Well, I didn’t have internet access when I first got here, but I remember it all clearly! I stepped off the plane, took a deep breath as I stretched my fingertips out and opened up my heart to this wonderful city.The first thing to touch my nose was the smell of people. All kinds of smells…not bad, just an abundance of smells (I noticed this heightened once in a taxi…like times 10!)
I came into the city at the perfect time…around the time it was getting dark and it was just beautiful. I couldn’t take it all in at once, it was in pieces over the last couple of days that I have only begun to take in the blocks of NYC. The people who live here or around here don’t refer to Manhattan as “Manhattan,” but the City. I heard this last night while spending some wonderful time with Sarah, a Producer at NBC and my friend here in the city.
The first night, I went to a small market that had really exotic foods and I must have hit it around rush hour. It was ridiculous. I didn’t know what I was doing and I really was trying my best to blend in. I got up to the counter to check out and the guy behind the register was saying something to me and I couldn’t really understand him, so he said it again, but much louder…I didn’t take my items out of my shopping cart…you have to do that.
So, the next day I got up and went to the Museum of Natural History…AMAZING! Lots of people there at 10, when they opened, but what a cool place. You could really spend days in there, my favorite part was the ocean life and the dinosaurs. I still had so much that I wanted to see of NYC, so after 4 hours and 4 floors, I ventured onward.
Later that day, I went to the subway and bought my first METROCARD. Very cool…unless you are me and don’t know how to use it. ;)
Swear…I got up to go through and ran my card through and the turn thing wouldn’t let me go. I noticed a guy walk up next to me on my left and just go through without swiping his card. So I did it again…this time a lady came through without swiping?????? Finally a woman came over to me and politely told me that I needed to swipe my card on the right to go through. Therefore, I have donated 2 subway rides thus far. Look at me being so generous…
Once I figured that out, I got on the subway and took it to Penn Station, which is HUGE. When I got off, the place was packed with people and there were so many stairs everywhere, I panicked. However, I put my head down and went for it. Going with the crowds, I made my way up to the streets and continued on to the Empire State Building, which was my destination choice. ***NOTE: This is a touristy weekend; therefore, there was a MASSIVE amount of excess people at all of the sight-seeing places. I literally waited in line for about 30 minutes to get to the top and see (which was worth every minute), but what made me laugh was the amount of time I was in line to COME DOWN. Almost the same amount was spent in line.
Later that night, I went to Sarah’s place for dinner. She made soup and I got to meet Walt, her boyfriend. We went to some really wonderful places that night. We got to go to this place named Rodolfo’s??? I might be wrong, but it was this place that decorated their whole restaurant with Christmas décor….literally every square inch. It was just really cool. A lot of the places you can go to here have so much charm and are so unique! ;)
Today was another amazing day.
Although, I must say, the weather here is insane. The cold is so much different here…it is gnarly.
I got up with the intent to take the subway to 30 Rock…funny, it seems the subway and I am going to have some lovely run-ins.
Anyways, my intent was to take the B to 30 Rock, because it goes right underneath it, but the B was down so I had to take either the A or the D and then change trains and take different one….anyways, you get the point, it was confusing. I ended up taking the D to 59th/Columbus Circle and then just walking over to Rockefeller Plaza.
Again, probably one of the most beautiful buildings. Just because it is where I am going and have always wanted to go. Just took my breath away. It was kind of scary too, but without fear, we have no room to grow. Still people everywhere. I got to see the Christmas tree and the skating rink, but there were just so many people, it was hard to really see.
I then, proceeded down to Times Square…you would think that the number of people at 30 Rock would’ve given me a clue to turn around and come back, but I am stubborn. I went over and saw all of the lights and it just really felt like a piece of the city that you see in the movies…loads of people everywhere and taxis’ honking at each other and people just hustling around….shopping bags all about.
WOW!
Let’s talk about St. Patrick’s Cathedral! It is the largest church in the United States and the 3rd largest in the world. What can I even say about this place? Phenomenal. It was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It has a very gothic architecture to it, which IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! I was completely drawn in with my mouth just open. It is hard to describe and pictures don’t do it justice, but simply breath-taking.
I must say, that I took the subway back and really did feel some relief, when I stepped off the subway into (what I consider to be) my quiet little block. People were slower here, but still on a mission to get somewhere. The city is rough, but honest. The people are genuine here, which I appreciate. It is just like anywhere else in the world, where you have a mixture of people and cultures, except really heightened.
One of my favorite parts about being here is enjoying the diversity here. I absolutely love it. The city is so different depending on where you are. All of the neighborhoods have their own feel, people, shops, and air. I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in here, that I would stick out, but that is very hard to do in a place that includes people of all different kinds.
Later that day, I went to the subway and bought my first METROCARD. Very cool…unless you are me and don’t know how to use it. ;)
Swear…I got up to go through and ran my card through and the turn thing wouldn’t let me go. I noticed a guy walk up next to me on my left and just go through without swiping his card. So I did it again…this time a lady came through without swiping?????? Finally a woman came over to me and politely told me that I needed to swipe my card on the right to go through. Therefore, I have donated 2 subway rides thus far. Look at me being so generous…
Once I figured that out, I got on the subway and took it to Penn Station, which is HUGE. When I got off, the place was packed with people and there were so many stairs everywhere, I panicked. However, I put my head down and went for it. Going with the crowds, I made my way up to the streets and continued on to the Empire State Building, which was my destination choice. ***NOTE: This is a touristy weekend; therefore, there was a MASSIVE amount of excess people at all of the sight-seeing places. I literally waited in line for about 30 minutes to get to the top and see (which was worth every minute), but what made me laugh was the amount of time I was in line to COME DOWN. Almost the same amount was spent in line.
Later that night, I went to Sarah’s place for dinner. She made soup and I got to meet Walt, her boyfriend. We went to some really wonderful places that night. We got to go to this place named Rodolfo’s??? I might be wrong, but it was this place that decorated their whole restaurant with Christmas décor….literally every square inch. It was just really cool. A lot of the places you can go to here have so much charm and are so unique! ;)
Today was another amazing day.
Although, I must say, the weather here is insane. The cold is so much different here…it is gnarly.
I got up with the intent to take the subway to 30 Rock…funny, it seems the subway and I am going to have some lovely run-ins.
Anyways, my intent was to take the B to 30 Rock, because it goes right underneath it, but the B was down so I had to take either the A or the D and then change trains and take different one….anyways, you get the point, it was confusing. I ended up taking the D to 59th/Columbus Circle and then just walking over to Rockefeller Plaza.
Again, probably one of the most beautiful buildings. Just because it is where I am going and have always wanted to go. Just took my breath away. It was kind of scary too, but without fear, we have no room to grow. Still people everywhere. I got to see the Christmas tree and the skating rink, but there were just so many people, it was hard to really see.
I then, proceeded down to Times Square…you would think that the number of people at 30 Rock would’ve given me a clue to turn around and come back, but I am stubborn. I went over and saw all of the lights and it just really felt like a piece of the city that you see in the movies…loads of people everywhere and taxis’ honking at each other and people just hustling around….shopping bags all about.
WOW!
Let’s talk about St. Patrick’s Cathedral! It is the largest church in the United States and the 3rd largest in the world. What can I even say about this place? Phenomenal. It was probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It has a very gothic architecture to it, which IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE! I was completely drawn in with my mouth just open. It is hard to describe and pictures don’t do it justice, but simply breath-taking.
I must say, that I took the subway back and really did feel some relief, when I stepped off the subway into (what I consider to be) my quiet little block. People were slower here, but still on a mission to get somewhere. The city is rough, but honest. The people are genuine here, which I appreciate. It is just like anywhere else in the world, where you have a mixture of people and cultures, except really heightened.
One of my favorite parts about being here is enjoying the diversity here. I absolutely love it. The city is so different depending on where you are. All of the neighborhoods have their own feel, people, shops, and air. I was worried that I wouldn’t fit in here, that I would stick out, but that is very hard to do in a place that includes people of all different kinds.
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