If you were to ask me about New York I’d have to say it doesn’t feel like the USA at all. At least, not like other parts of the US. One guy I met stated it quite succinctly, “you mean it’s the best part?”
My visit to New York City was split into two different categories: the first three days were with my vacationing brother, the next four were by myself. We ventured out and walked the streets aimlessly, no real destination in mind other than to see the sights for free. My brother has been to New York a few times before so we weren’t really doing much new to him. Me, on the other hand, had to see it all, or at least as much of it as I could.
We were initially delayed getting into New York due to Hurricane Arthur shutting down LaGuardia airport. The airline sent us to Toronto to spend the evening and told us we could fly out in the morning to Newark, New Jersey.
At first I couldn’t help but notice the amount of larger people. I guess by now it’s a pretty standard realization and comment on USAmericans. There were a large number of, um, large people but I don’t really know what could have caused it. Well, actually, I have an idea. You see, as an avid traveller, I am wont to eat “street food” and, much like other parts of the world, street food is rarely healthy food. It’s something you eat in a pinch, not all the time. And I’m no stranger to this at all, the one exception is that I’m not currently working in an office which means I can walk all over the place. And I did. But New York street food is kinda well-known, from its pretzels (I never did get to try one) to its uber-cheap $1/slice pizza that I had a few times. Hot dogs, Italian sausages, fruit shakes, etc. and it’s all relatively cheap and quick, which is probably why so many people eat it. For the most part, however, we ate in pubs or on the street.
The Sights
We walked it all: Times Square and its NASDAQ board, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, up and down Broadway, Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, One World Trade Center, The Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Natural History, the Empire State Building and I even ventured as far as the Statue of Liberty on my own. We rarely took the subway opting instead to walk the streets or use bikes.
The bike system. Kudos to you, New York, for implementing a neat, safe, and efficient push-bike system. Sponsored by Citibank (was it an effort to save face after the 2008 credit crisis?), the system employs a series of bike stations that you can ride to your next destination. Each trip needs to be completed within 30 minutes of removing the bike but, should you need to go for longer, it’s no issue to request a new unlock code and swap out your bike for a new one. We rented ours for a day ($10) and that suited our needs. Subway? I think we used it once or twice.
Food. Being an avid backpacker I couldn’t help but enjoy the cheap street food available in New York. Although the hot dogs were disappointing, the Italian sausages were great. I especially loved the $1/slice pizza available at so many places. We even tried gelati outside the Guggenheim Museum. Aside from street food, we took the recommendations to try out Gyu Kaku, a Japanese BBQ restaurant, and were pleasantly surprised that $20/each ($40 total) was enough to fill us up for the afternoon. We even had the seaweed taco, y’know, the meat and rice bundled in a seaweed wrap so famous in South Korea and Japan? We also hit Brother Jimmy’s for some excellent ribs and chatted up the waitress to find out more about the rooftop parties. She told us all about her adventures in New York (she was originally from Nebraska) and that she was a writer, actress and simply worked as a waitress until her big break. I asked why she didn’t self-publish to which she responded she needed the validation of the big publishing houses. Fair enough. It is New York City after all. Finally, we hit the pubs more than a few times not only to eat but to try out the local brews. I wish I could remember the names of the places we visited but, suffice it to say, it was all around Times Square.
Museums
The Metropolitan Museum. I had the chance to visit the Metropolitan Museum which, ignorant me, is massively huge. Although I managed to see the whole place in one day, I barely accomplished that goal. There are two main floors and another smaller third floor and basement level chock full of artifacts from around the world and stretching the expanse of recorded history. I didn’t learn until it was too late that the $25 entry fee is only the suggested fee and that you can simply donate $1 if you choose. Had I known that I may have broken up my visit over a few days instead of just one. The museum is literally massive. It’s probably the first museum I’ve walked through and completely forgot where I was or what country I was in until I came across a painting of George Washington in the second floor gallery. It was only then that I remembered that I was, in fact, in the United States of America. At that very same moment was when I gave the Met full regard for being a world-class museum. From its ancient Egyptian mummies, temples and inscriptions to its Classical Antiquity (always dear to me) sculptures and art, to its medieval and Renaissance paintings. I don’t think there was an empty room in the building. I’d actually question if and how they could fit any more into it. Sadly, some parts of the building were closed to visitors because they couldn’t staff the whole building during the summer months.
Museum of Modern Art. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to an art gallery, probably a few good years now, but since I was in New York I felt I needed to go to a few. My first visit to a museum/gallery in a long time would be none other than the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It’s a one-of-a-kind gallery that houses the likes of Van Gogh to Man Ray to more contemporary painters. Much of the art is from the last couple hundred years, anything older is stored at the Met. But coming here I realized that it’s okay and perhaps even proper to make a day of visiting a museum such as MoMA.
The Statue of Liberty. In another case of “OMG! It really exists!” my visit to the Statue of Liberty was highlighted by the simple realization that the “rags to riches” story is perhaps the only true American story. The American Dream, so to say, is really that of the pauper, the exile, the outcast, those on the fringe of society, the USA welcomed them (and still does) with open arms. Taken from the sonnet, “The New Colossus”, the words “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” are inscribed upon a plaque in the museum in its base. That one quote really does sum up the history of the USA: it’s not a country built by the rich, it’s a country that was built from the ground up by the most industrious immigrants to its land. They fought wars and toughed out the unexpectedly harsh winters in the Midwest. In order to do so they required a certain type of “crazy” that only those who have nothing to lose possess. Given all the media today, I think the USA, and New York in particular, still possesses that same spirit.
Night Life
Rooftop bar. We were invited to a rooftop bar within our first hour of being in New York. I picked up a portable hotspot at one of the cell phone shops and the guy there invited us to the Yotel rooftop bar. We thought it would be a private affair but were later informed that it’s open to the public. Our uniqueness diminished, we opted to go to an easier one, 230 Five, which had a good view of the Empire State Building at night… and that was about the highlight of the night. At least we checked that off the NYC bucket list.
Bleecker Street and the Live Music of New York. As I mentioned in my previous post about my expectations of New York, live music was part of them. Sadly, I never made it to one of the famous jazz or blues venues, opting instead to visit some of the lesser known, but equally vibrant, music houses on Bleecker Street. From an inspiring jam taking place at The Bitter End, made even more memorable by the appearance of Jon Stamos of Full House fame. He rocked the kit for an hour or two before making his way to the door and the myriad of photo ops the crowd desired (myself included). My photo with the actor was “photoblombed”, that is, rounded out by the appearance of a hot blonde who wanted in on every photo of Jon Stamos. The week continued at the Red Lion where another local band dazzled the crowd with their interpretations of hip hop and top 40 singles. Here are a few videos of the evening:
The Bitter End
[youtube]http://youtu.be/hiwOXCAf9dw[/youtube]
With Jon Stamos
[youtube]http://youtu.be/fKUCRZ5GlNs[/youtube]
And then at The Red Lion where the band played top 40 singles…
[youtube]http://youtu.be/yUMjfkkHWzo[/youtube]
James Cameron reportedly said “New York is the greatest three day city in the world.”
I’d agree, except after three days I wanted to stay longer. I’m glad I did.