Written on 21 September, 2019 BC (Before Corona).
There are a lot of cities in America, but none of them are comparable to the great metropolitan of New York City. A fusion of classic and contemporary lifestyles, NYC has something for everyone. If I were given a chance to travel to anywhere for two weeks, I would undoubtedly choose to go to the Big Apple.
New York City is alive. As E. B. White said in his essay Here in New York , 'The city is like poetry. It compresses all life, all races and breeds into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines. It is the poem whose magic is comprehensible, but will forever remain elusive.' With this mysterious description, I am even more curious about this city. NYC has inspired countless of artists and writers, like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Bob Dylan. I would like her to be my muse, tell more stories about these wonderful people that came by. Behind the blinding lights of neon, there is always a quiet side of New York to be explored during the day.
You can take it slow and steady in Uptown Manhattan. In the morning, I would have Breakfast at Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn to see what's so captivating about diamonds and rubies. While these superficial gold and jewelry cannot fill my stomach, getting some cream cheese & bagel sounds just right. I would also love to take a stroll in Central Park, located in the heart of Manhattan. The local New Yorkers love spending time there, and there is something about the Central park that makes everyone there want to feel the silence in their hearts. If you go further into the park, a walk that might take you half an hour, you will be able to see Strawberry Fields, a living memorial dedicated to John Lennon, who was shot right across the street. If time allows, I would also like to visit the New York Central Library, a place where scholars and writers stay to study and create. Museums like Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum (my personal favorite) could always amaze you with their collection of masterpieces. New York City is a place to soak up the art in the air.
The streets of New York are sparsely organized: there is one Broadway and 214 streets, and from the 1st down to the 214th, each of them has a story. Some of the famous ones are the 5th Avenue and Wall Street, but the small ones intrigue me too. Besides getting bagels, New York Pizza is also world-famous. As all of the Italian mafia had hired their best chefs from Italy to New York, some may argue that NY Pizza is even better. Depending on the mood, I would probably get Margherita or Pepperoni, but definitely not Hawaiian. If I do get a sponsor, I would even go to the Plaza Hotel and have tea with Gatsby and Daisy.
The night life in New York is even more exhilarating. As Frank Sinatra said in his song New York, New York, she is "a city that never sleeps". With such an ambivalent city, you can spend the entire day and night from 9 to 5 in the morning just to explore. I would go to the Brooklyn Bridge in one exquisite evening when the sun is setting, just to catch the still silhouettes of New York with orange hues descending behind. As the night approaches, you can feel a change in tempo, from the dynamic, energetic bundle of life to an enigmatic, alluring lady. Taking a cab and go right down to the 5th Avenue, and we have arrived to the carnival of musicals and shows. People from every edge of the world come lining up just to get a glimpse of Broadway, the motherland of Americana performing arts. I would probably watch my favorite Phantom of the Opera, but the tickets sell very fast. There are so much more options for you and me to choose from, but the crowd of thousands never fails to amaze me. At 1 AM, when the show has ended, everyone in the theatres would start go around and look for more adventures. I would go to the iconic Times Square, the signature New York plaza full of bright neon bounds. Over there, you can witness the development of America from 1920s to now, how the Wall Street Boom and economic tsunami affected the highs and lows of New York. Standing at the center of Times Square, I may finally feel alive again. The colors and lights may have attracted me in the first place, but truly I am staying for the culture and the way she presents herself.
Being the vagabond of dreams and wanderlust, New York has something to offer for everyone. If you are looking for cultural and spiritual nourishment, or a revival of the blinding, unforgiving lights to leave your troubled life away, New York City will accommodate you. She is the pinnacle of American excellence: standing in the center of the city, you can still feel the heights of the American Dream. E. B. White was right about that place, I would love to visit New York City someday.