I am in my element! I start the day early and looking out my hotel window, at seven in the morning, the city is already alive. There is no rest for the wicked!
I’d deliberately booked myself accommodation right in the heart of midtown Manhattan. I’d step out and then boom! There it is; Times Square.
Walking onto Times Square and Broadway, I almost have to pinch myself; it is everything that I dreamed of! And then some.
And even the slightly grey skies and showers don’t dampen my day. What’s a bit of rain?
So many places to see, so much to take in. But I am on a mission. Empire State Building, here I come. So I make my way down to Fifth Avenue, passing about five Gaps on the way, and about 53 Starbucks, too. Okay, okay, so I exaggerate; maybe not 53, but there are a lot of Starbucks!
And then there it is! But alas! The top is completely consumed in absolute fog. And one of the many friendly attendants tells me it’s zero visibility today but come back anytime to visit them! Shame. I shall be back.
I haven’t even started, I’m already jaywalking like a true New Yorker.
New York is full of history and character, and heart and soul. You hear it in the cacophony of sounds that swirl around you; you feel it in every step you take, over cobbled streets, over paved concrete, over uneven broken asphalt, over pebbled gravel, you feel the city’s soul ooze through your being and infuse every fiber of your existence. This is New York at its best, as you pound the pavement and speak with the locals.
Onto Chrysler Building. Wow. Even in the fog, it’s impressive. Maybe more so. Daunting art deco style against a foggy sky; it’s truly a scene worthy of New York’s nickname, Gotham. Even the eagle gargoyles seem to come alive, watching over the city.
Stopping for a break on the corner of 41st Street and Lexington Avenue, with the Chrysler Building as my focal viewpoint, I refuel in an obscure little joint. The place has a hit-and-run persona as patrons flock in, grab grub, and head off. My dining companions around me, as it turns out, are a couple of suited men in a meeting; discussing his music business, which he apparently had sold for over six million dollars; he name drops John Mayer’s name. I feel like I’ve just stepped into a movie set.
Refueled, I decide to press on. I head left towards E 42nd Street and there it is, Grand Central Station. They don’t call it Grand Central for nothing. It seems like the world really does meet at Grand Central Station. Throngs of people filter in and out of all the various tunnels leading to the platforms, en route to their next destination. Tourists gather open-mouthed to marvel at the architecture, rich with history. And locals banter and bustle about, some yelling into their phones, others just passing through.
But the building across the street also catches my breath, the Bowery Savings Bank Building, housing Cipriani, the place to be for the most sophisticated celebrated events.
Continuing on and after some brief window shopping in Fifth Avenue, I perchance upon the New York Public Library. And as I make my way into the library, I stand in awe at the majestic hallways that line the rooms.
Then out onto Bryant Park and stop to take in the architecture that makes Bryant Park Hotel so grand.
And then more shopping, including a quick stopover at Macy’s simply to satiate the curiosity then paying homage at Victoria’s Secret; then onto trusty ol’ Gap to grab myself a pair of flip-flops which I happily change to before an unplanned but much needed rest at Greeley Square Park and Herald Square to watch the world go by.
And the highlight of the day? A New Yorker asking me for directions! Me, little ol’ me, only a day in New York and already one of the crowd.
I’ll say this much; Americans are friendly. Or they’re friendly to me. In any case, it is never a dull moment.
At Greeley Square Park, I make my first official New Yorker friend, unless you count Elizabeth at Los Angeles airport, and after striking a witty conversation, my friendly companion tells me that I have to make my way down to the Flatiron Building and as he points me in the right direction, I realize that’s where I’m headed next. He also suggests that I see Harlem and offers to show me where President Obama dines in Harlem if I want. I tell him I’ll think about it and bid a friendly farewell.
And so off I go to make my way down towards the Flatiron District; and under the Flatiron Building, I sit at the edge of Madison Square Park and watch the world go by; and can officially say I’ve stood on the corner of Fifth Street and Broadway. Because you see, in the plane on the way over, I’d spoken to a lady who claims it’s something you simply have to do while in New York. Check.
As dusk starts to fall, and the city is cast in a golden glow, I start making my way back towards midtown. Day one and I’ve already walked nine hours; and counting.
But in the city that never sleeps, the day doesn’t end just yet and dinner in the heart of Times Square under all the lights and chaos is the best way to end the first day.
My legs are sore and my head is buzzing. And home is miles away.
But strangely, I feel right at home in this megacity.
Stay tuned for more,
Nina
Text and images: Nina Mostafa
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