Looking out the taxicab’s window at the well-lit city around me, I began to smile with excitement, which I’m sure every “I <3 NY” t-shirt-wearing vacationer feels. Even though it was midnight and I hadn’t gotten a minute of sleep, I was ready to go start exploring New York. After all, so many people were awake and walking around town.
We arrived at the hotel, and the lobby was free of people, contrary to the crowd outside. As I rested my head on the soft white pillow, I wondered what I would do the following day.
If I peered out a window at home on a typical day, it would surprise me to see one person outside, at least during morning hours. I had “obvious knowledge” (taught to me through television and the internet over a long period of time) that New York was a bustling place with honking cabs, and the people, who can only eat hot dogs and pretzels, stay outside at literally any time of day even if it’s, what, three hundred degrees outside. Still, I was so surprised to see a number of coffee-sipping businesspeople walking, of course, and tourists sightseeing, all outside the hotel window early in the morning. Then came my first literal taste of New York, another surprise. For breakfast, which was as big as all three meals combined, I had three fluffy large cakes doused with maple syrup and whipped cream, and, kindly added for healthy people who want to balance out their meals, a few strawberries. The rest of the day was filled with walking in and out of stores, such as American Eagle Outfitters, where I got my picture taken and displayed in Times Square, which actually is more crowded than it looks, just for fifteen seconds. I also had an audio tour of the Guggenheim, an art museum.
Finally, it was time to experience a part of New York that first-time tourists should not miss because of its significant contribution to the entertainment in New York for many years: Broadway. Wicked was the play I watched, and frankly, I enjoyed it. The Gershwin Theater was elegantly built, and a visitor could buy anything from cheap snacks to crystal jewelry, Wicked-themed, obviously. The auditorium, complete with red velvet curtains and high ceilings, was very large, and so many people had come to watch this play. The actors were very talented and had powerful voices that captivated the audience. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for the next few days.
The majority of the remainder of my trip was spent sightseeing. I walked around and shopped, mentioned before, in Times Square, a highly commercial area with a variety of stores and a number of bright signs. I also spent time with my family in Central Park, which was different from the parks in my neighborhood. Unlike the small parks that I am used to, Central Park was a vast, humongous place. It had a carousel, food stands, and live performances, such as a jazz concert. Dogs frolicked around on the plush green grass while people walked on trails, enjoyed a summer barbeque, or simply sat down on the grass to drench themselves in sunlight.
Along with fellow sunglasses-wearing, camera-grabbing tourists, I visited the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center. Both the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center were towering landmarks, so tall that when I stood on both balconies that overlooked the city, the cabs seemed like small yellow specks, while the people resembled ants. Elaborate architecture and interiors were present in both of the buildings. I took a bus tour to Brooklyn, and it was strange how much quieter it was than busy Manhattan. The buildings in Brooklyn were not as tall, there was no litter, and there were more kids playing outside or at parks, an unfamiliar sight to Manhattan residents.
I had the opportunity to visit all the parts of Manhattan, such as the affluent Upper East Side and SoHo. Manhattan is an expensive place to live, which I knew already due to my “obvious knowledge” and research beforehand, so I was not too surprised when I saw the abundance of designer handbags and the lines of people outside Gucci on Fifth Avenue.
In total, my trip to New York City was a phenomenal experience. Though I heard about the city many times, it was not until I actually visited the place that I enjoyed it so much. It’s a city where I can’t name only one thing I liked about it; there’s just so much to name. I had come with an open mind, and that was a good thing. In all ways, New York really is a place of its own.