Isn't it funny how all your troubles seem to get suspended when you get the hell out of Dodge, even if only for a few days. I didn't realize it, or really think about it until today, but after spending a long weekend in NYC I realized that the way I perceive the world at home is different than the way I did in NY. Of course, it doesn't help that everything that could be wrong is wrong for me in Chicago. The onset of fall, which seems to have waited for my return to begin its slow encapsulation of the environment as everything slowly dies. Or is it that my car which I raced to pick up at the shop (Runge's Auto) yesterday after getting off the plane, has a new problem with it. Could it be that I'm losing a day of work and the only reason I care is because I won't be paid for it? Why are all the bad things in a life associated with "home?"
When I left for NY last Friday, I was apprehensive. I hadn't flown in a number of years, long before 9/11. I had always had an irrational fear of flying. However, both legs of my flight were realitively uneventful and the check-in proceedures at both airports didn't take very long. Actually, I love American Airlines self-service check-in machines for people with e-tickets. I was dreading the wait in line to get a boarding pass but all I had to do was press a few buttons on a touch screen. It was like using the ATM.
I decided this time in NYC, I was going to be as native as possible meaning I wanted to use the MTA to get around town, and I wasn't going to see any Broadway shows. We have all the same ones (or most) here in Chicago and I don't want to see them here either. I think I can safely state that the MTA system in NYC is very easy to use but also way more complicated than it probably needs to be. For instance, the subways are not only color coded but also lettered and numbered. There's the 1-9, the A-Z, and the red, blue, green, purple, yellow, green, and orange lines. Thankfully, these are not all separate lines that would be insane. But why does the 1,2,3,9 trains all have to be red as well? Why are the N,R,Q,W all yellow? And why were the eastside trains like riding the monorail at Disney, while the westside trains were, well, dirty old trains? I can see the why of some of it, like, for instance, the eastside trains are well kept because they service the crusty upper eastside. It's like in Chicago where the purple line train that goes into the northshore is the nicest and least used line. But the most used line, the red line, is crappy and the same was true in NYC. Although, overall, the entire system made the Chicago CTA seem antiquated. It ran a lot more smoothly and on schedule with a lot more options for getting from A-B. Also, the trains themselves were much larger. Even on a rush hour train, I was never smashed up against the doors trying to get a space. When I returned to Chicago and had to take the CTA all the way downtown so I could turn back uptown, I already missed the MTA.
My first afternoon there, after checking in to my swank upper westside hotel, I walked across to the eastside to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I spent most of my time in the modern art wing but the most beautiful view I had there was actually from the roof where I saw all of Central Park's treetops spread out around me. Is there another city in the world with a view like that?
And Central park itself was amazing. When you're deep in it, it's as if the city were a million miles away. I went jogging twice over the weekend in the park. There are numerous ways one can go to jog, ride, skate, or whatever. There are also tons of places to lounge, have a picnic, or ride horses. There was a small zoo, and a lagoon where you can rent radio controlled sailboats. The public art work in the park is incredible. Somewhere, deep in its environs, I saw a bronze sculpture of Alice in Wonderland.
Now, before I left I had done a ton of research on the net for restaurants. The first night, I took three trains to get to one of these finds on the lower eastside. It was fun and the place was great but NYC is covered in restaurants, many of which are great. I quickly discovered that on any night, you can go to places without reservations and not spend a fortune but still have a great experience. Every place I went to seemed to take great pride in presentation. The food looked great as well as tasted great. I ate at Les Enfants Terribles (LES), Miracle (Greenwich), Baluchi's (UWS), and The Townhouse (UES). I should mention that my budget was not huge and I spent less than 200 bucks on food all weekend. I've spent that much alone here in Chicago at one time! I think the contrast isn't what one would expect.
I spent Saturday traversing the city from one end to the other. I did do some touristy things like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and going to see the Statue of Liberty. I had the most amazing cupcake, on recommendation, at Magnolia Bakery in the Village. And I went to see a slew of interesting writers at the KGB Bar in the same area on two different nights.
Sunday was my birthday and I spent, almost, the whole day boozing it up at my cousin's expense. He offered. He and his partner took me to the one place I went to on the UES to eat. It's called the Townhouse and caters to a predominantly older gay crowd. I met another poet who works at Rutger's and hates it. He was in a bit of a rut that day but he gave me the Clash cd London Calling on the spur.
I can't say enough good things about my experience. I meant to go into more detail in this post but I have my broken down car on my mind, this missed day of work, and the coming winter. I think I could live in NYC just not in the summer (too hot) or the winter (too cold). How could I manage that?
