Biting the Big Apple

A Weekend in New York City

I’ve always said if you had categories of all “kinds” of people, you would find at least one of each kind of person somewhere in New York City. You would realize this right away once in the big city. It is a concrete jungle where the trees have jungles within, the river networks are underground, and the critters share tight [public] spaces. New York City is a lot to take in, and it would take anyone a lifetime. I once heard it would take you five years non-stop to eat at every restaurant in the city. I have been here before and had a blast, but I was 12 years old. This time I was determined to make the most out of it and observe more sharply. My aunt offered an unplanned weekend there. I couldn’t resist the offer, so we were off.

We started our drive from Silver Spring early in the morning. I was excited to spend some time on the road; I have come to enjoy long drives more than ever. We drove past Washington D.C. and Baltimore (where I had visited a few days ago); we crossed into Delaware and entered Pennsylvania in a beat. Weird highway design and state borders. We continued north along the interstate 95 highway, then decided to stop for lunch at Philadelphia. It is my first time here, Philly is looking good in the summer sun. The streets were surprisingly crowded, and for some reason, traffic was very congested that day. We had to park somewhere else and walk to the nearest snack spot.

The sidewalk was oddly full of people, just standing around and some eating out of take-out containers. We opened a dark-tinted glass door and opened a portal. What I thought was a food joint turned out to be the Reading Terminal Market, home to multiple stalls and shops. It was lunchtime, and hungry folks like ourselves filled the place. Finding seats was unthinkable. It was a struggle to get around all the queues lined up around the many food vendors. It’s order and pick up from windows, self-serve and move - quick! We knew we would be lucky to grab a bite and leave. After minutes of scanning hanging menus, then waiting for our turn, we finally got our orders and left in a heartbeat. We are on a mission here.

And so we left and hopped in the car to continue our journey. We crossed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the pouring rain, and I remember jamming to Nas’ "If I Ruled the World." I enjoyed the passenger seat view while munching on my grilled turkey ham & cheese sandwich. We kept going into the heart of New York State in the afternoon hours. You can tell when you have arrived as the full view becomes littered with man’s brain-child – his pride and glory – the city. Once past the last toll gate, I was cruising by the Hudson River bank with a clear view of one, … two, … three Trump properties. It hit me that I was in the belly of the city when I took a look ahead of me and saw an apple sitting on the dashboard top with the street and buildings in the background.

Although we spent most of the day on the road, we thought we should make the most of it and decided to stop by Times Square. I visited this tourist pool last time I was here. I remember being so mesmerized by all the bright lights and street performances. I now see marketing and commerce that don’t sleep. It was getting dark, and we started craving some snacks while passing by Bryant Park. Lucky for us, there was Wafels & Dinges, a humble offshoot selling Belgian waffles and hot drinks right around the corner. I’m a waffle guy, and I relished this waffle drizzled with Nutella and topped with banana slices with a cup of a vanilla milkshake. We continued walking around and passed by major streets, making our way to NBC Studios’ Rainbow Room Observation Deck. We walked into a fan store loaded to the brim with television show merchandise. I wasn’t so interested, and we continued going into the inner parts of the building complex, which extended to the Rockefeller Center. It isn’t your typical Rockefeller Center scene with the ice rink full of skaters. I just got to see the building, statues, and area briefly.

We continued our stroll around the city, spotting more skyscrapers and cathedrals. I didn’t know where we were spending the night, but my aunt had that covered and took us to her friend’s parents’ place. They were away on vacation, so let us spend the weekend in their million-dollar Park Avenue apartment. Touché! It was time to get some sleep; there was a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

Last night was very short; today is going to be long. I didn't get much sleep but still had all the energy to take on the day's plan. Lucky for us, our location is convenient, so we grabbed a quick breakfast. I had a whole-grain breakfast panini with eggs, tomatoes & avocado. Everything felt within reach as we strolled into Grand Central Station, a couple of blocks away, to catch a subway. Ahhh, the New York metro. I love how I can go anywhere with these trains. Life would be impossible (or very expensive) without the metro. It is a lifesaver.

I was entertaining the idea of being an art dealer around this time. Our first stop for the day would be a game-changer had I continued down that line. We waited for opening hours to start and went into MoMA – the Museum of Modern Art. The six floors of vast gallery space were enough clues of the treasure trove between these four walls. Noticing a donor list with names like Rockefeller, Getty, and so on gave me an idea, but the space speaks for itself. Explorations began as we made our way up through the IKEA-like maze. Our trail covered vast areas and walls dedicated to photographs of childbirth scenes, VR Lego worlds (way before the Metaverse), grand and miniature sculptures, and so on.

My focus shifted to the paintings that have cemented beyond legendary status. The main attraction was Vincent van Gogh's "Starry Night," guarded by a security staff who stood there all shift long. All the so-called "greats" have pooled their legacies here. Impressionism and abstract, French, and Russian painters alike leave their marks. Picasso; Warhol, and his prodigy, Basquiat; Matisse; Bacon; Pollock; and so on. were all present. I was having a blast, then my capacity to be impressed was getting saturated beyond a point. Looking back, I now find some of the styles pretentious and inflated. We saw countless artworks in a few hours and wrapped up our stay with visits to the museum library & life-size sculpture garden before leaving.

Street mural in Harlem, New York City (2018)

Time was ticking at our first stop. We had spent a long time here. We had to squeeze every minute out of the remainder of the day. Harlem was next on the agenda. I was excited to see the epicenter of the local Black culture. A jazz lover like myself would feel ecstatic to see where it all started. We took another subway and headed straight north up the spine of Manhattan. The blazing sun was getting hotter, and we were afraid it might tire us since we planned on walking around. Harlem has vibrant street scenes adorned with large murals and street vendors selling various souvenirs and items. We treated ourselves to snow cones to bear the heat and kept walking around. I met a low-key Jamaican gentleman who was selling Afro-centric jewelry and artifacts. I can't remember his name now, but I'll never forget his presence. He started sharing Haile Selassie legends and tales with me since I brought up the subject. His eyes lit up once he learned where I was from, and couldn't contain his excitement. A few minutes passed, and I bought some badges at a brotherly discount and then exchanged goodbyes. We were off to our Harlem tour highlight - the Apollo Theater.

This hall was where so much history took place. This place is a historical part of that Black culture epicenter legacy I was hoping to witness. I was delighted to walk where all the jazz greats had plaques engraved with their names. Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong were among my favorite jazz musicians whom I would have loved to see live here. The talent in these grounds extends beyond jazz. Musicians of the soul, blues, and funk eras and genre legends, including Michael Jackson and Ray Charles, have graced this stage. It was worth a visit; I felt good to be a part of this glory. The Apollo now sadly feels more like a shrine with its fading prestige.

What an exhausting yet rewarding day so far. We are starving and very worn out. We returned to the area where we spent the night and stopped by Subway for a late lunch. It was time to head back to the apartment for an afternoon nap. The friendly ushers opened the lobby door and escorted us to the elevator. I felt at ease from all this special treatment and care. We crashed for about an hour and started the second leg of the day's journey.

More metro rides, this time we were entertained with some youngsters bringing in much-needed afternoon energy with a break-dance performance. I enjoyed such a complementary event. We hopped off across the East River and strolled around Brooklyn neighborhoods. It was a sight for sore eyes & feet. The vertical Manhattan island prohibited our eyes from wandering beyond a block or two. Here we were treated to quiet residential areas and sidewalks lined with trees. The breeze and falling trees hinted at the looming fall season. We marched on to the waterfront, where others like ourselves kicked back and took in the view. It is pristine to see Manhattan served on a platter with Long Island and the Brooklyn Bridge fitting in the view. It felt so serene as I gazed at the sun setting by the waters.

We walked around some more and headed to the Brooklyn Bridge. We didn't have time to spend by the docks. We called an Uber and made the crossing back to Manhattan Island. I stuck my head out the cab window and blasted my face with the dusk wind at driving speed. It was so exhilarating, and I felt very present and alive. I stuck my phone out the window, bold as ever, and captured a video.

We went straight to Wall Street and then walked around the financial district, making our way to the World Trade Center. The night was falling, and the bright lights popped out. The city started to flaunt its splendor. It was dawning upon us that this weekend was coming to an end. Near the World Trade Center, we found the 9/11 memorial for the dearly departed. The same site the twin towers stood on was converted into a warm-lit fountain with all deceased names engraved in the marble. It was touching, but our attention was stolen by an architectural marvel very close. We went through what looked like a regular doorway, but what awaited inside was a vast open space with a ceiling height of multiple stories. The many rows of long arches housed shopping stores, a subway station, and so on. There wasn't much more to do for us so we left.

This epic day still wasn’t over yet. My aunt used to live here last time we came, and so we decided to pay a visit to her old neighborhood around Washington Square Park. My brother and I accidentally walked into what must have been a Nepali Buddhist store. The scent and silence took me to the Orient. The store was full of bells, incense, statues, body ornaments, and other artifacts. We had some New York-style pizza for dinner and almost called it a day. But I had one last stop that I insisted on checking out. I was a very cynical guy, so I wanted to check out a psychic to get a palm reading. I was eager to ridicule the session. I was 100% sure she was a con I would call out. We walked in, and it was my turn. She looked intensely into my palm while I kept my eye on her for the one minute that felt like an eternity. I tried to keep a straight face the whole time, so my facial expression would not give me away. She went straight to analyzing my character and prophesying my future. I stood bewitched as she casually thanked us for stopping by and said to see her again. Just like that, the reading was over, so we left. I kept my silence because I didn’t get to laugh hysterically to her face. My aunt asked me how it went, and I had to confess that I was baffled by her detailed accuracy – more so with the character. The prophecy was vague and could apply to anyone. Once again, I was proven wrong.

And that concluded this adventurous turned mystical night. We left in the morning and had plenty to digest. Repeat visits are often not so appealing to us. We tend to think there isn't much more to see when we go somewhere again. That's far from the truth. Millions have flocked here to the land of opportunity for centuries. Light attracts moths by the bunch. There is a reason why this place has such a unique appeal. All who come searching for dreams leave their distinctive mark on this bay and this masterpiece evolves into an even bigger force to be reckoned with. Everything is world-famous and iconic here. Although it isn’t my favorite thing, I must admit the big apple is the pinnacle of man’s desires and achievements. I took my last bite spontaneously and enjoyed every bit of it.

Modern art piece in MoMA, New York City (2018)

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