As the captain announced our approach, most of the Japanese on the plane set aside the guidebooks they had been studying and gazed out the windows, anxious to view the famous skyline.

CNN: THE YEN TO TRAVEL

The skyline of the city, famous for its citadel and ancient monuments, is changing rapidly, with new hotels being built to accommodate visitors form Iraq and beyond.

BBC: Iraq 10 years on: Good times in Kurdish Irbil

My dread deepened and I pedaled to the Brooklyn Heights promenade, the famous waterfront stretch with glorious, close-up views of the Manhattan skyline.

FORBES: 9/11 Remembrance: View From Brooklyn