My Trip to New York, In a Nutshell
Before I go into details at all I must say that this trip would not have been able to happen without Diana's friend Eric, and his brother Andrew for making such inexpensive flights possible.
I am utterly dumbfounded by the East Coast. The cities there are designed to actually make sense, there is order and structure that I am simply not used to, having grown up in California. I kept waiting for the other shue to drop. I walked to the airport shuttle train from the airport, and the signs actually lead me there, I then followed more signs which lead me to the AmTrack station which took me into Penn Station in New York without any problems or counterintuitive mishaps.
I couldn't believe that it would be this simple, I kept asking people that worked there whether or not I'd actually arrived where I was supposed to because I'm so used to living in places where nothing makes sense. Hell the workers actually started getting a little annoyed with me. The long and short of it though, is that New York is simply better designed than Los Angeles. Which is not surprising as L.A. is one of the most poorly designed cities in America.
Anyway, enough about comparisons, lets talk about how amazing this trip was.
Eric informed me that Diana had not yet arrived in New York from the Netherlands, so (having not slept on the red eye) I grabbed a cup of coffee at a starbucks near the Empire State Building then headed to 8'th Ave and walked up to Columbus Circle (through Times Square mind you), spending my time reading in Central Park because I was simply too tired to do much in the way of sight seeing.
Diana called me around ten in the morning and we ended up meeting around noon at Columbus Circle after I'd watched some street performers put on a spectacular impromptu Jazz performance, smiling at the Dominican bicycle riksha drivers as they danced in the street and flirted with pretty girls offering them rides through Central Park at discounted rates.
I will not openly discuss what Diana and I did next, I will simply say that it was amazing, and that we both needed to do it desperately after such a long time apart.
I then met Diana's mother and we ate pizza on the roof of her high rise apartment in Mid Town Manhattan (56'th and 8'th). It was some of the best Pizza I'd ever had, and from the roof I could see the Hudson River, Central Park and a beautiful view of the skyline that almost left me speechless.
Later on that night there was drinking in a cozy little dark pub in Manhattan, the name of which escapes me. But it was rather neat, and the jukebox played the Decemberists well quick enough to make me smile.
On the Second day Diana and I went on a tour of Manhatton starting with Central Park West (including the bulding where the Ghosts Busters battled the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man). There were so many amazing things that I saw that day, that I can't actually spend any time describing any of them, it would take too long so I'll just abridge the whole walk.
Central Park West - BBQ place near some amazing homes - Central Park via the Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial - More Central Park - 8'th Avenue - Cool Tour of Sirius Radia by Eric - 6'th Avenue - A thousand beautiful Churches and Highrises - The toy store from Big and a Giant Floor Piano - The Plaza - Then More Central Park - and more Central Park -
It was pretty awesome. By then end of this both Diana and I were exhausted, so we met up with her friend Sonya and watched a movie of very little consequence.
The next day Diana's mother gave us a tour of Lincoln Center, and then we met up with Diana's friend Sonya and headed out for good food in Astoria. And best of all, the Astoria Beer Garden. Which was amazing. Eric showed up, and I met a large number of Diana's friends from New York. Good people, well informed and genuinely worth the conversation. That outdoor beer garden reminded me of Octoberfest at Brewhouse, except it's like that year round.
So much beer was had that Diana and I were actually too drunk to take a train home, so we walked with Eric to his house in an historic neighborhood in Queens, with beautiful red brick structures and lots of green spaces. We slept at his apartment and I envied him his piano and guitars (not to mention his cats and the apartment itself). He let us sleep there and gave us beverages.
The next Morning Eric (who is a pilot) took us up in his plane and flew us over Manhattan at low elevations. Seriously, we crossed over Central Park, we flew over the statue of liberty, ground zero, ellis island... pretty much all of the major landmarks. It was beautiful. Then we flew upstate and landed on a cute little runway in the middle of nowhere and ate lunch.
By the time we got back to New York we were beat, but we rallied and headed out to a party in Harlem, taking the train but still walking past some pretty spectacular brown stones. Our host was delightful and served us rather tasty dishes, and all of the conversations were stimulating and brilliant.
On the last full day in New York, Diana, her mother, and I took a train downtown and tooled around the older districts for a while. We ate some tasty chinese food in China Town, and then Diana took us to the bowery where we parted ways with her mother. Then there was walking and talking through the West Village and NYU Campus.
At that point it was getting rather late, so we took the train to Bryan Park on 42'nd Street where we met with a group of friends for the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. People lay down blankets in the park and watch movies on this giant outside screen for free under the stars and the New York Skyline. They were showing Harold and Maude, which Diana had never seen before. Private and passionate words were exchanged between the two of us as we kissed at the end of the movie, and it seemed as though the applause was ours alone. It was a beautiful night.
I had to fly back the next day, so we spent that morning eating left overs and relaxing in the apartment with Diana's mother. Then I said goodbye, hopped on the Subway, took the NJ Transit to Newark Airport and flew back to Los Angeles. I can see why New Yorkers hate L.A. now. I'm willing to say it's a city, but it's a fucking stupid one without infastructure. Don't get me wrong, there are good times to be had. But you can't fucking get anywhere, it doesn't even have decent freeways not to mention useless public transport.
It was one of the best weeks of my life. I can't imagine that anyone could have had a better first trip to New York than me, or have seen anywhere close to as much of the city as I did in so little time. I'm still giddy.
Adam
I am utterly dumbfounded by the East Coast. The cities there are designed to actually make sense, there is order and structure that I am simply not used to, having grown up in California. I kept waiting for the other shue to drop. I walked to the airport shuttle train from the airport, and the signs actually lead me there, I then followed more signs which lead me to the AmTrack station which took me into Penn Station in New York without any problems or counterintuitive mishaps.
I couldn't believe that it would be this simple, I kept asking people that worked there whether or not I'd actually arrived where I was supposed to because I'm so used to living in places where nothing makes sense. Hell the workers actually started getting a little annoyed with me. The long and short of it though, is that New York is simply better designed than Los Angeles. Which is not surprising as L.A. is one of the most poorly designed cities in America.
Anyway, enough about comparisons, lets talk about how amazing this trip was.
Eric informed me that Diana had not yet arrived in New York from the Netherlands, so (having not slept on the red eye) I grabbed a cup of coffee at a starbucks near the Empire State Building then headed to 8'th Ave and walked up to Columbus Circle (through Times Square mind you), spending my time reading in Central Park because I was simply too tired to do much in the way of sight seeing.
Diana called me around ten in the morning and we ended up meeting around noon at Columbus Circle after I'd watched some street performers put on a spectacular impromptu Jazz performance, smiling at the Dominican bicycle riksha drivers as they danced in the street and flirted with pretty girls offering them rides through Central Park at discounted rates.
I will not openly discuss what Diana and I did next, I will simply say that it was amazing, and that we both needed to do it desperately after such a long time apart.
I then met Diana's mother and we ate pizza on the roof of her high rise apartment in Mid Town Manhattan (56'th and 8'th). It was some of the best Pizza I'd ever had, and from the roof I could see the Hudson River, Central Park and a beautiful view of the skyline that almost left me speechless.
Later on that night there was drinking in a cozy little dark pub in Manhattan, the name of which escapes me. But it was rather neat, and the jukebox played the Decemberists well quick enough to make me smile.
On the Second day Diana and I went on a tour of Manhatton starting with Central Park West (including the bulding where the Ghosts Busters battled the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man). There were so many amazing things that I saw that day, that I can't actually spend any time describing any of them, it would take too long so I'll just abridge the whole walk.
Central Park West - BBQ place near some amazing homes - Central Park via the Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial - More Central Park - 8'th Avenue - Cool Tour of Sirius Radia by Eric - 6'th Avenue - A thousand beautiful Churches and Highrises - The toy store from Big and a Giant Floor Piano - The Plaza - Then More Central Park - and more Central Park -
It was pretty awesome. By then end of this both Diana and I were exhausted, so we met up with her friend Sonya and watched a movie of very little consequence.
The next day Diana's mother gave us a tour of Lincoln Center, and then we met up with Diana's friend Sonya and headed out for good food in Astoria. And best of all, the Astoria Beer Garden. Which was amazing. Eric showed up, and I met a large number of Diana's friends from New York. Good people, well informed and genuinely worth the conversation. That outdoor beer garden reminded me of Octoberfest at Brewhouse, except it's like that year round.
So much beer was had that Diana and I were actually too drunk to take a train home, so we walked with Eric to his house in an historic neighborhood in Queens, with beautiful red brick structures and lots of green spaces. We slept at his apartment and I envied him his piano and guitars (not to mention his cats and the apartment itself). He let us sleep there and gave us beverages.
The next Morning Eric (who is a pilot) took us up in his plane and flew us over Manhattan at low elevations. Seriously, we crossed over Central Park, we flew over the statue of liberty, ground zero, ellis island... pretty much all of the major landmarks. It was beautiful. Then we flew upstate and landed on a cute little runway in the middle of nowhere and ate lunch.
By the time we got back to New York we were beat, but we rallied and headed out to a party in Harlem, taking the train but still walking past some pretty spectacular brown stones. Our host was delightful and served us rather tasty dishes, and all of the conversations were stimulating and brilliant.
On the last full day in New York, Diana, her mother, and I took a train downtown and tooled around the older districts for a while. We ate some tasty chinese food in China Town, and then Diana took us to the bowery where we parted ways with her mother. Then there was walking and talking through the West Village and NYU Campus.
At that point it was getting rather late, so we took the train to Bryan Park on 42'nd Street where we met with a group of friends for the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. People lay down blankets in the park and watch movies on this giant outside screen for free under the stars and the New York Skyline. They were showing Harold and Maude, which Diana had never seen before. Private and passionate words were exchanged between the two of us as we kissed at the end of the movie, and it seemed as though the applause was ours alone. It was a beautiful night.
I had to fly back the next day, so we spent that morning eating left overs and relaxing in the apartment with Diana's mother. Then I said goodbye, hopped on the Subway, took the NJ Transit to Newark Airport and flew back to Los Angeles. I can see why New Yorkers hate L.A. now. I'm willing to say it's a city, but it's a fucking stupid one without infastructure. Don't get me wrong, there are good times to be had. But you can't fucking get anywhere, it doesn't even have decent freeways not to mention useless public transport.
It was one of the best weeks of my life. I can't imagine that anyone could have had a better first trip to New York than me, or have seen anywhere close to as much of the city as I did in so little time. I'm still giddy.
Adam