New York in 48 hours, can you beat that?

My recent trip to New York (for work) for 48 hours was fairly quiet. 

It wasn't as much fun and monumentally adventurous as my tattoo trip from October 2011, maybe because this one had fewer days, but it was memorable all the same. New York is eventful any time of the year. It's like an artists haven. I feel so unleashed artistically every time I visit it. A few events were milestones for me and I thought they were worthy of discussion.

1. I was seated on the bus from the airport with a family visiting America from Switzerland for the first time. The young lady seated with me had arrived with her boyfriend and his parents. She couldn't contain her excitement as we drove into Manhattan from Newark airport. She was just jumping out of the seat, and her boyfriend a couple of seats over was just the same. She was having a mini orgasm. I dropped off at the first stop, Times Square, but I would have killed to see their reaction to the Times Square glitz. Her reaction to the "Welcome to Manhattan" sign was just orgasmic.

I found this memorable based on the fact that Switzerland is my favorite place in Europe even though I've never been. It's just sounds like such an awesome place. The neutrality of it, financial and otherwise, just intrigues me. And here I was sitting in a bus with a woman who calls that home and she thinks that New York, which luckily for me, I can visit for the weekend, is just the most glorious, momentous place. She said, "We see so much of NY in the movies, you know, and now we get to see these places in real life." I just thought, girl, I know the feeling. I don't know if New Yorkers know they have this effect on people who live even in the most awesome of places themselves.

My Hotel Room

My attempt at a selfie that would capture the scenery

NY Landscape

The Cathedral Mass Schedule

Thot this was funny cos of the name "bene"

Fifth Avenue hustle

2. I was able to stay in New York, Times Square actually. At the most fabulous, trendy modern chic hotel in Times Square, actually a few blocks from it - Ameritania at Times Square, at the corner of 54th and 7th. Just around the corner from Studio 54 and The David Letterman (Ed Sullivan Theater) studio. That in and of itself was quite memorable. I have never been able to afford to stay in New York proper, twice I've stayed in Newark and the last time in Jamaica (Long Island Railway was a hassle but okay) so getting to stay in the centre of it all was just amazing. Made me wish I had more time and that the trip wasn't just about work. But as things go in life, there's never enough time for fun.

David. Letterman.

3. One thing that should have made the trip more memorable after these two previous wonderful events, was the cold. It was just so utterly cold that I was pissed. It was 75 degrees on average in Atlanta, so hot that the jeans jacket I had on to the airport had me in beads of sweat. I got to New York and that was just a flimsy cover, even my fingers were cold, and once your fingers get cold, end of story. Plus sweaters were costing the regular price rate not the "end of season" rate so I had to just freeze it out. Get it "freeze-it-out."

4. Then, finally being so close to it, I was able to finally get to Central Park. It was just okay for me. I am not big on nature preserves and such, I would take tall buildings, massive billboards and honking horns any day over the thrills of nature. As soon as I approached it, my sinuses started acting up, and I quickly remembered that the flowers must be shedding their pollen or some sort and that is not a good look for me. So Central Park great, but Park Avenue even better.

This is as close as I got to Central Park

Central Park Attendant took this picture

Columbus circle end of Central Park

5. Then, another downer for me was the crowd. Now I know how natives feel about the surge of tourists. It was just insane. I kept thinking, it's not even really summer yet and we are already dealing with this insane crowd of people in the middle of May, it was bumper to bumper people, human traffic just pushing to get through. I couldn't grasp it. From the wee hours of the morning to late at night, the crowd was just unrelenting. After my work appointment, as I walked back to my hotel, close to noon, I saw a small crowd in front of the Sheraton on 7th Avenue, I thought oh, maybe it's a movie shoot or an A-List movie star. I thought, now I get to see what paparazzi photogs look like. No can do. I asked the first person I could find. A non-English speaking tourist and she summarized - "Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook is going to come out of that hotel." 

Seriously, New York. Seriously. I expected more from you.

Times Square Splendor

6. Then, finally, Cinco de Mayo. In all my excitement and flight arrangements I failed to notice that the day of my arrival coincided with Cinco de Mayo. I thought this would be good, just like arriving to NY on Halloween. There were so many things happening in Atlanta for Cinco that I was just so crushed that I would miss that (along with the great weather) but I was comforted that I was going to an equally awesome vibrant city where I could imbibe and not worry about driving and enjoy my Tequila-fueled Cinco, possibly even better than Atlanta. 

Not so much. I just felt so left out. I was just sitting there at the Mexican bars watching a crowd of friends sip and toast on Margaritas with abandon. This picture may or may not have been the same in Atlanta, but it just felt so non-inclusive, almost lonesome in NY. You know what, now that I think about it, this may have been the same picture in Atlanta. I think it was more disappointing because it was unexpected. I thought NY would be a lot more inviting, a lot less lonely, why, well because of all the people. It was just dry and somber even with the tequila. New Yorkers are known to be unfriendly now so what was I expecting. 

But I can tell you that they did not bat an eyelid every time I asked for a table of one, they treated me just as respectably as the rest so I'd say New York is rather cognizant of the singles. Good points for them. 

In summary, New York if you can afford it, for the breathtaking views, the vibrant energy and the savoir faire of the elite that you can almost taste just a stone throw from you and for that character, that oh so unbeatable dented but perfect character that you cannot match with any other city.

I also didn't mention the shoes.