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Bite into the Big Apple
Living in New York is like taking a roller-coaster ride around the world. Except hat it's all packed into one giant, throbbing megapolis
'New York, New York, It's my kind of town…" Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly merrily sang as they danced their way into town, on the silver screen, over 40 years ago. For that's the effect that New York has on the casual visitor. It leaves one gaping. From the glass and concrete spires of Manhattan, to the stately lady of Liberty Island, New York is a city of world icons. It's the melting pot of the world, simmering and bubbling over with cultures from every country imaginable. New York isn't just a city… it's an adrenaline charged whirlpool which sucks every New Yorker into its fold. And, for the casual visitor too, there's no escape from the charms of the city that never sleeps. Fasten your seat belts, folks!
"Taxi drivers think they're driving in the Grand Prix rally, while cyclists and rollerskaters think nothing of nipping about on the sidewalk."
Our ride begins before you even touch down in New York. You're in your comfortable airline seat and suddenly night sky seems to glow. For down below, New York is ready to welcome you in her own inimitable style. With a million watts of neon light, if you please. For apart from having the most skyscrapers (not to mention, some of the tallest) in the world, it also has an amazing number of neon signs touting everything from Chinese takeaway, to global brands. With all the roads laid out in a grid section and reliable bus, taxi and underground train services, getting around the city isn't a problem. Getting used to it is another matter altogether. Taxi drivers think they're driving in the Grand Prix rally, while cyclists and rollerskaters think nothing of nipping about on the sidewalk. And the subway, is more like a sub-culture of New York. But then, it's these very people that make this city so exciting.
New York is a city that's wild in more ways than one! To begin with, there's the American Museum of Natural History, which houses over 36 million specimens of nature's bounty, ranging from the microscopic to the gigantic. From bacteria to dinosaurs, and everything in between! The museum also houses a children's discovery room and a cinema theatre with a screen that's four stories high!
If you think you've seen a zoo or two, drop in at the Bronx Zoo and you'll never want to leave. The zoo is spread over 265 acres and has over 4000 non-human residents! There's a Wild Asian section, which actually has a monorail, offering you an aerial view of elephants, rhinos and other Asian animals. Like butterflies? The butterfly section has a walk-through transparent caterpillar tube, so you can see over a thousand species of these graceful winged wonders up close, without disturbing them. The perfect way to round off your nature trail is by paying a visit to the relatively small, but charming Central Park Zoo, and watch Sea lions and Polar bears (in a glass walled pool) do their own thing! Who ever said New York isn't wild by day?
"The Empire State Building may not be the tallest building in the world any longer, but it definitely is the most graceful skyscraper on the planet."
So much has been written about New York's two greatest attractions, that one almost feels blasé about visiting them. After all, it's the done thing, isn't it? But do it anyway, and you'll never regret it. The Empire State Building may not be the tallest building in the world any longer, but it definitely is the most graceful skyscraper on the planet. Walk into the foyer of this 102-storey wonder and it takes your breath away. Take the elevator to the 86th floor and step out on the balcony, for the view of a lifetime. It's from up here that you realise what the term concrete jungle really means. Pedestrians and cars look like ants as the East River and Hudson River, glimmer in the distance. The view from the 102nd floor is marginally better, but the observation deck is completely enclosed, taking away some of then feeling of being on top of the world. Literally!
The other icon of New York, is across the harbour on Liberty Island. The Statue of Liberty was presented by France to America, way back in 1886. Over the years, she has become an enduring icon of civil and economic freedom, not only in America, but also around the world. You can climb right up to the top of the statue for a spectacular view of New York and its watery environs. Come back down to earth and stop by at Central Park to catch your breath. If the name conjures up images of a nice cozy little patch of green with a couple of trees for good measure, think again. Think huge. For Central Park is like New York's lungs. It's a green patch that extends over 55 streets (or junctions) in length, inviting the visitor to let his or her stress dissolve in its folds. Central Park has skating rinks, lakes, restaurants, shaded pathways, formal walkways and it even has a theatre for Shakespeare buffs! So stop by and rest awhile, before the whirlwind that's New York sweeps you off your feet again.
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