New York City is popularly known as The Big Apple, thanks to 1920s sports writer John J. Fitz Gerald who used the tag in reference to the city’s racetracks as big-time horseracing venues, compared to those in New Orleans. The moniker caught on when the erstwhile New York Conventions and Visitors Bureau used it in its promotional campaign. Since then, tourists have been eager to “take a bite of The Big Apple,” in spite of the original tag having nothing to do with the fruit.But I prefer “king of the hill, top-of-the heap, A-number 1,” that’s why I’d rather go with how Frank Sinatra described the city, in his mega-hit, chartbusting song. Simply because, every time I am in New York, I’m always amazed at how downtown Manhattan continues to burst with activity even in the wee hours. Bars and restaurants are still full, even on weekdays. The probinsyano (Cebuano) that I am can’t help but wonder, “Do these people ever sleep at all?”
people until early morning
Having been to New York City countless of times, I’ve seen what there are for tourists to see, am already familiar with the city’s transport system, and won’t lose my way getting from one place to another on foot. This recent visit, I only had one whole day to spare, so I limited my foray to cover only my favorite places in Manhattan.
As in my past visits, I started my “day tour” along Fifth Avenue with the noontime mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The 40-minute service in its massive interior and beautiful altar, with an even more beautiful Adoration Chapel behind it, always pumps me up with energy to go around the city, and immerse myself in its nightlife until the early morning hours.
After checking out the shops along Fifth Avenue, my next stop was (as always) the Rockefeller Center, just a block away from St. Patrick’s, for my late lunch. En route to my favorite restaurant, I walked along The Promenade, a pleasant experience every time because its decor changes according to the season. During my recent visit, it was adorned with tropical plants, palm trees and colorful Oriental flowers that made me feel so at home.
I always look forward to my lunch at the Rock Center Café, which has a “rink-side” view of skaters in the Center’s ice skating rink during Winter, and of its open-air Cafe during Summer. What makes my lunch even more enjoyable is my favorite Ben and Jerry’s outlet, a few steps away from the Cafe, which always has a delectable array of heavenly frozen delight, er, calories!
From “The Rock,” I walked to Broadway to buy my ticket for any show of my choice. This time, I wanted to watch the much-talked about, Tony Awardee Hamilton, a musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States and, as its first Secretary of the Treasury, formulated the country’s financial system. Thank goodness, tickets to the show were all sold out; it gave me a valid reason not to fork out $450 for the ticket. Instead, I just lazed around Times Square and rested on the red staircase on top of the Broadway ticket outlet in Fr. Duffy’s Square, while chatting with newfound Filipino friends who were also visiting the city.
On this trip, I also took time out to visit The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art), which showcases over two million art pieces, spanning 5,000 years of culture. It has ancient Egyptian treasures and, for those who want a break during the museum tour, it has a Roof Garden that offers spectacular skyline views. The Met is also the venue for many high society events, galas and many other noteworthy celebrations, which New York’s well-heeled residents always look forward to.
Then there’s West 42nd Street, the belly of Manhattan, where the dazzling colorful lights always beckon curious tourists like me for a look-see…only to realize later that the place is a real dollar-magnet! This is where you find the “touristy” shops, cinemas, restaurants, bars, wax museum, etc. It’s hard to walk along this street and not part with your hard earned dollars. The temptation to buy, to see, to do something is so overwhelming, you can’t help but yield to it. And, yes, pedestrian and vehicular traffic never seem to stop in this area, even until the early morning hours.
Of course, there are many more interesting places to visit in New York, but a day could only allow me a visit to my favorite spots. Well, there’s always next year’s trip, as I make it a point to include the city in my itinerary every time I cross the Pacific because I can never get enough of it. Maybe because, deep down inside me, and as Frank Sinatra puts it, “I wanna wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep!”
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YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE
A man approached the very beautiful woman inside a large supermarket and said, “Excuse me, Ma’am, I’ve been looking around for almost an hour now for my wife and I can’t find her. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?” “Why?” asked the woman. “Because every time I talk to a beautiful woman, my wife appears out of nowhere.”