New York on my mind

I had plans to be in New York over the Labor Day Weekend. I would meet a tennis buddy from San Antonio an go to the US Open. The hurricane heading up the east coast changed my plans. I have been en route to New York during a storm. The airports in NY get congested and no flights get in. The airlines have told me that since my flight was cancelled/delayed, that they would get me on the next available flight. At some point I realized that I was not the only traveller waiting for the next available SEAT. Because there was also a chance that the hurricane would wander closer to NY, I decided to not lose out on tickets and hotel room and cancelled my plans. I decided to share my thought on NY, NY.


It is the city that never sleeps, New York City. It is exciting, fast, and humbling. The talk of New Yorkers is that they are rude and will walk all over you. I think that if I lived there that I would be the same.

My first trip to New York was in 19_?_. I was at a cafeteria and observed that a man was having some medical difficulty. Very quickly, someone went over and offered to help. Another said, "I think he is having a heart attack." Another said, "I think he is diabetic. Give him sugar." Ultimately an ambulance was called and the man disappeared into the City. These New Yorkers may have been way off in their diagnoses, but they were certainly caring.

New Yorkers are in a hurry. I have yet to figure this out. On many occasions, when I don't have anywhere to go or a timeline, I have found myself hurrying there. Since they are in a hurry, they get upset when something or someone gets in their way. I remember the scene from "Midnight Cowboy," when Dustin Hoffman is crossing the street and is almost hit by a cab. He hits the hood of the cab and yells, "Hey. I'm walking here." I have seen similar examples in the City. It seems that each person has to carve out a small personal space and protect it.

Here are some of my favorite images of the city.

This shot is taken from Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge. There is a park there that offers this great site. You have probably seen this in film.

I have been to the Statue and Ellis Island more than once and am still in awe.

The Brooklyn Bridge is a must see. Thousands of people cross it to get to Manhattan. FYI. The yellow line is suppose to divide the pedestrians and the bikes.

What trip to NYC would be complete without a trip the Empire State Building. Even if you did not go up to the observation decks, you could enjoy the art deco interior.

In the movie, Independence Day, they show the Building facing a street. It actually does not have a side to any street. You could say that it is in the middle of the block but it takes up the entire block.

The Flat Iron Building

I doubt that anyone of today's generation would know a "flat iron." I did not look it up but I think it was the beginning of the skyscraper.

I could not find my pictures of the Guggenheim Museum or the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but I will post them later.

Joe