The Big Apple

After spending about a week at LisB's place, I finally decided to take a trip by myself into NYC. I walked down to the train station and purchased my ticket from one of the machines and waited for the next train into Grand Central Station. I had just missed the last one but was in no big hurry and the wait was not long.

I wanted to do this for two reasons. First - to make sure I could find my way to Penn Station to catch my train back to sunny, boring, suburban sprawl Central Florida. Second - to actually walk around and see at least part of it myself. And walk I did. There is tons of transportation available there with the subway, buses, trains and taxis, however you will walk a lot. Even if you take the subway, to make a connection to the next train you have to walk. To get to Penn station from the Metro North train, you have to walk up into Grand Central and over to where the subway is and catch the 42nt Street Times Square Shuttle that will take you to Times Square. From there I need to get on the C train and ride down to 34th Street Penn Station exit. This is a significant hike and no mistake. After walking what seemed to me to be the equivalent to all of Central Park, I decided that taking a taxi was the best approach. If you live in this area and use public transportation, you will get into shape. New York City itself is flat but north of there it is very hilly. On the same order as Pittsburgh I would say where every thing is either up or down from every thing else.

I exited the subway and began walking up 42nd Street to Times Square to see the sights and take a few pics. After all, one cannot be in NYC with out taking at least a few cheesy pics while there.

I was there on Tuesday night with Lis to have dinner with another of the bloggers and chat room friends but was more concentrated then on not getting lost so did not really see as much as I would have liked. I did see how totally lit up the city is at night though.

Publish Post

More than any other city, NYC is about making money. Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore - are all about making stuff. But NYC is about money. From South Ferry to Marten Luther King Blvd. and from The Hudson River to Long Island Sound. Shops and Restaurants and Banks and Warehouses - NYC is all about selling and hustling anything and everything. And once you get near Times Square every corner has someone wanting to sell you a tour of the city, among other things. And always moving. People everywhere. It is truly the city that does not sleep or even stop to take a breath.

I did not take the time to visit the Empire State Building or see any of the numerous bridges that cross the Hudson River. Maybe next time. But if one has never been to NYC, one must go at least once. See it during the day and at night because they are two different cities. As different as night and day.