Crossroads of the World

I have not visited New York in years. There is no right or wrong way to visit Manhattan. You cannot do it all. London is a city like that as well. Maybe I need to revisit London.

Until the next opportunity to cross the pond; New York has changed over the years. My first trip was by bus. In my father's defense we were visiting relatives in New Jersey and this was the logical method of transportation.

The Port Authority is not a good first impression. This was in the era when Times Square was seedy. I did not mind that and no, my father did not take me into one of the establishments with booths.

Instead we took the Circle Line boat tour around Manhattan seeing iconic landmarks for the first time and ate lunch at Lindy's. Plans to visit different parts of the city by subway were cut short by a rainstorm.

It was funny how vendors pulled out umbrellas as soon as the rain started. They weren't there before that. While I flew through Newark en route to Los Angeles I would not return to the city for many years. Flying to LGA reminds me there are three inconvenient airports surrounding one of the great cities of the world.

Staying in midtown soon after visiting San Francisco- the social scene was not as good. New York hostels were not memorable. I have aged out of hostels. Interestingly, I make friends on the street without a common area as I travel.

On this trip- which was almost my last since I would end up in accident a few weeks later- I headed to the gentrified Times Square. That Friday night was cut short by rain. I would see a Knicks game when the team was halfway decent, seated next to one of the wives of a player on the opposing team.

She was nice and no one was excessively rude to her. Obviously she was not rooting for the Knicks. It was nice seeing a game at Madison Square Garden. Some of my flatmates went clubbing all night and couldn't believe how late it was when they woke up.

That was a different breed of nightlife. I also spoke with a couple who asked "How many people walking around are truly living?" We were on tour in an exciting city. Even there many go through the motions.

The next trip was a quickie by train. Grand Central Station and Penn Station are centrally located. I would spend time in both although Penn Station's remodel is a major improvement.

As Daniel Patrick Moynihan was completing his run in the Senate, Penn Station was serviceable. The new terminal is named for him and hopefully Union Station will reach this level in the near future.

On this trip I bought a City Pass. That led me to points of interest like The Guggenheim and The Empire State Building. I also enjoyed the observation deck at The World Trade Center. I anticipated The Empire State Building and on this observation deck I watched the sun set. At eye level.

That meant a lot more one year later. A trip to Yankee Stadium was cut short by rain. Every time I visit New York it rains. There have been dreams of New York where it is raining.

When is the weather a factor in dreams? On the morning of September 11,2001 I planned a Met tour. With a rare weekend off I was going to visit The Lincoln Center which includes The Metropolitan Opera, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and catch the Mets at Shea Stadium. That trip never happened. Five years later I flew to LGA.

I would see a Mets game on my birthday ending with a walk off home run. That was the first time I saw that and made a good night better. After having surprisingly bad service in what I perceived as better restaurants (I have written about how disrespected I was at the now defunct Mars 2112) a good time was had at Sylvia's.

If you want good service, go to Harlem. I took advantage of the subway which can be daunting and confusing. It is a good system and I never had problems in New York. It is one of the safest cities I have visited.

The next trip had my hostel farewell. There was nothing more to say as the ones in the common area were more interested in their I Phones than engaging with tourists from around the world. I would see Yankees and Mets game on this trip which planted the seed to visit the remaining baseball stadiums. That goal has been achieved.

This trip led to one of the dumbest arguments ever. Yes, it happened over the internet after the fact. I could not believe how long the line at the Olive Garden was on Broadway. Why visit New York City to eat at a chain? It's not like you are two stops from an area called Little Italy.

A friend of a friend who was never my friend mentioned how much he liked the Olive Garden. That's fine. It has nothing to do with the matter at hand. There are McDonald's and Burger King in Times Square as well.

If money were no object you could probably eat at 730 restaurants in New York City per year without repeat. There is so much variety and too many remain the comfort zone. I am out of contact with that man. That's good.

That trip had a lot of walking. I walked from the Martin Scorsese part of town to the Woody Allen portion. From Little Italy to the Upper West Side- there is a lot to see and do.

Leading to my most recent trip. Hotels are a little less expensive in January. Still too much and the challenge is finding one without a "Destination Fee." If the nightly rate is lower and the fee raises the price- as if hotel tax is not a major surcharge.

I accept that. At least fees are disclosed now. Too many people complained. I found a nice hotel. Not the St. Regis although they had a better than average breakfast. The Q70 from LGA was packed. At least there is a bus that goes to a subway station.

Times Square is still there. A lot of this trip was retracing steps. The sun rose over Radio City Music Hall. I never had the desire to se a Broadway Show. Passing the crowd waiting to see Aladdin make me notice I was taller than everyone in line.

Good thing I didn't take a front row seat. Most of the trip was spent at Hudson Yards which is new to me and around Bryant Park. The New York Public Library is wonderful.

In no order I visit museums, churches, train stations and libraries in different cities. There are some architectural marvels and no shortage in New York City. Best of all, it did not rain on this trip. At least I can discuss something besides the weather.

New York is not far away so I can return there if the desire arises. I enjoyed Singapore when I visited. Not sure if I have the strength to fly for two days and go back in time on the trip home. I can stand a one hour flight or four hours on a train. There is a world out there and now I need to visit some unfamiliar cities and see what more can be accomplished.