"Well, it's not much but 'mi casa es su casa'."
Ashley and I dumped our bags; after a full day on the road, we had arrived safely at our destination: Chris's apartment, just southeast of Midtown Manhattan. I turned to my friend - after a day's worth of driving, there was only one thing I craved. Within five minutes we were out on the "balcony" (the fire department may refer to it as an escape), four stories up, sipping beers and watching the traffic below.
Man, we made it! New York City was one place I always have wanted to visit, and between Chris living there and Ashley and I getting engaged, what better time to go? From our vantage point on the balcony, I could look down East 36th Street. In the foreground was an oversized billboard advertising exotic wine. A series of high-rise apartment buildings broke the horizon, and a steady stream of taxicabs gave the scene an authentic New York feel. And the smell - folks, there is something about the scent of major coastal cities. It is not an offensive odor like smog or exhaust. To the contrary, it is the refreshing hint of a thousand restaurants, mixed with the unmistakable breeze of the ocean, underscored by concrete cooling down after the sunset. This aroma is as distinct to coastal cities as fresh-cut alfalfa is to the Midwest in springtime. Although the evening was crystal clear, the stars were absent, replaced by the vertical towers that are as unique to a city as a fingerprint. Before the night was over, Ashley and I would see such icons as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Brooklyn Bridge, all bathed in the very light that blocks the stars.
"Well, you made it, safe and sound - that's reason enough to have a toast!" Little did I realize that Chris's enthusiasm would lead me to develop a taste for Irish whiskey. We sat down at a simple burger joint that simply oozed New York character. Perched in a corner was a group of men who took it upon themselves to make conversation with strangers across the room. Their accents were straight out of a movie: "Oh, I see - a couple 'a wiseguys, eh?" A sullen-looking character walked in, wearing a Number Four Farve jersey. Only, the colors were not green and gold - blasphemy! Yes, my friends, this was definitely New York City. As if to punctuate my observation, a waitress delivered our bill. Three people, three burgers, and six beers came to about a hundred bucks.
Stereotypes aside, there were several things about New York City that surprised me - a lot. At least in Manhattan, the city is clean, well-organized and, get this, polite. Despite how New York has been portrayed onscreen, I never felt unsafe or threatened. I never heard anyone walking down the street dropping curse words. I did get bumped into several times while walking down the sidewalk, but it always was followed with a "pardon me" or "excuse me." And, folks, the public transportation is to die for! Ashley and I took the Number Five subway down to the Financial District, site of Trinity Church, Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge and Ground Zero. After just one trip, we had the system mastered, it was so brilliantly designed! After ambling about the Financial District for a day, Ashley and I grabbed a seat along the Esplanade, just blocks from the Dow Jones and a short walk from the World Trade Center site. This was one thing about New York City - we spent an entire day viewing world-class sites, had exquisite sushi for lunch, and now, in the midst of one of the world's greatest cities, found a nice, peaceful and quiet park bench where we could sit and share our thoughts. Across the waterfront directly in front of us was a phenomenal panorama of New Jersey. Glancing to our left, wait - there it is! Further down in this scene, with her arm stretched skyward, was the Statue of Liberty. Indeed, we had made it to New York.
During the week, my sister joined us. After all, she and Chris are dating, and our plan was to spend New Year's Eve together. Herein exposed another unexpected side of New York City - it is not touristy! Of course, there are sights that exemplify tourism (like Times Square), but unlike London or Sydney, the city had an incredibly authentic feel to it. New York City is prosperous because of what it is - not because people come here to buy trinkets and snap pictures. I only saw one or two shops that sold the famous "I heart NY" T-shirt. Everywhere we went, business suits, rather than backpacks and "Go-To" books, flanked us. New York City has been, and will continue to be, a prosperous and relevant city all on its own.
And finally, the coup de grace of our trip was no doubt New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, my sister Sarah, Chris, Ashley and I would all be together. What better way to ring in the New Year than on a harbor cruise around Manhattan? Free food and an open bar for four hours, plus a nighttime view of the skyline, including the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty, and we were set. So, my friends, we avoided the circus at Times Square and danced the night away aboard a night cruise.
Our DJ did screw up - like a fool he announced the New Year at 12:01. It didn't matter - I still got to kiss my girl.
- Dan Wegmueller is a columnist for The Monroe Times. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
Ashley and I dumped our bags; after a full day on the road, we had arrived safely at our destination: Chris's apartment, just southeast of Midtown Manhattan. I turned to my friend - after a day's worth of driving, there was only one thing I craved. Within five minutes we were out on the "balcony" (the fire department may refer to it as an escape), four stories up, sipping beers and watching the traffic below.
Man, we made it! New York City was one place I always have wanted to visit, and between Chris living there and Ashley and I getting engaged, what better time to go? From our vantage point on the balcony, I could look down East 36th Street. In the foreground was an oversized billboard advertising exotic wine. A series of high-rise apartment buildings broke the horizon, and a steady stream of taxicabs gave the scene an authentic New York feel. And the smell - folks, there is something about the scent of major coastal cities. It is not an offensive odor like smog or exhaust. To the contrary, it is the refreshing hint of a thousand restaurants, mixed with the unmistakable breeze of the ocean, underscored by concrete cooling down after the sunset. This aroma is as distinct to coastal cities as fresh-cut alfalfa is to the Midwest in springtime. Although the evening was crystal clear, the stars were absent, replaced by the vertical towers that are as unique to a city as a fingerprint. Before the night was over, Ashley and I would see such icons as the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Brooklyn Bridge, all bathed in the very light that blocks the stars.
"Well, you made it, safe and sound - that's reason enough to have a toast!" Little did I realize that Chris's enthusiasm would lead me to develop a taste for Irish whiskey. We sat down at a simple burger joint that simply oozed New York character. Perched in a corner was a group of men who took it upon themselves to make conversation with strangers across the room. Their accents were straight out of a movie: "Oh, I see - a couple 'a wiseguys, eh?" A sullen-looking character walked in, wearing a Number Four Farve jersey. Only, the colors were not green and gold - blasphemy! Yes, my friends, this was definitely New York City. As if to punctuate my observation, a waitress delivered our bill. Three people, three burgers, and six beers came to about a hundred bucks.
Stereotypes aside, there were several things about New York City that surprised me - a lot. At least in Manhattan, the city is clean, well-organized and, get this, polite. Despite how New York has been portrayed onscreen, I never felt unsafe or threatened. I never heard anyone walking down the street dropping curse words. I did get bumped into several times while walking down the sidewalk, but it always was followed with a "pardon me" or "excuse me." And, folks, the public transportation is to die for! Ashley and I took the Number Five subway down to the Financial District, site of Trinity Church, Wall Street, Brooklyn Bridge and Ground Zero. After just one trip, we had the system mastered, it was so brilliantly designed! After ambling about the Financial District for a day, Ashley and I grabbed a seat along the Esplanade, just blocks from the Dow Jones and a short walk from the World Trade Center site. This was one thing about New York City - we spent an entire day viewing world-class sites, had exquisite sushi for lunch, and now, in the midst of one of the world's greatest cities, found a nice, peaceful and quiet park bench where we could sit and share our thoughts. Across the waterfront directly in front of us was a phenomenal panorama of New Jersey. Glancing to our left, wait - there it is! Further down in this scene, with her arm stretched skyward, was the Statue of Liberty. Indeed, we had made it to New York.
During the week, my sister joined us. After all, she and Chris are dating, and our plan was to spend New Year's Eve together. Herein exposed another unexpected side of New York City - it is not touristy! Of course, there are sights that exemplify tourism (like Times Square), but unlike London or Sydney, the city had an incredibly authentic feel to it. New York City is prosperous because of what it is - not because people come here to buy trinkets and snap pictures. I only saw one or two shops that sold the famous "I heart NY" T-shirt. Everywhere we went, business suits, rather than backpacks and "Go-To" books, flanked us. New York City has been, and will continue to be, a prosperous and relevant city all on its own.
And finally, the coup de grace of our trip was no doubt New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, my sister Sarah, Chris, Ashley and I would all be together. What better way to ring in the New Year than on a harbor cruise around Manhattan? Free food and an open bar for four hours, plus a nighttime view of the skyline, including the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty, and we were set. So, my friends, we avoided the circus at Times Square and danced the night away aboard a night cruise.
Our DJ did screw up - like a fool he announced the New Year at 12:01. It didn't matter - I still got to kiss my girl.
- Dan Wegmueller is a columnist for The Monroe Times. He can be reached at dwegs@tds.net.
