I Heart NY

I was ecstatic to return to NYC this summer and to return with family.  My sister suggested we travel there for Misty Copeland's debut in American Ballet Theater's Swan Lake at the Metropolitan Opera House and I thought it was a fantastic idea.  My mother and brother agreed to tag along and we had a mini family reunion where it all began.

Going back to The City (Manhattan) after so many years to find that in small ways and large ways it had changed somewhat surprised me.  It was like meeting up with an old friend to find that they've changed and you now have to get reacquainted.  So without further ado here are the top ten things I love, which may or may not have changed, about NYC:

1)  THE FOOD.
2)  THE FOOD.
3)  THE FOOD.  That being said, I was so very sad not to have had a slice of pizza, a shish kabob or a hot dog off the street.  I mean, the whole not having street food while in NYC is a complete travesty in my opinion and I count this as one of my biggest life regrets along with not becoming a ballerina like Misty and owning crocs.  Even though my favorite city street food was present, it had changed to include

Indian Food Cart (think samosas).

Really cool Food Trucks that offered Halal and Kosher food.

And healthy stuff-Who has a smoothie food truck?!

Lemme tell you something, if there was a Indian food truck that served samosas anywhere within a 30 mile radius of me, I would eat nothing else and be totally happy with both my diet and life in general.

4)  Number four is something I love to hate about NYC and that is yellow taxis, which still happen to be everywhere, making your travel time approximately two and a half hours longer than you anticipated.

But what's changed here is the addition of Uber and Lyft drivers.  Now there are number of shiny black vehicles also clogging city streets, so go ahead and add another half hour to your commute making it an even three.  The good news is that Uber drivers are just as entertaining as yellow cab drivers, maybe even more so because they are a younger, hipper crowd.  One Hispanic young man was regaling us with stories of his passengers the night before who happened to have a physical altercation in the backseat and ended up spilling wine all over the interior of his car.  The moral of his story was that New York City gets "turnt up!!"  His words, not mine.

5)  Beautiful people.  I always feel like a tourist when I stare at people with my mouth hanging open, but NYC has that effect on me.  I don't know if it's because NYC is a melting pot and mixed races make exotically beautiful people or because NYC is so diverse and non-mixed races also make for exotically beautiful people.  Listen, at least I don't drool at them.

6)  Scaffolding.  At any given time in The City, half the buildings are under some sort of construction/renovation.  To avoid disrupting sidewalk traffic, a certain type of scaffolding is built that people can walk under.  It's as pervasive as cockroaches.  Well, maybe not that bad . . . yet.  I was happy to find that the city is still undergoing its permanent facelift.

7)  Creativity.  The level of creativity in everything from the things people wear to amazing street art makes the city feel entirely unique.

In front of a graffiti wall in NYC.

Love this logo above the street.

8)  The Culture and the Sub-Culture.  I had never been to the Metropolitan Opera House before and I loved my experience there.  I felt so Dynasty (think Linda Evans with shoulderpads).  "Excuse me usher, could you send our champagne and caviar over immediately?"  Just kidding, you can't eat or drink in there, and just so you know a mini water bottle at intermission will cost you your first-born child.  I had to wash dishes.

That's the thing about New York, it's so very gritty but still so sophisticated.  The amazing museums (Museum of Natural History), the galleries (Guggenheim) and Broadway are wonderful attractions I feel everyone should experience at least once in their life.  Contrast that with the projects, the subway and the homeless problem means it's a city that keeps it real and keeps you grounded.

9)  Street Salespeople.  You can get anything from a faux gucci watch to cheap tourist paraphernalia on the streets of New York.  Whadaya need?  Latest pirated DVD?  Check.  NYC Skyline postcard?  Check.  Bob Marley T-Shirt?  Check.  Incense?  Check.  If you need something in The City, just go for a walk and I have no doubt your needs will be met.  Specifically, I would suggest Canal Street for that walk.

10)  Living on the edge.  By living on the edge I mean street grating.

Although there is no logical reason to feel like I will plunge to my death onto a subway track or the subway train itself when I walk over these, I can't help the twinge of fear and doubt I experience as I wonder if this is the day that the grating will yield me to the lower (and homicidal) depths of The City.  So if you're a thrill seeker in New York City, go for a walk.  You never know.  "They all float down here."

11)  Did I mention THE FOOD?!  Amaze-balls, awesomesauce, delish and life-changing.

All in all, I still love The City.  The changes were mostly cosmetic so I found my crazy, hyper, chaotic and crowded city to be just as I had left her in all things that truly mattered, and it was like coming home.