THE BIG APPLE TREAT!

I know, I did not seem to be online for quite sometime. Ok…Where was I?? Well…. Madam was in Manhattan, New York! I am just back from New York. Hmmm ….The story goes like this…. It all started on Thursday night when Rohit was back home saying that he could take a break on Friday and Monday for all the work which went on for 2 months straight. We were looking out for options and trying to decide something good for the weekend…. After lot of juggling online, looking out for options we managed to get a fair deal to New York at about 12 at night. We immediately booked the tickets for the 7 O’ clock flight… decided on starting from home at around 4.30 early morning as the airport is quite far off and we had to even return the existing car and book another one for us to move around in New York…Well…and reaching New York where to go?…. We had to take long directions from La Guardia terminal of New York to the downtown Manhattan and from there on to a cousin’s…etc….and by the time all this paper work was done it was already 3.00 in the morning… Rohit took a quick nap….I packed and made ourselves a single baggage…an easy carriage to pull…and I hardly slept that night. We reached the airport at 5 O’ clock in the morning…well before time….The flight took off at the right time….and we landed the La Guardia airport of New York at 8.45 AM.

Well from there…the first thing we did was to collect all the maps and brochures from the information center …We took a bus which crossed the Triborough bridge to the Uptown Manhattan and from there boarded a subway to the downtown Manhattan…Weather was good….A clear sky and sunshine… All we could see were the innumerable clusters of skyscrapers …buildings so tall that in order to get a view of the tip we might lean back and fall and still the tip would not be visible!! Each and every tall architectural structure trying to be taller than the other establishing its own supremacy and speaking loud of the achievements of the builders and creating its own niche in the architectural history with a unique design of its own. Manhattan was so crowded…. Full of people…of different nationalities….We could see so many Indians and Chinese people. We got down at the 42nd street of downtown Manhattan where in we caught the glimpses of Empire State building…We could see people walking both ways…crowded…and we were one among them walking too… we walked a lot……street after street…Getting around New York City is a breeze, thanks to buses, subways, taxis and countless feeder roads. There are also ferries, helicopters, bicycles, and frequent Amtrak and commuter rail service. Not to forget our feet….NYC is a walking city!…Its best seen on foot… One of New York City’s great assets is its walkability. Manhattan is mostly a grid system of uptown/downtown streets intersecting with cross town streets so its hard to get lost here. Most of the city is flat, perfect for strolling. Exploring it all from a walker’s pace, at eye level, is the best way to get a real feel for the city. Its the cheapest way to get around, and sometimes (depending on traffic and distance) it is the fastest. The crowded sidewalks, you’ll see people snacking, meeting long-lost friends, gossiping, taking business meetings via cell phone…..Met lots of people on the way ….explored the city on foot the first day…. Ate …drank… and just walked …till the Staten Island…. where there were ferries to go to the Statue of liberty ….we saw her standing far off in the midst of Liberty Island… We spent lots of time moving in downtown as the best of New York is still downtown. It’s the birth place of the nation. Its Wall Street, the South Street Seaport , Williamsburg bridge, Manhattan bridge, Brooklyn bridge…its surrounding rivers like Hudson, Harlem and East rivers ….its breath taking views of the harbor and Statue of Liberty. Its narrow winding streets and skyscraper canyons. Its parks, plazas and esplanades. Its museums concerts and out door sculptures. Its diverse shopping experience, superb dining and world- class hotels and eateries…. Best of all …its always a short walk from one great attraction to the next.

After we felt that we have walked enough ….we went to Avis… got ourselves a car as we wanted to reach our cousin’s place little early in the night….before we could miss out on the roads…. We took the car and Rohit drove from downtown Manhattan to the mid town Manhattan… Manhattan was just great in the evening twilight… Wonderful…The lights all getting lit up slowly and whole city seemed to rev up again with a great energy and enthusiasm…and the clear sky coming out with the stars… It was just great! We took the Lincoln tunnel to reach New Jersey…The Lincoln Tunnel provides a means of transportation from mid-town Manhattan to New Jersey underneath the Hudson River. We reached their place Piscataway before 8 O’ clock at night….They were waiting for us…We had an early dinner …. We also retired by 12 at night as we were tired too.

The next morning that’s on March 11th…. after having break fast … … all set …we drove town to the Metropark station …a 15 minutes drive from their place .We took tickets for a roundtrip for the NJ transit train from Metropark of New Jersey to New York…We reached NY in 30 minutes….That’s the best thing in New York….Cars are not a great means to go around the downtown Manhattan… as to get a car parking is next to impossible and even if you did…then it would cost you 50$ straight for an hour! We took a subway from the Penn Station to 42nd street…. Purchased the tickets for a two day hop-on and hop-off 2-day double decker bus tour….and then visited the first indoor place …Madame Tussauds Museum…In a city with millions of things to see and do, there is only one place where over 200 of the world's top celebrities provide you with an interactive experience of a lifetime showcasing lifelike wax figures. It features The Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Buffalo Bill and Diana, Princess of Wales….trendsetters of the 20th century, featuring Mikhail Barishnikov, Babe Ruth, Janis Joplin, Charlie Chaplin, The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Bill Gates and Neil Armstrong…celebrities like Woody Allen, Bette Midler, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant, Oprah Winfrey, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Donald Trump … the blushing Jennifer Lopez, Teri Hatcher, Madonna…with some of whom we posed too…

Later we boarded our open top bus “City Sights NY” for our city day tour…It was a great experience…the .double decker bus tours allow you to enjoy the best of Manhattan with unlimited hop-on, hop-off opportunities at over 50 stops throughout Manhattan…
The bus went around all the places of interest covering the famous buildings …the historical architectural structures…the parks…the museums…the city libraries…the tallest hotels and the world-class hotels, restaurant rows… where in we could see plethora of restaurants and cafes with cuisines of different countries…Chinese, Mexican, Portugal, Italian, Indian, American, Greek, Thai etc… Times Square, Empire State Building, Chrysler building, Trump building, United Nations, South Street Seaport, Financial District, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown, Site of the World Trade Center, Wall Street, Battery Park, South Street Seaport for the view of the man made wonderful bridges, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, Museum Mile, New York Historical Society, The Dakota, Lincoln Center, Time Warner Center, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Apollo, Madison Square Garden, Macy's Herald Square….

We got down at the Empire State Building at the right time…the dusk…where in we hoped to catch the breath taking views of Manhattan and beyond in the day and the night both…and the twilight experience. New York's famous Empire State Building, a New York City Landmark and a National Historic Landmark, soars more than a quarter of a mile into the atmosphere above the heart of Manhattan. Its 1454 feet in height with 102 floors. The building was actually completed ahead of schedule, taking only one year and 45 days to build. All in all, the feeling and spirit of New York City is embodied in the Empire State Building. From the people who fell in love here, to the ones who have returned with their children and grandchildren, everyone recognizes the building not only as an awe-inspiring landmark which offers one of the most spectacular views on earth but an unequalled symbol of American ingenuity and Art Deco architecture…the Observatory on the 102nd floor offers panoramic views from within a glass enclosed pavilion and from the surrounding open-air promenade…Wow…wow…wow struck was I that I am short of words to describe this unique experience of my life time I can say! Let me mention here that every New Yorker still grieves at the loss of the World towers which happened to be the tallest building in New York. The one thing that you get to hear from any one is “ Unfortunately Empire State Building is the Tallest Building in New York now”. The beautiful lights that grace the top of The Empire State building are energy efficient as well as awe inspiring. In fact, as a Tourism attraction, the view from afar can be as exciting as the view from the top! Visitors and observers from near and far should not take the lighting of the Empire State Building for granted because there are always interesting and interactive events planned throughout the year. The Tower Lights just might surprise you with how often they change! March 10 - March 12, 2006 was Blue/Blue/White for Colon Cancer Awareness…that’s what we got to see!

Later in the evening we walked and then went to the China town….had good ethnic food …rushed to the Penn Station to catch out NJ transit just in time…only to reach home at 11.30 at night…. We spent some time chatting… and then retired for the day.

The next day …Sunday morning…March 12th looked all soggy from the window….It was raining!! We set out again…the same way…as the day before …reached New York… before 11. AM… we walked towards the Battery park…before that we hit the famous 3 1/2 ton bronze statue of a ‘Charging Bull’ near the New York Stock exchange in Financial District of NYC signifying the financial prominence and stability in the stock market. We began here in Battery Park on the tip of Manhattan at this circular fortress called Castle Clinton the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island…As it was cloudy and raining we could get the views of clouded skyline from the ferry. The ride was good …we reached the Liberty Island where the Statue stood tall and graceful ….taking the cold breeze…Next to the flag, it's America's most famous symbol for freedom - an icon for the immigrant, Liberty Enlightening the World as it is officially titled is familiarly just the Statue of Liberty. The Statue was actually a gift from the people of France. ‘Statue of Liberty’ standing 152 feet tall… she adorns the New York’s harbor standing for – Friendship, Liberty, Freedom and Peace….The Statue of Liberty has turned green, over the years, due to the effects of acid containing rain on its copper sheathing.….
The statue, made of copper sheets with an iron framework, depicts a woman escaping the chains of tyranny, which lie at her feet. Her right hand holds aloft a burning torch that represents liberty. Her left hand holds a tablet inscribed with the date "July 4, 1776" (in Roman numerals), the day the United States declared its independence from England. She is wearing flowing robes and the seven rays of her spiked crown symbolize the seven seas and continents.
Near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is Ellis Island. This island served as an immigrant station and a temporary shelter for people coming to the U.S. from other countries.

We finished our ferry ride….and hopped into our bus which took us again to the Times Square…Times Square, named after the one-time headquarters of The New York Times, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, which centers on 42nd Street and Broadway. The theaters of Broadway and the huge number of gaudy animated neon and television-style signage have long made it one of New York's iconic images, and a symbol of the intensely urban aspects of Manhattan. The density of illuminated signs in Times Square now rivals Las Vegas. A notable example of the signage is the NASDAQ sign at the NASDAQ Market Site. The exciting and vibrant nightlife in Times Square rivals any other part of New York City. Its an agora of exquisite shopping, dazzling animated signage, theatres, food and dining from every part of the world, wide variety of shops and stores, entertainment, fun, nightlife, people….list just goes on…

We visited the largest Mc Donald’s outlet in US for burgers….Hopped again into our bus for the Night tour experience to get a bird's eye view of the glitter of "the city that never sleeps!” To see New York when it sparkles is an experience in its own….The night tour marvels us with the ride on to the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge to reach and stop at the historic Brooklyn Fulton Ferry Landing for a photo opportunity and breathtaking views of the glittering necklace of the Manhattan skyline. The stop also allows you to indulge in an ice cream at the Brooklyn ice cream factory….Later there is a stop at The World Financial Center… where the site of the World Trade Center is gonna have an yet another historic marvel called “Freedom Towers” very soon. The blue prints, the information and the architectural models were exhibited in the place. We finished out tour….rushed to the Penn Station for our train…reached home at 11 at night…

I felt Detroit was miniature of Chicago….and now I don’t hesitate to point out that Chicago is a mini miniature of The Big Apple- New York…3 days in Manhattan weren’t just enough to feed our eyes and imagination. The whole city was so overwhelming with lots of vibrant energy, the dazzle and zest and enthusiasm of the people that it was just not sufficient to digest how the city oozes out oodles energy with an invincible oomph! A heritage of skyscraper history like no other city.

Next morning …got up early…took the directions for the airport and left at 8 O’ clock …the flight was at 12.50….we reached the airport at around 10.30…so rambled in the airport…Rohit kept dozing off wherever he got a chance…and …later the flight was delayed 2 hours…we reached Detroit at around 4.00 in the evening.

That’s what was New York for me in a nut shell…Lots more to write on… but lets give it a break now!!

If eyes were made for seeing, then Beauty is its own excuse for being.