New York is inspiring my soul right now. She's a big, bossy city that has an attitude that can sweep one in to disillusion and confusion or inspire one to play in her cool blistery Autumnal winds. Christmas is on its way and I feel like re-enacting Home Alone visiting toy stores and hitting an ice rink while enduring my first winter in two years.
I spent my first week in New York with family and it was wonderfully joyous. We hired a place through airbnb in Brooklyn and spent 5 special memorable days exploring the city together.
The highlights include:
- Phantom of the Opera at Broadway (tip: buy on the day tickets for half the price)
- Central Park live jazz
- The New York Public Library
- Midnight city views from the Empire State Building
- A visit to The Museum of Modern Art
- A ferry trip including a visit to the Statue of Liberty
- Brews and sweet potato chips at The Grey Dog, Chelsea
- Outdoor Ice-Skating
- Getting to the "Top of the Rock" and mounting the Rockefeller Building
- Unanimously vowing to not go to Starbucks cafes despite them being on every side of every street in the city.
A low light:
There's one thing that does really bother me about this city and that's seeing the homeless people in the streets freezing in bundles. It doesn't feel fair at all especially in a city that has so much power.
Last night I was on a very late night subway (they run 24hours here!) and ran the risk of falling asleep and missing my stop. I turned to a guy next to me, he was black, with a beanie hat and had the lines of a man who's lived through some painful tales. I don't know if he lives on the streets but he certainly wasn't so fresh and clean and I realised there were quite a few homeless people crashing out on trains or on benches at the stations as is common here.
"Excuse me. Would you mind making sure I don't miss my stop?" I asked him half laughing to myself at hearing how British I sounded in the mostly empty 3am carriage. He smiled at me, remarked on my accent and we started chatting. We talked about the world, about freedom and about holiness and faith... there wasn't any conclusion besides a hug of gratitude as I reached my stop and that little sense of 'holy sh*t I just had an angel undercover moment' as the guy kept me alert enough to not pass out and spend the small hours sleeping on a train.
Of course one must be aware when traveling in the small hours, especially if sleepy, and I don't know if I'll ever hear the end of those 'words of warnings' to the female solo traveler (some tips), but its amazing how true kindness can be inspired by a little gesture or a word or two between strangers, worlds apart and yet equally human.
I don't think my superhero powers will have me taking the homeless off the streets of New York, but I might make some huge hints to people who can...
OH... HI... THERE... ;)
Shocking stats here.
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