Monday, July 22, 2013

N.Y.C., What Is It About You?

It’s an utter delight to experience a place with someone who holds the same passion for it as you do.

So when Val and I made plans to visit New York City last week, I just knew it was going to be a great time.

And even though it was almost 100 degrees with 100% humidity, neither of us allowed it to spoil our day. We simply stopped in the nearest convenient store every hour and grabbed a bottled water, and also dashed into various department stores to use their air conditioning for 10-15 minutes and cool off. We spent the longest time in the store, Pottery Barn, sitting on their lawn chair displays; pretending that we were interested in purchasing them, just to use their A/C and restrooms.

We covered a lot of ground in the 7 1/2 hours that we were there.

However, I must admit (and I didn’t tell Val this) there was one point when I thought I was going to faint and keel over on 5th Avenue from the sun beating down on my shoulders so severely. But I said to myself, “Oh Ron…buck up, you’re in NYC for heaven’s sake, don’t be such a WUSS - just DEAL with it.”

And that’s why I LOVE this city, because it somehow infuses you with the power to overcome any obstacle.

NYC is such an amazing dichotomy. It’s the only place I’ve ever lived that can be very tough and aggressive, yet at the same time extremely nurturing and supportive when it comes to energy. It seems to give you back what it takes to be there and survive.

The ability to accomplish anything.

So allow me to share some photographs of a recent wanderlust into NYC.

Please enjoy…

NYC skyline from the bus window. I always get that same excited and emotional feeling whenever I approach the Big Apple. When I took this shot, I had my headphones plugged in while listening to Billy Joel sing, "I'm In A New York State Of Mind."

A view of how CROWDED it was on the streets. Val said, “Look Ron, it’s like an ocean of people!”

We spotted this little dog being carted around the city by its owner. In this photo he looks like Cujo the Chihuahua, but he was actually very sweet.

A store window display along 5th Avenue.

If you look real close, you can see Val and I reflected in the bubbles.

Only in NYC would you see this - Big Bird and Elmo sitting in Central Park.

A view of Central Park South reflected in a lake.

Beautiful stained glass window inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Inside Grand Central Station. This train station lobby was used in one of my favorite movies, The Fisher King.

The ceiling inside The New York Public Library.

A view of The Empire State Building through a window inside The New York Public Library.

Okay, this probably won’t excite you (as it did me) if you weren’t a HUGE fan of the HBO show Sex and the City, but this photo I took inside The New York Public Library is the EXACT location of where a scene in Sex and the City-the movie was shot, in which Carrie gets jilted by Mr. Big on their wedding day.

And speaking of SEX...