Yes, folks, you read that title correctly...I was actually in New York, New York (the city so nice they named it twice). My work sent me to train a bunch of New Yorkers how to do what we do here in Columbus. This was a fantastic opportunity for me to network with the people I've dealt with over the years but have never met in person. I was there for 4 days with my day time being taken up with work, of course, but my evenings being open to explore this massive and quite crowded city. While I was not so adventurous that I roamed all of the boroughs, I did manage to take a few strolls around the financial district (where my hotel was) and hopped on the subway a couple of times to see where it would take me.
My 1st impression of the city was the pace of the city. The people...they were everywhere, they crowded onto subways and sidewalks and moved within these limited spaces with a precision that was astounding. They most definitely have a much smaller sense of personal space than I do! The city was dirty, smelly and crowded (as most cities of that size tend to be) but there was a palpable energy that I felt was rare and exciting. I did enjoy myself, just in a completely different way than I normally do.
My 2nd impression of the city was how expensive everything is compared to Ohio. Everywhere I went the prices of everything went beyond what I was expecting to spend and I tried not to gape too much when I received my bill for meals and such.
My 3rd impression of the city was just how nice the people were. You always hear how New Yorkers have an attitude and they have no time for anything. While they are fast talkers (and walkers), just about every encounter I had was pleasant and pretty helpful. Stopping to ask for directions (this happened quite a bit..ahem) I was greeted with a smile and a helpful tip on getting around; eating in a restaurant the wait staff were pleasant and helpful; the folks I had to train were pleasant and happy to learn.
All in all my trip was productive and I was able to grab a bit of time to myself to explore this unique and enormous city. There are tentative plans for me to return in the spring...I'm hoping that I'll have time to reacquaint myself with the Big Apple.
And now, a few pics:
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| the Freedom Tower. This was my point of contact for my stay. My hotel was across the street from the site |
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| lots of tall buildings |
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| the view from my hotel room (I was on the 22nd floor) |
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| my room service breakfast |
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| authentic New York bagel |
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| this church was largely undamaged when the towers fell |
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| pretty buildings |
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| old meets new architecture all over the city |
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| the Wall Street Bull |
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| BB Kings in Time Square |
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| Time Square |
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| Time Square |
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| me on the subway |
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| pretty sculpture |
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I enjoyed my adventure but was very happy to be home. If I do have the opportunity to go again I'll make the most of it.
cheers
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