Sunday, June 28, 2015

First Impressions


I am proud to say that, today, my breakfast could have been considered a legitimate breakfast. We left Philly for New York by way of train at two o'clock, too early, to be exact. *cue rim shot* In reality, it wasn't that early but that didn't mean I didn't sleep like a log the entire train ride.
Water you trying to say?

It took about thirty seconds to get up to the main level once we arrived and thirty seconds to be overwhelmed by the massive crowd that gathered in all the nooks and crannies of the fittingly utilitarian concrete and metal station. It was such a stark contrast to the small pockets of people sprinkled through the elegant marble and tile Philly and Washington stations. Nonetheless, I loved it just the same.

Before sightseeing, we decided to stop in a quaint French-Mediterranean restaurant named Nice Matin. It was there that I had the pleasure of eating the - Holy smokes, Batman! - most amazing smoked salmon I've ever eaten. The others felt similarly about their food and I couldn't stop shaking my head at how good the food was even after we left. I couldn't get over the idea that every place in New York could have food just as good.
They grow up too fast, don't they. 

Instead of being hot and humid as we had all prepared for, we were in the relentless rain  the whole day, as it drifted seamlessly between a drizzle and a pour. (As luck would have it, I happen to love the rain and the cold unlike some). And we walked from Nice Matin to Central Park, spotting runners, readers, eaters, tourists, and street performers everywhere. From there we floated into Times Square territory and shopped around for a short while before using the metro to get back to the hotel. I've got to say it seems a lot more logical and user-friendly than Bart.

There was something about the city-life oozing out of people everywhere I went that I immediately loved. So much so, in fact, that I even found the blunt and brusque attitude of New Yorkers I came into contact with amusing. Perhaps it was because city-life was something that I didn't have very much experience with before or because it felt that much more authentic now that I was living and breathing it. Even as we walked for hours, looking at and for nothing in particular, I reveled in the grandiosity of it all. (I also love the rain.) And even with no prior experience in the city, I felt like a natural. I couldn't walk the walk or talk the talk. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to either, but I liked being there. And that's something right? I liked being able to blend in a crowd and get lost in a sea of faces. Either way, I liked today. My first impression of New York was all that I had expected. I can't say that it was any more than I had expected since I don't know if it would have been physically possible to surpass my original expectations to begin with. I mean, who knows? Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon stage and that by the end of next week I'll turn cynical.

I highly doubt it though.
It was a walk in the park.
The colors of the city.

2 comments:

  1. Nice blog. Your description of your meal is making me hungry so instead of going over the many blogs from our cohorts, you’ve convinced me to head out for a decent Sunday brunch.

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  2. I'm glad you like the crowds of Time Square. As for me, I like the quiet of the park on a rainy day--it was so green and lovely.

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