{This blog was actually so overdue………..I thought to myself...nah ---there are just too many things to write about, don’t even know where to start and how to end it.....but after hearing the song "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z and Alicia Keys being played on FM live-stream radio ....I am reminded of NY again...the fun and the experience I had there was too good to ignore, so there you go, I want to share it with you! }
Last summer, I was in New York with my family for our much awaited vacation. We normally take a good 10-days vacation trip every summer not just to have a break but also to build beautiful memories with my children. Memories that we can look back when we are 80 something years old or so, when we are all gray, wrinkled and all, something old and something beautiful. And that, what we had done in the past were actually cool and awesome…besides who doesn’t want to spend quality time with your loved ones in a different and more interesting settings beside your own backyard?
Last summer, I was in New York with my family for our much awaited vacation. We normally take a good 10-days vacation trip every summer not just to have a break but also to build beautiful memories with my children. Memories that we can look back when we are 80 something years old or so, when we are all gray, wrinkled and all, something old and something beautiful. And that, what we had done in the past were actually cool and awesome…besides who doesn’t want to spend quality time with your loved ones in a different and more interesting settings beside your own backyard?
Anyways, on our 5-hour flight to NYC, four of us --myself, Noel, Drew and Ash had this anticipated excitement and adrenaline rush all over us, my kids were excited to see and identify the buildings they are so familiar with in their favorite movies and TV shows, while me in particular, was just as excited to see and take numerous photo shots of all the famous landmarks, museums and modern architectural designs of the buildings. I remember, I had some doubts too at that moment...Will I ever feel intimidated? Will my family be safe in this city? Will I be lost or something? But the moment I set my foot on JFK airport, all of my doubts were proven wrong. I immediately felt the city’s most welcoming-warmth, as if it is my own home, as if I belong there....... I thought to myself, "oh, I love New York City......this city is so me!"
New York is probably the greatest city in the world. It is a city where unusual is commonplace. The dramatic expected. A series of neighborhoods that are real melting pots of America. Art and artists are a way of life in New York from the small studios to the magic of Broadway....
I love New York simply because of it’s diversity and how busy and full of life it is! Where else can you find such diversity? --– of food, culture, style, art, architecture, music, fashion, people? It’s hard to imagine who could never love New York. It’s the most exciting, vibrant big city on the planet earth. There is just no place like it.
The city is known as the "Big apple", maybe because it is a city of superlatives.....America's biggest, highest, largest..... The city seems to pull in the best and the brightest from every corner of the country. In fact NYC is the nation's trendsetter.
I think every individual who first set their foot in New York have their best NY moments and experiences. I for one have some to share. Here’s some of my best New York experiences and moments; --
FIFTH AVENUE
Shop ‘til you drop in the magical stores of Fifth Avenue. Just walking along this famous strip makes me feel rich. There are the uber-rich stores like Gucci, Bergdorf Goodman, Hermes, LV, Tiffany and Cartier but you can make a wise budget purchase at the likes of H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Gap, and others. You cannot visit New York without setting foot on Fifth!
STATUE OF LIBERTY
Prior to my visit, I thought Statue of Liberty is just a hollow colossus statue made of thinly pounded sheets of copper and bronze that symbolizes international friendship between France and American people. I tell you, Liberty is more than a statue. She is almost like a beloved friend, a living symbol of freedom. She is a tribute to the ideals she represents, and to the hopes she inspires...as I looked up to her face and took this photo, I was totally left in awe...
CENTRAL PARKThere's just too much to single out in this beautiful 341-hectare park in the heart of New York City. I love Bethesda's Castle, and the Shakespeare's garden..one would easily spot a soloist performing Vivaldi's 4 season symphony.
MACY'SMacy's world-famous department store has 10 floors of shopping heaven, with just about all the big designers housing...I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't make up my mind..LOL. You'll definitely experience the old cliché “shop 'till you drop”! All the same, I love the Starbucks lounge there, it's so cozy I could take a quick snooze.
BROOKLYN BRIDGEIt will take you about 20 minutes to walk across it – and right underneath, on the Brooklyn side in Water St, is the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory. On the wired fence, I spotted these phrases of words carved on it….”Splendor me or men”. Here, happens to be where you will get the best view of Manhattan, so it's a good excuse to indulge a cone of ice cream.
BROADWAY SHOWSThis is one of my favorites. My family enjoyed the Billy Elliot musicals a lot. There is nothing like it. It's worth every penny we paid for the tickets! The experience was something I would cherish for the rest of my life. I would definitely watch broadway shows again when I visit NY in the future...
SAKS & Company
Two words. First Floor. It's about the only words I can afford. But if buying purses isn't your aim, just walk around and watch the filthy-rich spend up a storm. The place is always full of people in high fashion, even the shop looked so lush and all but the sales attendants were very cordial and friendly, it has never been intimidating experience at all as compared to other designer shops that I’ve been to in Asia.
GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL
This is a major terminal and is also full of history and attractions itself. It's got fine dining and casual restaurants, market, high fashion shops...and the food! oh boy....I still can taste up to now the BEST and the most sumptuous barbeque-chicken I've ever tasted! And guess what? I've actually set foot on the spot where the climatic shootout scene in 'The Untouchables' movie...only couple of yards away from the landmark Oyster bar & restaurant.
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING
NY's original skyline symbol. The ride alone is an adrenalin rush. I felt I am at the top of the world and that I can literally conquer it all, including my biggest fears. It is overlooking the whole Central Garden, Ellis Island, Manhattan and Jersey City. The 360 degrees view is so mind-blogging. We were so lucky to have the chance to tour this building in VIP-entry, our close friend Dominic works for a reputable engineering and construction company somewhere in 30th something floor....we were spared of more than 2 hours wait in the line-up.
TIME SQUARE
Times Square is the most bustling square and THE major intersection in Manhattan, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh AvenueTimes. It is so bright and colourful. My whole family including myself of course, had lots of stop and stare moments in awe at the massive billboards amid the neon lights, towering hotels, and high-priced souvenir shops that define Times Square, which is Midtown's leading attraction. The sheer energy of this neighborhood is exciting; the pace, the sidewalks, the hotdogs, the coffee, desserts and ice cream shop usually packed. I’ve never seen so many people in one place but the experience is so unbelievably surreal. You might not believe it but we we went to that square almost everyday just to sit on the benches while sipping our javas and just enjoy watching other people who are probably came from other part of the globe!
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
I've never seen like it. I was totally amazed by the most scenic architectural design of the Main Reading Room. If you do need the best research library there is, the New York Public Library is waiting for you with ten million books and ten million manuscripts, including George Washington’s farewell address drafted in his own hand.
I love New York! I really do. Reasons why I love New York? Let me count the ways…
The city that never sleeps. I personally experienced right before my very eyes why on any given day in this Crazy City- - anything unusual, out of the ordinary or overall just super interesting and inspiring can happen on the daily basis...24/7!
It carries the torch. I think, no city gives a better welcome than New York. The Statue of Liberty leaves the light on for you, no matter who you are, no matter where you've come from.
Hustles that bustle. I love the fact that every corner in Midtown is packed with people waiting to cross the street. Everyone is rushing to get to the meeting, the java fix, the subway. No stopping to smell the roses here—just grab a bunch of flowers from one of the many vendors and smell them as you hurry on to your next destination.
It curbs my enthusiasm. NYC's energy absolutely fires up my enthusiasm!
The icing on the cake. It's one of the only places where a pink cupcake, covered in sprinkles, is actually cool.
My kind of city. No matter where I came from, there's a neighborhood that'll make me feel at home.
I am at the top. I got goose bumps when I set foot on the cool, granite foyer of the Empire State Building. From the observatory, if I look closely, I can see my dreams come true….
The coffee lingo. At the Starbucks near Times Square, I can hear a dozen languages spoken at once.
The last word. Overall, New York is so beautiful to me and yet a little bit inconvenient. It makes people there work a little harder, but you probably heard the song “if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, it's up to you New York, New York” anyway.... It forces you to interact—with taxi drivers, street musicians, people riding the subway, people talking on cell phones, people talking to themselves. But with..... “LIFE” . And I just love it!
The remarkable thing is--New York looks even better up-close, in person....."it's just like the movies!". Whether you want to call it spontaneity or chaos, there are a million different New York moments that can catch you off-guard and sweep you off your feet. You could spend weeks in New York and still barely scratch the surface, but there are some key attractions that you won't want to miss. The best thing is -- in between sights, you can eat just about anything, at anytime....
....because New York City is a city that never sleeps.
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