New York, New York

Sarah and I just returned from the New York trip mentioned in the previous post. The draw there this time was for visits with Noah, Jean, and Lydia, along with planning the trip to coincide with David and Amy Kelly's trip to the city. They were there for a week; it was their first trip to New York, and Amy's first trip to the States. We could only be away for a few days, so we crammed a great deal into a short time.

Arriving on Saturday night on a direct flight from Des Moines, Noah graciously picked us up from the airport. We spent Sunday with the Robison-Coxes, seeing more of Hoboken, and having some very nice meals, enjoying different fare than is common in little Pella. They know New Jersey and New York well, and their advice for our trip was well used. It's always great to see Noah, Jean, and Lydia, especially after missing them by just a few hours last Christmas. Lydia is very different each time I get to see her.

Sarah and I rode the train into the city with Noah on Monday, after which we found our way to the Hotel Belleclaire to meet up with the Kellys. Most of the day was spent at the 9/11 museum and memorial downtown. This was one of the best museums I've ever been to; it conveys and preserves the raw feelings and memories of the day respectfully and thoroughly. No aspect or detail was left out. I recommend it to all.

We wandered downtown afterward, visited the charging bull on Wall Street, had a pleasant dinner at a New Zealand, and saw Times Square. We looked into available shows and settled on one off Broadway to seize the opportunity. It was less than stellar, but we could mark it off the to-do list. Afterwards, we looked out over Times Square from a window table in a bar eight floors up, thinking about the full day and the full next day we had planned.

Tuesday was even busier: more subway rides, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, a too-short browsing of part of the Natural History Museum, a much-deserved happy hour stop for drinks, a seemingly inevitable trip to the Empire State Building, dinner at a Korean barbecue in Koreatown, and a nightcap in a late-night cookie shop. Lady Liberty seems to me like the most "must-do" of any NYC sight; I loved Ellis Island, its history, and the history of immigration before the period when it was used. You could positively feel the millions of footsteps of new arrivals to the country. Sarah found a handful of family members in the database, but I was not as prepared as I should have been. The Natural History Museum was possibly my favorite point of interest of the trip. It was more than just rocks: histories of civilizations and displays of native wildlife were two facets we got to see.  it deserves days, not just the few hours we gave it before getting kicked out when it closed.

I had a hunch about what the Empire State Building would be like, and it was validated: we spent 2.5 hours in the building, 20 minutes of which was out on the observation deck looking out over the city in all directions. This was worth a lot, but probably not five lines, two hours of hassle, $32 per person, and endless walking through velvet rope mazes. But I can at least say I've been there.

Though it was 10pm and we were all starting to fade, Koreatown was close and offered dinner options only I had tried before, out of the four of us. Noah and Jean had taken me to one in that neighborhood years ago and I loved it. We stopped at a noisy barbecue, no doubt looking out of place. We ordered with our best guesses, then felt ignored for ten minutes before all the ingredients that go along with Korean barbecue arrived, with our cooked-at-table meat. We were all satisfied with the new experience, and started the trip back uptown. The twenty minute subway ride gave us second wind enough to look for a nightcap, which drew us to the cookie shop, where we were not disappointed. David and Amy enjoyed yet another departure from what they'd typically find in Dublin, let alone the Midlands of Ireland.

Our legs had just enough go left in them to make it to our beds after that. I couldn't blame them, after carrying us from 9am to midnight for two days, over ten miles each day, with plenty of time spent standing, deliberating, reading, watching, and listening in between.

After a nice cafe breakfast, we got a taste of Central Park before David and Amy left us off at the subway, and we made our way back to Iowa.

After several trips to New York, I am glad to finally have the big landmarks crossed off my list. NYC hasn't ever been my favorite city; I can do without the grittiness, the aggressiveness, the attitude. I'm sorry New Yorkers, your city has a lot, but not everything. I do, however, appreciate the sights that can be seen no where else. You really could never eat at the same place twice if you wanted and see something new all the time. It is an experience that I'd recommend to anyone, no matter their tastes or background.

The Kellys are excellent exploring companions. They are open-minded and willing to see and try just about anything. They seemed to have a good time themselves, and soaked in the atmosphere, taking in and digesting just how different a place it is from anywhere else, just like Sarah and I did.

David and I can pick up a conversation like we'd left off the day before, or go about our way together in silence and have a fine time. The trip would not have been the same without them; indeed it may not have happened at all had they not been planning it and been open to Sarah and I crashing in and joining them for a couple days. Hopefully we can get together again for another adventure.