Winging it in... New York

New York, I love you!

No, I haven’t moved again! But I have gotten out of Boston this weekend and made it all the way to New York City… just in time for the marathon. No, I wasn’t running, but I have to say that hearing the noise and cheering as people went by did make me think I might want to run in Seattle in a few weeks time… then I thought again about the early morning start, the likelihood of rain, the guarantee of sore feet and aching legs the next day, the flight to and from Seattle… and I realized that actually I think I like the idea of not running it more.

I have however, had a good time in NYC. I have done the obligatory bus tour- well the downtown loop, I missed out on the Brooklyn tour, the night time tour and the uptown Central Park loop. I have a feeling though that they probably haven’t change that much since I was last here. I know NYC is a constantly moving city, but still there is only so much movement that can happen at anyone time. I also have another trip planned over Thanksgiving and I would hate to run out of entertainment for then.

Having visited NYC a few times in recent years I did make do with a cursory glance and a nod to certain NY institutions this time. There is the obligatory walk past of the Empire State building, and while I avoided the observation decks and the trip to the top, one cannot help but be impresses with the sheer scale and magnificence of the building. Then again I am a fan of art deco, and I do tend to have slight fascination with the whole of the 1920/30s style and time period- I am sure I was born in the wrong era. The Empire State Building still stands at 102 floors high and was, for 40 years, the tallest building in the world; since 2001 it has once again become the tallest building in New York.

At 203 feet shorter than the Empire State Building is my favorite building in New York… the Chrysler Building. It was built in 1930, again is fantastic art deco design and for a whole 11 months it was the tallest building in the world. Now it stands as the third tallest in New York with the 2007 opening of the Bank of America’s new spire and the New York Times building. Still 77 years after it was built architects are still building skyscrapers of the same height, or a few feet higher is testament to what was a great achievement in engineering.

Of course no trip to New York would be complete with a mention of Times Square, and the drenching neon and highlights of flashing billboards causing complete sensory overload! Originally called Longacre Square, the name was changed n April 1904 after the New York Times moved its offices there, Times Square has long been a hub of the city, home of the Naked Cowboy, New Year Eve celebrations, and multiple theaters, it really is a place to just stand and stare and marvel at a city that really doesn’t ever stop.

I am heading out to be dazzled by the last few hours of my time here, enjoy the sunny blue skies, even if the wind is a little cooler than pleasant, and stretch my legs before the drive home. I will after all be back in a few weeks time to explore Central Park, and continue my wanders.