The Pulse of New York

Of all my travels this fall, my two weeks in New York were by far my favorite.  Though I loved the peace and quiet in Portland, and I believe peace and quiet is vital for our emotional restoration, I felt more at home amidst the hustle and bustle of life in Manhattan.  After I adjusted to the nighttime street sounds, I actually found the din to be kind of a lullaby at night.  The world doesn’t stop when we do, does it?  I found a home in a little coffee shop a block from where I was staying.  It was tiny and had the best iced coffee and brownies and a super nice staff.  Furthermore, the seats along the window were the perfect place to sit and work while watching people stroll by.

Other memorable moments?  My mom came in for a few days and we went to the top of the Empire State Building.  The older I become the more afraid I am of heights, but the view was more than worth a little discomfort.  I could even point and say “there’s about where I’m staying, there’s the park, there’s where the Steeler’s bar is, there’s Soho over there…”  So proud of savvy navigational skills was I!  Mom and I also went to see Wicked.  Have you seen it?  I know I am late to the boat on this one, but it’s phenomenal!  The set!  The costumes!  The voices!  The music!

Food: A local-food restaurant in alphabet city called Westville was one of the best meals I’ve ever had… a meal that made me want to laugh outload in awe after every bite of dinner and cry joyous tears after every bite of dessert.  I also enjoyed the Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel (black cherries in my jack and coke!), Lure in Soho, Macaron Cafe at Madison and 59th and pretty much everything in the West Village.

New York is just what I’ve been looking for: the solitude of a walk through the park watching yellow leaves falling into the pond; reading a book on a bench while violin music floats from just around the corner; running to catch the train and missing it but knowing there will be another in 4 minutes, emerging from the subway not knowing where you’ll end up and finding yourself in Columbus Circle where the blue sky reflects off the buildings; high fives and new friends in the Steelers bar on the upper west side; looking in the windows at Bergdorf’s and thinking they must belong to an art museum; coming out your front door, raising your arm, and having a cab abruptly sweep you up, the possibility of who you’ll meet or what you’ll discover with every step.  The pulse of New York mirrors my own.

Here are some shots from my visit there.  I’m not confirming or denying any rumors, but New York can expect to see me again very soon.