Well, NYC really is the crossroads of the world, as it's often called. On our tour today, we were joined by John and Gail (who came up from Princeton, where we'll head tomorrow) and Mark Epperson, our wonderful, longtime pal from home who now lives in NYC pursuing an acting and singing career. It was quite surreal to be with all three of them in a setting that's so different from the norm.
In preparation for our tour, we'd told the girls last night that it would be a long day in a bus like the one we'd ridden in for the West Point tour a couple of days ago. What a surprise to climb aboard the exact bus we'd been on at West Point, driven by the same excellent driver! Such a small world, even down to tour coaches.
The day in New York was for me just what I'd hoped...it brought the city down to a manageable size in my mind. I've always been so intimidated by its huge numbers...population (8.3 million in the five boroughs), skyscrapers (tallest is Empire State at 102 stories, which used to be eclipsed by the Twin Towers, and will be again by the new 1,776-ft. Freedom Tower being built next to the 9/11 memorial), taxis (more than 13,500 of them). Other big NYC numbers of interest...it has the largest police force in the US (38,000 uniformed, 5,000 civilian), the largest public school system in the US (over 1,400 elementary, junior and senior high schools), more than 700 miles of subway that handle 3.5 million commuters every work day, and the second-busiest harbor in the world with an ocean-going vessel leaving every 20 minutes. Whew!
Our whirlwind day took us to the Statue of Liberty, up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, around Battery Park, a walk through Times Square, and views from the bus of the 9/11 memorial, Rockefeller Plaza, Brooklyn Bridge, Holland Tunnel, Broadway, Central Park and the Chrysler Building. There were so many other places pointed out, but our brains and eyes couldn't take in much more. Some of the "smaller" but equally enjoyable experiences were a hotdog in Times Square, a slice of New York cheesecake, a lunch of New York pizza, peeking in the windows of our beloved "Good Morning America" show, hugging King Kong while in the line for the Empire State elevator. Considering our mealtime pitfalls, we should have walked up the Empire State building!
Our bite of the Big Apple has only tickled our appetite for more, and we look forward to the day when we can afford both the money and time to come back and really explore and experience this incredible, exciting place. The 9/11 memorial will be at the top of our list to visit; even from the vantage point of a moving coach, it touched us deeply. There are so many elements in the city that speak to the concepts of freedom and opportunity; we're blessed to have seen them, especially in the company of a good friend and family.
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| On the ferry to Liberty Island |
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| Crystal-clear day. The new World Trade tower is the tall, black one on the left side of the skyline. It's being built at a rate of one floor per week. |
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| With Mark in the ESB |
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| Lower Manhattan in the background |
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| The fantastic lobby of the ESB. It contains marble saved from the original Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which sat on this site before being torn down and rebuilt elsewhere. |
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| Times Square |
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