I have never been a fan of big cities, born and raised in the country I have to admit that they scare me a little. The huge amount of people and the traffic make me panic a bit and the speed at which everything seems to happen never sits well with my outlook on life. So when my girlfriend booked a weekend in New York as a birthday present to me I was, to say the least, a bit put out. How was I to know how much I was going to enjoy it?
The first thing that strikes you about New York is the people; they are motivated and I mean really motivated. Everything is great and if it isn’t then it can be changed with the minimum of fuss. There is an energy on the streets that just isn’t there anywhere else in the world. This was a huge help because the spirit of the people seems to rub off on you. All of a sudden I was no longer a country boy that didn’t fit in, I wanted to see everything and make every moment count. New Yorkers just have that effect on you.
So with my new found confidence we headed to Times Square and Broadway. Normally I would be shuddering in a corner somewhere at the sight of all the amazing lights and the crowds of tourists and locals, but I wasn’t. I simply couldn’t get enough of it all. Yellow cabs streamed by and horns honked as we headed toward our evening’s entertainment; Chicago at the Ambassador.
After the show, which was truly remarkable, we had dinner at a great pizza restaurant and decided that New York pizza is definitely the best. Then we headed home to our hotel for a good night’s sleep as tomorrow was going to be another busy day; I could hardly wait.
We started our Sunday morning with a stroll through Central Park and I was starting to feel like I was starring in my own blockbuster movie. After a couple of hours of relaxation amongst the outstanding peaceful surrounding we decided that it was time to visit the EmpireStateBuilding.
It being a Sunday I was a little worried that it might not be open to the public and that we would have to view it from the outside. I had forgotten that this was New York, the city that never sleeps; or apparently closes. It opens its doors daily from 8am until 2am on every day of the year. Now that is commitment to service. From the top the views are spectacular and there are some truly momentous photo opportunities.
As we were doing tall things we decided to take the ferry across to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty. Of course how can someone say they have been to New York City and has not been to the Statue of Liberty. I would definitely be ashamed to do that. We were only allowed to view this majestic sight from the outside as we hadn’t booked a ticket, but we were happy just to be here and got some great photographs.But for next time (because for sure there will be next time) I will have bought tickets in advanced and make sure I go inside.
There is so much more to see and do that we didn’t get through half as much as we would have liked to. Still with my fear of big cities firmly behind me I am sure that there will be a next time. But this time I will make sure I have bought and booked everything I need in advance(including a hotel in NYC (or what the Norwegians call Hotell New York) and tickets to the Statue of Liberty..
