The Big Apple

I just got back from NYC after visiting my sister during her graduation from dance school - good times all around. Because she was so busy with multiple rehersals and performances, I basically had the days free to do all the touristy stuff that I had not gotten around to doing on previous visits. First day I went to the top of the Empire State building to get my fear of heights rush, had incredible pizza at a place in the upper east side (much different than anything else in KC - though D'Bronx is somewhat in the right direction), then went to the graduation. Next day found me perusing the markets of Chinatown, exploring downtown lower Manhattan, and visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. I was surprised by the emotion that a view of lady liberty still evokes. As the ferry churned past the statue towards Ellis Island, it was easy to imagine what millions of the poor, tired, huddled masses felt as they entered into New York harbour past this symbol of hope on a similar route. That night I enjoyed Thai food set to Euro-trance-lounge beats. The next day I went to Ground Zero and nearby St. Paul's Cathedral which still looks like a memorial shrine with wrenching posters, photographs, and displays of other artifacts recovered from the site. The hole where the twin towers stood is pretty much cleared out. What amazes me is that all around the site are these huge skyscrapers - at least twice as big as anything in KC. Yet the twin towers were twice as tall as those remaining skyscrapers. Vertigo was a frequent companion. Several of the buildings had obvious damage from that day. One had black netting completely covering it to prevent escape of asbestos. While one looked like someone had taken a big bite right out of its corner. Later, I took a bus tour through the lower east side (once the most densely populated place on earth due to immigrant tenements), greenwich village (not particularly impressive for all the hype), and went by the UN, Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, Trump Tower, and throughout midtown (toney stores all along Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue). My favorite place was Central Park - spring flowers, beautiful trees, dog walkers, artists, sun bathers, large granite rocks, duck ponds, stone bridges, carriage rides, and disco on rollerskates. After walking so much, I indulged in a truly spectacular coffee ice cream/hot fudge sundae from Serendipity 3 - it really was excessive. That night I ventured into Harlem to the Apollo theatre and saw my sister dance an awe-inspiring pas de deux at the annual Alvin Ailey Gala Performance. The night was capped with a trip to Times Square for all the lights and spectacle. And that pretty much sums up my trip. I'm already looking forward to my next Big Apple experience in about six months.