Empire State of Mind

Statue of Liberty

Whenever I ask a foreigner where in the USA they want to visit the most, the most common answer is New York City, and who would blame them? New York, NYC, Manhattan, Empire State, Big Apple...however you refer to it, if you're not enchanted by this city, you're in the minority.  The chorus of Jay Z and Alicia Keys' hit single "Empire State of Mind" just about sums it up:

Baby, I'm from New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There's nothing you can't do
Now you're in New York


There streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

I first ventured to the Big Apple back in the spring of 2002, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  It was part of a two week field trip to the East Coast during my sophomore year of high school, and my memories of the city are blurred, granted it was during a very unique time when life in NYC was anything but normal.  We did typical NYC tourist activities such as shopping in the famous Fifth Avenue district, saw Oklahoma! on Broadway, visited Ellis Island/Statue of Liberty, and went to the top of the Empire State Building.  But we also had the once in a lifetime experience of standing mere meters away from the remains of the Twin Towers, and paying respects to the many makeshift memorials and "Lost people" ads littering the blocks surrounding Ground Zero.  While it was thrilling to finally visit the famous New York City, it was also a very sobering experience.

Fast forward to the fall of 2008: this marked my return trip to NYC, and it was long overdue.  One of my closest friends from high school ventured to the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of" after college, and I came to visit during Thanksgiving week of 2008.  I slept on a couch in her shared loft in Brooklyn and had the NYC experience I was hoping for, sans the Macy's Thanksgiving parade.  Wandering through the financial district (this time amidst the less visible but equally devastating 2008 financial crisis), the MoMA, Guggenheim, Museum of American History, Central Park, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, etc. It was a splendid week, complete with mildly cool weather.

2008 NYC Photos

This weekend will be my third trip to the Big Apple, this time with a travel partner and no real plans, other than to revel in the greatness of one of my favorite American cities.  I can't wait to see what NYC has in store for me this time around; after all, third time's a charm.

NYC Subway Breakdancer

Crazy Times Square at night

Astor Place Cube