Ever since the Jay Z and Alicia Keys song "Empire State of Mind" came out, I can't say New york without singing it. I have to say, "In Newwww yooooork, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothing you can't do, let's hear it for neeewwww yoooorrrk".
But that was the end of my trip. Let's start at the beginning.
Boston. Cue the Augustana song, "I think I'll go to Boston.... I think I'll start a new life, I think I'll start all over, where no one knows my name... I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather... I think I'll get a lover... and fly him out to Spain...."
And I think I really would go to Boston if I wanted to get out of CA. I love Boston. Even in the dead of winter with snow falling on the ground, Boston is beautiful. I love the people there - they have such heart. Die-hard sports fans. My cab driver had the thickest Boston accent and chatted my ear off the whole way to the airport, telling me how much he loved Boston, the four seasons, all four major sports, and the best colleges in America. I agree. Boston is a great city. Which is why I jumped on the chance to head out there and cover for one of my colleagues.
When I arrived in Boston, it was a gorgeous evening. I hopped in my little rental car, let the GPS warm up a bit and headed for my hotel in Downtown, near Quincy Market. The hotel itself left much to be desired, but it was all about location. It was an easy walk to nearby restaurants and bars, and I was wishing I could stay longer, so I’d have more time to enjoy Boston. I had plans to meet up with a friend of mine who now lives there, so I called up Dr. Boston and we headed to the Ames hotel for a nice dinner and a couple glasses of wine. It was the day after Valentine’s Day and approaching his 30th b-day, so we had a little toast to that, and I enjoyed a delicious plate of seared scallops, while he opted for a gourmet grilled cheese and bacon sandwich with tomato soup. In all, it was a beautiful night, sitting by the window and the fireplace, looking out over downtown Boston.
The next morning, I awoke to soft, light snowflakes falling, and it made me think of that song, “These are a few of my favorite things”. :) I’m not sure what it is about Boston I like so much, but it’s one of my favorite cities to visit in the U.S. and let’s just say I was not at all disappointed when I got “stuck” there for an extra night, due to snow and heavy rains all up and down the east coast. I got to hang out with Doc Boston for a little longer and rest up a bit for the next part of the trip – NYC and Jersey.
Flying over Manhattan, I am always amazed at how they fit all those gigantic buildings on one tiny island. Why is it that so many people want to live in NYC? I love New York, don’t get me wrong, but it is a little crazy how crowded it is. I decided I was going to take public transportation everywhere so I could save a little money and feel what it was like to live like a real New Yorker. I did well on the subway, and even took the bus out for a night (which you would never do in LA, but everyone seemed to be doing it in NY). The bus was a funny experience as I sat across from this young aspiring model/actor boy who was totally trying to hit on the older woman sitting a few seats away from me. He had to have been all of about 19 years old, and she was maybe 29/30, and clearly not interested. He thought he was so impressive telling her that he was just in a couple of commercials and was auditioning for some lame TV show. She said, “Oh, is that where you’re headed now?” And he goes, “Nah, I think I’m just going to go get high with some friends. Wanna come?” I’m in my seat, trying desperately not to crack a smile, but I am about to lose it when he says to her, “There’s a couple of great clubs in the meatpacking district. Will I see you there, later?” This kid had no shame whatsoever. Everyone on the bus was trying not to laugh. It was good entertainment. And although the bus and the subway were cool for getting around the city, I decided to skip the train the next day and rent a car for my trip to Jersey. Honestly, it was a piece of cake, and much more tranquil than my rides in and out of JFK and LGA with the SuperShuttle guys. OMG – I almost needed a Xanax, and would have liked to have slipped the driver one if I could have. Seriously, the driver on Xanax would have been safer (and much calmer) than he was on whatever he was on – pure stress, I’m thinking. Do they have more heart attacks in NYC than anywhere else? I’d be willing to bet they do. The stress can kill you out there. And if the stress doesn’t get you, the food will…. But at least with the food you will die happy. :)
Every time I go to NYC, I was I had four stomachs. It’s a good thing I did walk so much while I was there, because I could have gained 10 pounds if I’d eaten all I really wanted to. It all started on my layover at LGA to BOS, when I ordered a barbequed chopped chicken salad at the airport (yes, even the airport has near 5-star food). This was no wimpy salad, and I come from California where salads are an art and a science. These two huge mounds of lettuce were covered in chunky blue cheese and balsamic vinegar, and topped with fresh tender slices of barbequed chicken. It was so artful and delicious that I took a picture of it. :) The stage was set for some feasting in NYC.
I know you are supposed to have a hot dog in Central park, and a slice of pizza from one of the many NY-style pizzerias… yada, yada, yada, but when I got o New York, all I see are the schwarma and gyro stands, the little Vietnamese place with hot steaming bowls of Pho, the kosher delis with bearded guys in yarmulkes serving matzo ball soup, and this amazing Peruvian restaurant on the upper East Side that is a favorite of my good friend Heather’s and mine. I just got hungry thinking back on all this deliciousness.
New York is an intense place. The people are intense, the traffic, the food, everything. And then there's the noise. Horns are honking at all hours of the night. Why is everybody in such a hurry? I actually think they should get rid of all the cabs in NYC and everyone could just walk around in peace. Haha, yeah right. I love New York, but after a few days... I was ready to go back to San Diego.
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