I never gave the US much of a chance. I spent my travel time, money, and energy on far away places in Europe and Asia. I mean, why would I go to my closest neighbour when I can go to China or Greece?
I always felt like this was the right decision. I mean, I can always go to a closer place where everyone speaks English when I’m older, slower, and less adventurous. Also, maybe the difficulty entering the US would loosen up in the coming years, so why bother, right?
There was of course, one place in the country that I wanted to go, but never felt the need or pull like I had for places like Paris or Beijing. I mean, I had seen it in almost every movie and television show that I had ever turned on. So why bother going to a place like New York? I mean, I had practically been there already without leaving my own home.
And then, last year happened. I start dating someone from The City (as it tends to be known) and I go for a few day visit.
I didn’t have the highest of expectations. I had been to big, modern cities before, and they all possess a certain sameness to them. What could this city offer me that a familiar place like Toronto, or an exotic place like Paris couldn’t? I thought I would like it and enjoy it, but that’s about it.
How wrong I was.
New York is not a big modern exciting city. No, New York is THE big modern exciting city. After getting to know that place a bit in the past two summers, I think more and more that it is the original big modern exciting city that all other ones try to emulate in some way. I love Toronto, but Steve Martin was right on an episode of 30 Rock where he said “It’s just like New York, but without all the stuff”. I love London, but you know it’s modern, financial district has a feel of Wall Street to it. I know that London came first, but New York did that better. I love Beijing, but it doesn’t have the pizazz of The City That Never Sleeps, maybe someday, but not today.
While I thought that the familiarity of the city would detract from my sense of wonder, but instead it only added to it. It is an exciting place that you already know so much about. Also, it is so exciting to look around and see bits of Seinfeld, Cloverfield, When Harry Met Sally, Night at the Museum, How I Met Your Mother, and scores of other famous scenes mingling together.
Manhattan Island has probably the greatest concentrations of major sites in North America. You turn around and there’s the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Natural History Museum, and tones of other things all around you. Even riding on the rickety subway cars feels like a worth while experience.
So while I never thought I would ever say this…
Or at least post it as a picture
…and clearly I am not the only one.
Until next time,
G
Tags: 17 posts, North America, travel, wow
When you live in NYC, it is still a place you have a love/hate relationship with. There are of course those bad days when an entire subway line inexplicably shuts down, or some jerk is rude to you in public, a place you want to go to is packed or closed, tourists are blocking your commute to work… But in the end it still has so many special things for everyone. I might be biased.
New York loves you too.