NY Seeeeeeee (Part 2 – Ready to go! New Attitude)

New York City!! N. Y. Ceeeeeeeee! J

2nd Day – Lots to do - New attitude

I went back to my 11th floor room on my first night in the Big Apple tired, yet excited for the rest of my stay.  After a mild panic attack, as day turned to night, I realised I wanted to live this city, not hide from it!  And over the next 6 days I did just that and actually felt safer in Manhattan than in any other city. 

My hunger to see absolutely everything was consuming.  Many people say "Don't make plans!" when you visit New York because you never know what you’re going to come across!  I had a rough plan; after all, I had been reading up on this magical new destination of mine for months.  That night I listened to the constant whir of traffic, sirens and car horns and looked out of the window, amazed at the bright lights, and revised tomorrows plan: Uptown then Central Park.  I slept well, but eagerly awaited the morning.

I walked out of the hotel on my first full day in the Big Apple, high on life and raring to go.

I was staying on 8th Avenue and 44th Street, so was right in the middle of it all.  The lights weren’t so bright now but the sirens and horns continued.  I went to get my favourite coffee chain “Tall Americano” and saw the News trucks!?!  Is this what people had been on about? 

I got my coffee, to go, and headed up 42nd Street where people were marching in front of  theatres with signs as camera crews filmed.  What had I walked into? The Writer’s strikes of 2007! 

 
 
After marvelling at the amount of people in front of every 42nd Street theatre I realised my plan to see a Broadway show sometime this week may have to be altered (luckily I hadn’t bought tickets beforehand) .  Drinking coffee and walking, something that grew to be part of my persona, I arrived at Times Square.  Awwww Times Square!  Just as intriguing by day as by night!  After chatting with some yellow coated sales people I bought a 48 hour NY Tour Ticket (I will tell you now, it is well worth the money for seeing everything if you’re not clear where you’re going).



Times Square, New York.  By day.

Bleeker St.

Empire State

 And so, going against my plan, I took the Downtown Tour.  I was getting my fill of sights, seeing Macy's, the Empire State Building, the Flatiron building, the Ladies Mile, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Chinatown and Little Italy. 

I got off at the Ground Zero stop.  After seeing the images of the destruction of the Twin Towers I couldn’t believe I was actually here.  On the screen,  it, 9/11, seemed like a Hollywood production, but here now, seeing the outcome, I actually felt the pain that radiated from this bombsite/ burial ground/ abyss.  It was so much more than I had ever imagined.

Ground Zero in 2007

After contemplating this respectfully silent spot, I wandered around the Battery Park esplanade area, had lunch, and got back on the hop-on hop-off bus.  Travelling back up north I took in yet more sights: South Street Seaport, Lower East Side, East Village, the United Nations Building and the Rockefeller Centre. 

I got off the bus tired, nothing another “Tall Americano” wouldn’t fix, and got back on another one for the Night Tour  (I was definately getting my money’s worth). 

A trip to Brooklyn this time, via the all the same downtown sights  but with the bright lights included. 

Over the bridge we stopped at the Fulton Ferry Landing to dreamily gaze over the water to glitzy Manhattan, and WOW!  Absolutely fantastic views!  But it was cold and a lot of the photos that night turned out blurry!

Manhattan from Fulton Ferry landing

On returning to the lights and action of my beloved Times Square, I ate that night at Bubba Gump´s restaurant.  My first visit, but certainly not my last shrimp enhanced munch affair, to a Forrest Gump themed restaurant. 

At the end of that full day, I realised, I had not completed my plan, but, and in the words of Forrest:

“Life is like a box of chocolates”

Oh yeah ! You bet, you never know what you're gonna get!