New York City: Like visiting a new friend

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New York City: Like visiting a new friend

By David W. Shelton | March 25, 2008 |

When I told a friend of mine last week that I was going to visit New York City, he poked at me a bit: “Oh, there’s nothing there but socialists and liberals.”

I smiled and said, “then it’ll be a refreshing change.”

All kidding aside, there’s plenty to say about visiting our country’s most populated city. Its history is replete with everything that makes for great movies, including making movies. It was Hollywood before Hollywood. The country’s comic book industry began there. It’s the first place in the world where “going up” meant REALLY going up. Skyscrapers became the norm as early as the 1920s. They hit their heyday in the early 1930s when the Chrysler Building and the legendary Empire State Building was built.

Sure, I knew all this before we arrived in Manhattan. No matter how much about New York I thought I knew, I could never have been fully prepared for the staggering reality that the Big Apple would present.

Legendary Empire

We only had a few days to see the City that Never Sleeps. My time was even more limited since I had to attend a seminar while in town. I didn’t complain a whole lot since the class was held inside the Empire State Building. I admit, I was a bit nostalgic the entire time.

One of my favorite books of all time is Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer-prize winning The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. It’s a story of two Jewish boys that live in 1930’s New York City, who created their own comic book that was eventually published by Empire Comics – you guessed it – with an office in the Empire State Building. If you’re even half the comic book nerd I was as a kid, then you’ll not be able to put this book down.

My best friend of 30 years called while I was in the elevator, the very same best friend who suggested – no, demanded – that I read Kavalier. He asked what I was doing. “Oh, I’m getting off an elevator in the Empire State Building.”

“You suck!” he said. I knew he had been to New York before, but he never made it to the Empire. We talked a little about the book, and he reiterated just how much he hated me at that moment. I never felt better.

By the way, there’s a comic book store right across from the ESB on 33rd Street called “Empire Comics.” I resisted the temptation to go into that store – my bank account can only take so much!

My seminar was in itself an experience, as it was a class called “Train the Trainer.” Part of my profession is to conduct training classes in Photoshop and other Adobe products, so this is a step toward the needed certifications.

The class itself was small, with seven other training professionals (including the instructor), all from New York. Once they knew I was from out of town – a Southerner, even – they went out of their way to welcome me. I enjoyed telling them about my home state as much as they enjoyed telling me about all their favorite eateries and hangouts.

The conversation migrated to the events of September 11, a topic I really didn’t want to broach. After all, those atrocities happened right there in New York City. I felt a ping in my spine the first time I saw the skyline from the George Washington bridge; a skyline without the twin towers of the World Trade Center.

One man, Obinna Nwoke, whose family hailed from Nigeria, told with teary eyes how he went to work even mere days after the 11th. “The smell from the buildings – it was horrible – it lasted for months,” he said. Even after more than six years, it still brings tears to his eyes. He told of how he had to go through several checkpoints in order to get to his job, which happened to be in Lower Manhattan at the time. He described it as constant state of fear. “I just wanted to go to work,” Nwoke said. He added, “We were scared every time we went into a building.”

I finally understood what that line in RENT meant: “I’m a New Yorker. Fear is my life.” I couldn’t imagine what they went through during that horribly dark time. I recounted how we gathered around our television sets that morning. To actually be in the city where the buildings collapsed, well, it’s a whole new feeling of comprehension. The men I got to know in that room all had their own story to tell. Ultimately, though, they were stories of overcoming. They overcame their fear, their anxieties, and found a renewed strength and passion to do their jobs; terrorism be damned. I felt a sense of pride as an American as I got to hear their stories.

There was a sense of even greater urgency as we discussed these events in another of the world’s tallest buildings, a building that had itself been hit by a plane once. When I left the Empire later that afternoon, I did so not as a visitor, but as someone who was welcomed as a fellow New Yorker, even if it was to be just for a few days.

Subway – Which Way?

Aside from big buildings, New York City has one major challenge for all visitors from out of town: public transportation. The city boasts one of the world’s best public transportation systems (and arguably the most taxis per capita I’ve ever seen).

Whether you want to take a bus or the Subway, you’re sure to get around town very quickly (as long as you don’t drive).
That is, once you figure out just where the hell you want to go. Central Park? Take the A, B, or C train. Uptown? Take the D or F train. Downtown? Take any of these trains, but be sure you’re going the right direction. Crosstown? Take the 1, 2, or 3 trains. Whew. Thank heaven the local NYPD officers were so helpful (and patient) for visitors to ask which train to take.

The Subway has a mystique of its own, which presented to me an experience like I’ve never seen: The subway preacher. One afternoon while I was headed toward Columbus Square, I entered a train that would be at least a five minute ride to the next stop. An African-American man entered the train with a huge duffel bag and began his inspiring message by asking for donations to help his church feed the homeless.

After a few “God Bless You’s,” he began his fiery sermon of how he was once a crackhead, and now he’s filled with the Holy Spirit, changed by the power of God. He spoke with passion and power. Interestingly, though, the entire car largely ignored the man. They listened to their iPods (I think there are more iPods per capita in New York than anywhere else in the world), they read their copy of the New York Post. For me, it was a fascinating experience. For everyone else on the train, it was just another day on the Subway.

My companion and I both bought MetroCards for use around town, which is essential. There are kiosks around town that sell the ubiquitous cards – giving every New Yorker a chance to get around town at their leisure.

Lights, Camera, M&Ms!

If any particular place in New York is overwhelming to this Southern boy, then it’s certainly Times Square. We’ve all seen films that feature this legendary intersection, as well as the countless New Year’s Eve events. There’s seeing it on TV, and then there’s actually seeing it! The lights are as dazzling as they are breathtaking. They move, they dance, they have forty-foot video screens. The Coca-Cola sign, in its latest incarnation, is a broken-up computerized gizmo that has dozens of smaller screens to make up the whole.

In short, the whole experience of Times Square was “Bambi, meet headlights.” I’ll freely admit it: I gawked the entire time. No matter how mentally prepared I was, the dazzle of the Times Square lights was enough to give me a sense of being incredibly, hopelessly small.

I don’t know what came over me. I was instantly on a beeline to some place special. I couldn’t help myself. I was irresistibly drawn to the M&M World store. Call it curiosity, or just call me a “sucker,” but I couldn’t help myself. I HAD to see that store. My sister told me of it, so I knew it was going to be an unique experience. Boy, was it ever!

The store features a myriad of M&M-themed items, all of which were stamped with either the “m” logo or had one (or many) of their M&M mascot characters adorning them.

Along two inner walls were vast columns, each filled with a single color of M&Ms. Combined, they formed a confection spectrum that drew dozens of people at a time, each filling their own bag of M&Ms with their favorite color. I created a red-white-and-blue bag for myself. For my purple-centric partner, it was to be a bag of purple and teal candies.

Now the big question is whether we want to eat them – alas, I’m sure the nostalgia will wear off eventually. I suspect that if I bring them to the office, that my fellow artists will devour them in just a few minutes

The Big Apple in the Big Apple

I admit it. I’m an Apple nerd. I’ve turned over a new leaf. This former windoze-only guy has now been converted into a Mac evangelist! Want to play? Windoze is fine. But if you want to get real work done, then get a Mac! There. I did the “get-a-Mac” spiel. Now go buy yourself a Mac so you can be cool like the rest of us.

Being cool isn’t the only reason to get a Mac, however. When you have a Mac, you can be one of the millions of people who get misty-eyed every time you walk into an Apple store. What’s more, you can visit Apple’s flagship store on 5th Avenue, near Central Park. It is heralded by a giant glass cube with a simple apple logo hovering in the middle of it.

A friend of ours offered to meet us at the Apple store on Wednesday before we went to dinner. Who was I to complain about such a wonderfully brilliant idea? We quickly agreed.

We also deliberately arrived at the store about an hour early so we could properly drool over all the new Macs – especially that nifty little MacBook Air. It’s small, it’s sleek. It’s incredibly light. But no optical drive. Oh well. I’ll stick with my two-week-old MacBook Pro instead.

I know. I’m such a nerd. I was also a nerd in a store full of fellow Mac nerds, and it was indeed Mac heaven. I’m even getting misty-eyed just thinking about it. I actually felt a little depressed that I was already content in my Mac ownership that I didn’t even need to get that mini-DVI-to-VGA adapter. Oh well.

Everything is RENT

One simply cannot visit New York without taking in one of the many shows on Broadway. I found out that RENT, the popular play that opened in 1996 to rave reviews, was due to close this year. It spawned a major motion picture and at least two major soundtracks.

It was a cultural phenomenon as well, and created a whole new class of play attendees called “RentHeads.” These are people who wait at the door in the hopes of getting a chance to sit on the front two rows for only $20 a ticket. After all, what good is a story about bohemia if bohemians can’t see it?

Written as an adaptation of La Vie Boheme, it tells the tale of a group of friends in the late 1980’s who all must endure the impact of HIV and AIDS. What makes the story so universal in its appeal is that while there are indeed some gay subplots, they are merely parts of the overall story.

RENT was written by the late Jonathan Larson, who died of a heart attack the night before opening night. It cast a huge, dark shadow over the entire production. That shadow didn’t last long as the popularity of the play grew into the spotlight once everyone realized that it was actually a great play. Larson’s death actually grew into the mythos of the play, appearing to give it a boost from beyond.

If you’ve seen the movie or heard the soundtrack, you know that there’s a scene during which Maureen encourages the audience to “moo” with her. Yes, we mooed. It was icing on a very rich cake of an evening of entertainment.

An Unexpected Pleasure

One of the most unanticipated delights of the trip was an impromptu visit to a small French diner that’s just across from an ornate French restaurant that looked too expensive to read the sign (maybe that’s why I don’t remember the name of the restaurant). This quant little diner presented a classic 1950’s décor that offered relief from the cold and rain with two older gentlemen who offered a quick dessert and coffee.

I ordered a simple cup of hot tea (with milk instead of lemon) and a Greek salad. I didn’t realize it came with anchovies. I figured, “what the hell?” and tasted one. My dad loves them, so why not? My taste buds apparently haven’t changed very much since the last time I tasted anchovies when I was a child. They were revolting. Not wanting to be an unwelcome guest, I simply moved the rest of them off the plate. Yuck. No more anchovies for David.

The diner itself looked a little out of place in modern New York City, but that was part of its charm. Anchovies aside (literally), there’s nothing like a cup of hot tea on a cold evening, especially after miles of walking in the country’s most storied city.

Oh, the walking. How could I forget? I remembered how much I felt the “burn” after walking through the Sequoia National Forest last year. Even that paled by comparison this time around. We walked so much that even my rear end hurt. I forgot there were muscles back there!

The Exclamation Point

In all, the trip was entirely too short. We visited the Museum of Natural History, only to be chased out after a couple of hours since it was close to closing time. I chuckled at the sight of a standee of the Ben Stiller film, “A Night in the Museum,” which featured the Natural History museum. The planetarium featured a “Cosmic Collisions” film narrated by Robert Redford, and a short film about the Big Bang, narrated by Maya Angelou.

On the other side of the museum were large dioramas and life-size replicas of animals that populate the globe. One room featured a full-size model of a blue whale. Another exhibit featured a cutting from a giant Sequoia. “Been there,” I thought to myself. It was over fourteen feet in diameter. It was a small one.

We took the subway back to the parking garage, and began our gridlocked trip out of town. I’m really glad we weren’t in a hurry, since it was plainly evident that we were going nowhere fast. I started to understand why there was so much advertising plastered all over the walls in New York – What else are drivers going to look at?

We left town via the Holland Tunnel, located on the south side of town. It’s a mile-long tunnel that literally goes under the mighty Hudson River. We emerged on the New Jersey side and began the journey to our next destination.

When we crested a hill a couple of miles later, we saw her. Yes, her. Lady Liberty. Sure, she was a good mile or two away, but there she was in all her glory. The sun had begun to set by then, and the lights were turned on, so she appeared to glow over the horizon.

My breath was completely taken away. Nothing in New York was as breathtaking as seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. I didn’t even think I’d be able to see her, but there she was. God, she was beautiful. I can only imagine the audible gasps that immigrants would release upon seeing her for the first time after a long sea voyage.

This trip was one experience in delight after another. To see the Statue of Liberty at its closure was as fitting of an exclamation point as I could imagine.

Leaving New York City was like leaving a new friend. I don’t think I’ll ever want to live there, but I sure want to go back.

About David W. Shelton

Web Site: http://www.skippingtothepiccolo.com/

Email: dwshelton@charter.net

Sections: Arts and Leisure
Topics: Empire State Building, New York City, RENT, Statue of Liberty, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Travel

3 Responses to “New York City: Like visiting a new friend”

Scott Beasley Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 6:46 am

Great article David. Its been 10 years since I’ve been there. The one lasting memory I have was the people who didn’t seem to mind invading what we “southerners” believe is personal body space. Whether feeling the breath of the person standing behind me in line, or being packed in a subway like sardines, it seems they’ve grown accustomed to being much closer(physically) that we are used to. I went there for New Years in 1998-99 and we visited Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza,and got lost in Chinatown. MAN was it COLD. The wind whipping through the streets seemed somewhat intensified because of the buildings, I suppose. After reading your article, I got out some pictures of my trip and there’s one of me and a friend standing on top of the Empire State Building, with the Twin Towers in the background. It was quite erie, for amazing as it may seem, I had never paid any attention to them before. Most of the people were great and of course, they wanted to hear our accents. They seemed just as fascinated with us, as we were with them. Naturally, I had to enhance the accent for the sake of embellishment, but we had a great time. I didn’t get to see the Statue of Liberty, well I saw it from the ESB, but it looked smaller than I had pictured it from TV. I also had to eat a hot dog from a vendor on the street and it was fantastic. To my delight, the food and entertainment we were exposed to was relatively inexpensive, but I did draw the line a a Broadway show. I wanted to see one, but well, you know, the whole bank account thing! I still have friends that live in Jersey and hopefully, I will visit them soon and take a couple of to go back and see if I run into anyone I met the first time! HA!

David W. Shelton Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

Thanks for the reflection, Scott… I took no small pleasure in telling my classmates in NYC how to do a simple southern dialect: “Two syllables for every word, (well becomes way-ull), always ad an “s” for the store’s name (wal-mart’s), and be sure to say “y’all.” Also, be sure to blend words of three letters or less. “gitoutta here” or the Foxworthly classic, “djaeetyet?”

Finally, for a truly convincing southern dialect: Never, ever, ever, call a carbonated drink “pop.”

They told me for some reason that if I didn’t make it as a technical trainer, there’s always room in comedy. As if.

Scott Beasley Says:
March 27th, 2008 at 12:40 pm

One night while in New Jersey, I was with some friends and met some of their friends at a local pub. I found the landscape of New Jersey very similar to the landscape of Tennessee and hanging on the wall of the pub was a print of a civil war battle at Fort Donelson. Some of my new friends were amazed that I’d been there. I think they assumed all we do here is partake in civil war reenactments and make moonshine! Anyway, one young lady came up to me and asked, “So you guys are going into “the city” tomorrow, huh?” She said that in the first 15 minutes, I would see 10 things that I’d never seen before. I suppose she was regurgitating some kind of vainness regarding their superior human advancement, until I began to pry and take it a step further. I replied that if she were to come to Tennessee, she too, would see 10 things she’d never seen before!(That tree, that dog, that fire hydrant). I know what she meant, but it was pretty much exactly what I expected, except for the close proximity of interpersonal physical contact. Bumping into someone there is as common as saying “howdy” here. My wife travels there twice a year for her work and she absolutely loves it. If I ever win the lottery, I’m quite sure I’d purchase a flat there jsut to have a place to go. I really want to go this year and see the Yankees play in Yankee stadium before they tear it down. Who knows, if it comes to pass, I’ll write a story here and I’ll make sure I tell everyone there you said “Hi”.

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