I was born on the lower East side of Manhattan a few decades back. I moved out west in my twenties and have returned a few times. This past summer I got to spend some leisurely time showing my new bride the sights. As a first timer, she was obviously impressed by the shear grandeur and scope of this vital and bustling city. The height of buildings that block the sky is one of the first things she noticed. It was about then that I decided to look at the Big Apple through her fledgling eyes and revisit an old friend.
We stayed at a hotel not far from Macy?s and Herald Square at 35th street. We could easily walk to the Empire State Building, which still retains it?s magic and allure made famous in many a movie. At the observation deck, I could have sworn I saw Tom Hanks retrieve a lost teddy bear. The views are awesome and the whole art-deco lobby is clean and wonderfully unique. We made our way to Rockefeller Center and enjoyed a taping of the ?Today Show? in progress. The walk along Fifth avenue is decadent and a window-shoppers dream. Reaching Schwartz?s Toy Store, once again I visualized TH dancing on the keyboard on the second floor amid life-sized stuffed jungle animals.
We had already ducked into the Trump Tower and was taken by the opulent entryway. We then peered at the diamonds in the displays of Harry Winston and the renovation of the old Plaza Hotel into a condo project. Across the way was Central Park, boarded by an endless line of horse-drawn carriages waiting for lovers and tourists. Just inside the grassy knoll, they were filming a movie and we had to make a detour. Of course, it?s NY and they are always filming something.
The next day, the excitement continued at the Guggenheim Museum, a wonder of architectural ingenuity and the big dog: The Museum of Art, with it?s jaw-dropping Van Gogh originals and too many others to mention. We got to see the ?Imagine? tribute to Lennon and Nero Wolf?s plaque outside his building, which was fictitious but fun. We ended with a trip through Macy?s and hung around Times Square to absorb the ambiance and picture Dick Clark counting down the New Year. We left via Penn Station and caught our breath. It was only 3 days in town, but we had eaten NY pizza, deli pastrami sandwiches and mastered the subway system. Quite an accomplishment.
As we took our train out of town, we vowed to return to have a dog at Coney Island, visit the Statue of Liberty, The Museum of Natural History, explore more of Central Park and probably take a full week to capture all we missed. I was content that I could act as tour guide and point out the sights, but realized the wondrous diversity and culture that the City affords the tourist. Having been around the world, I can still honestly say that New York has something for everyone and should not be missed. Plan a trip in the spring or fall, if possible. We hit a cool spell for June, but the off-seasons are quite special. You won?t regret a moment, I promise.