains our all-time favorite, along with many temporary exhibitions and the well-hidden Cantor Roof Garden, which is open to all visitors but only during spring and summer. It offers the best views of Manhattan’s skyline over the Central Park treetops. We also loved spending time at MoMA and checking out the seasonal exhibitions at the Guggenheim, the Frick Collection, and the American Museum of Natural History. We made it a point to frequently catch performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, whether it was opera, ballet, or orchestras. The Joyce Theatre and City Center also offered fantastic shows.

We enjoyed dining at the almost endless array of restaurants in Manhattan, representing cuisines from all over the world. We often went to the movies and watched TV shows that were still very popular at the time; some of our favorites included Friends, Mad About You, The X-Files, and The Sopranos. We ended most of our working days by watching The Tonight Show with David Letterman, and when the show was broadcast too late, we recorded it on VHS to watch the following weekend. Those experiences made our time in the city even more enjoyable and unforgettable.

A Vanity Fair article from the December 1997 issue seems to depict really well the aura of New York City in that era:

"From across Spring Street in downtown Manhattan, the restaurant Balthazar glows like a Manet painting of the Folies-Bergère. The banquettes in the big, high-ceilinged room are spilling over, the bar all but hidden by a milling throng aglint with champagne glasses. Open the door and a raucous, almost deafening roar hits you like a gust. It’s the sound of Manhattan in full, giddy swing, of a city embarked on a new golden era: confident, powerful, exuberant, and flush with cash. At Balthazar, notables such as Calvin Klein, Spike Lee, Robert De Niro, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, and Isaac Mizrahi mingle with a stylish supporting cast. (…) The eclecticism is part of what makes the place fun, as it did, in another era, at El Morocco, the Stork Club, or Toots Shor’s. It’s what makes Balthazar, in the fall of 1997, a set piece for Manhattan itself."

1997 was the exact year when my parents moved to New York City. My mom had just placed the last glass in the cupboard of their new apartment in Sao Paulo, Brazil when my dad arrived home from work with unexpected news: he had been offered a transfer from São Paulo to Manhattan for the next couple of years.

From that moment on, everything went by super fast: he chose their new apartment by himself and sent pictures to my mom via fax after he closed the deal. She blindly trusted him and off they went to live their dream life in another country away from family and friends.

As a quintessential Latin American couple, with my mother being Brazilian and my father 1/2 Brazilian and 1/2 Argentine, they swiftly established enduring friendships with different people from around the globe in similar situations as expats. My father was in the United States on a work visa, while my mother, previously a marketing manager at a prominent bank in Brazil, temporarily suspended her career to accompany him since her visa didn't allow her to work at the time.

This move allowed her to fulfill a long-held aspiration of experiencing life abroad. during the subsequent years she undertook several courses, including Marketing at NYU and Art History at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In their leisure time, when not traveling as newlyweds, they immersed themselves in exploring the city. They relished long walks in Central Park and cherished their favorite pastimes, such as enjoying cocktails at the Monkey Bar and the King Cole Bar, dining with friends and brunching at The Plaza, The Rainbow Room or The Peninsula.

Some of their cherished experiences during this period also include visiting the Metropolitan Museum at least once a month, watching the US Open Tennis Tournament every year, seeing their favorite artists such as Sade, Eric Clapton, Seal, Phil Collins, and Bruce Springsteen perform live at Madison Square Garden.

Fully enjoying the Metropolitan Opera and American Ballet Theatre seasons at Lincoln Center, and spotting celebrities near their building in Midtown, casually walking in the streets and attending premieres at the Ziegfeld Theater and Planet Hollywood when it was located at 57th Street.

This is the version of New York City that people dream of visiting, or as they say, "The City at its prime". Exactly two years later, in October 1999, I was born. My early memories of living there include having ice cream at Serendipity 3, celebrating birthdays at the Central Park Zoo and the American Museum of Natural History, buying Halloween costumes, and my mom picking me up from school to visit The Art Farm and eventually feed the sheep at the Central Park Zoo. Yes, I’ve been obsessed with animals and ice cream from a very young age.

In recent years, particularly after our most recent visit to the city in 2023, I've come to deeply appreciate both my parents' time in New York and my early childhood there. It was a special family moment revisiting the MET, returning to our old family building, and even sharing a drink at Bemelman's with my dad for the first time. I can’t help but think that even if I move back to NYC in the future, I’ll never be able to experience anything remotely similar to what they lived. That’s why I hope you, just like me, enjoy reliving this moment in time and space through their stories.