My first and ongoing reaction to New York City is: I have seen all this in the movies. I already knew that the "Bronx is up and the Battery’s down" - important because it is the reverse of British usage where you go "up" to London.
This is the view if you climb out on to the fire escape of our hotel.

In fact there are a lot of dogs in New York and most of their owners seem responsible

These fire escapes look like they were afterthoughts but they were probably part of the original design

Possibly a sewer vent

Outside Schatzie Prime Meats on Broadway just up from 101st Street

Looking up Broadway from the corner of 102nd Street. Our hotel is at the centre of this photo

Cropped out of the previous image. The Marrakech Hotel at 2588 Broadway on the corner of 103rd street. I assume the hotel occupies all four of the upper floors of this building and there is no elevator! Fortunately we were on what the Americans call the second floor.