we last visited the big apple a year or so before 9/11. during that visit we took in the view from atop the world trade center. the skyline has changed, the city seems to be under renovation at every turn.
it is even busier, louder, if that's possible. there are still hordes of people rushing to get somewhere at any time of day and into the late evening. but there's a different feel. on our first visit all one saw was a sea of black and gray. things have loosened up sartorially, here and there a splash of color pops up. there is still the blank stare of concentration on passersby in a hurry to get there. but there's a much friendlier feel to the place, an excuse me from one bumped into. before i thought most of the people to be rude. this trip, most everyone encountered was friendly and helpful. experiencing a 9/11 can make a people realize that we only have today, maybe. one can never know what that next tick of the clock might bring.
they were probably there on our last visit, we just didn't see them, but there are parks everywhere. islands of beauty amongst the towers stretching to reach the sky. tulips were in bloom, the tallest i've ever seen. people passed through or paused to sit and reflect, to take a moment to ease the tension of the day.
another thing struck me, that is the relative dearth of overweight people. perhaps it's from all the walking entailed in living in this city. I don't know but fatties were few and far between. no walmart beauties allowed.
speaking of walmart, not a one in sight.
this trip we dined from a food truck most every day. gyros, hot dogs, sandwiches, smoothies, you name it-- all made up on the spot, not basking under a heat lamp for hours before serving. tasty, affordable, i recommend you try one if you ever make it to the city.
so much to do, so little time. NYC, i promise i'll try to get back before another decade passes by. you're a helluva town!
aio
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