2013 NYC by Train 15 - A New York Wrap

We had the BEST time ever in NYC. This has been on my bucket list for oh so many years and it did not disappoint. Mike was not so enthused to start, but it did not take long for him to catch NYC fever. If fact, he so enjoyed it that he hopes to return for his birthday trip next year.

We enjoyed every moment, but several things stood out about this city. First, there are American flags everywhere. I don't know if it was this way before 9-11 or if 9-11 brought out the patriotism and courage that this city experienced as a result of that incident. It felt good to see them and reminded me that in spite of its downfalls, the USA is a great place to live. New Yorkers are not about to forget that or let any visitors forget either.

The next thing we so enjoyed was the architecture. Every style and era is represented. Our heads rotated from side to side 24/7 trying to take it all in.

Also outstanding was the public art incorporated within the architecture or standing alone. It is spectacular!! People talk of the richness of art in Europe. But even though we have a comparatively short history, our art and architecture rivals theirs. It may be a different kind of art and architecture, but no doubt in my mind, it is just as interesting and valuable to society. It has its own story to tell and we were "listening."

And you hear tales of how curt or obnoxious New Yorkers are. Not true. Yes, they are busy and directed to their personal task of the moment, but no one ignored us if we had a question or needed directions. They smiled and were courteous. And they were varied in their culture. A soup of society. Nice to see this cosmopolitan mix.

Can't forget the food. I'm sure no one has come close to eating in all the NYC restaurants and cafes. We started off aiming to eat a different culture's cuisine for every meal, but it just didn't work out that way. Too hard to really plan. When you are hungry, you are hungry and you eat at the next interesting place you see.

We got by pretty cheap for food. The Red Flame has a reasonably priced and hardy breakfast. After that we really nibbled our way throughout the day and into the night at the plentiful and varied food trucks, along with adult beverage and bakery stops, pizza and deli meals. Our biggest splurge was the one in Little Italy. We passed by Sardi's a few times, but they were closed when we headed that way to eat one night. Probably needed a reservation anyway. Eating at one of Mario Batali's restaurants would be a real treat, too, for next time.

I don't know what I expected when we traveled there. I thought all the things you see in the movies were hyped up and inflated. But no! I thought the quaint news stands and Broadway and Times Square, were re-done somehow to make them bigger than life. But no! What you see in the movies is what you get. The reality set in for us. Now when we watch movies set in NYC, we can say, "We saw that!" and we get a real kick out of it. It was a slice of heaven for us. You MUST go there if there is any way you possible can.

NYC is a place of living and liveliness. I'm not sure this is a place to grow old. The pace is energetic and passionate, but intense. We're sorry we had not experienced it before. We would have visited many more times if we had known how wonderful, inviting, full of culture, good food, good people it is. You just can't imagine until you experience it for yourself.

Places we want to see next time:

     The Statue of Liberty

     Ellis Island

     Completed 9-11 Memorial Park and Museum 

     Coney Island

     A boat trip around Manhattan

     Greenwich Village

     Actually, all the "neighborhoods"

     Eataly

     See a Broadway play

     Take an Inside Broadway Tour

     The Bowery Tour

     Walk the High Line

     Chelsea Market

     TV show audience (Jon Stewart would be great!)

     Museum of the City of New York

     A complete walking tour of Central Park

     Smithsonian Hewitt-Cooper National Design Museum (in Teshia's honor)

     Museum of Modern Art

     Museums (there is a whole list)

     Carnegie or Katz Deli

     Oyster Bar in Grand Central

     Battery Park

     Walk by The Dakota

     Brooklyn Zoo

     Harlem (all the boroughs!)

     Empire State Building Observation Deck

     Times Square, again

Hard to imagine hitting all of these. You would need months.

In any case, we need more ideas. If you have any "cannot miss" places, send us a comment.