A Bite of the Big Apple

A trip into New York City for the uninitiated is similar to a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ novel. Multiple options to select; path, characters and ending unknown.With the juxtaposition of introductions from ‘gangster rappers’ such as Jay Z, 50 Cent, Biggie and good old classic Blue Eyes Sinatra, an emulsion of expectations loom large and anticipation shines neon bright.

Leaving the verdant parkland bordering right up to the mega metropolis, crossing the George Washington bridge over the meandering Hudson River into New Jersey, we were greeted with serrated views of the expansive NYC skyline. Travelling into one of the busiest bus terminals in the world, The Port Authority, images of the 70’s woe begotten, grungy, junkie riddled downtown were immediately dismissed for the welcoming, since disinfected, vibe of the big city of bright lights and endless tourist options.

Perhaps it’s our German and Dutch genes, reconnecting with the early settlers of this once known Nieuw Amsterdam. Or the Colonial mother country ties still simmering in the subway’s steaming street outlets. Or perhaps even the 35,000 sworn police officers – “New York’s Finest”, present in the city, that spreads a sense of calm and security across this concrete jungle. Possibly the barista coffees, iced milos and Vegemite toast from Bluestone Lane, are the unequivocal panacea for city ease and enjoyment. More likely the city’s beckoning lights, its “Glittering crowds and shimmering clouds in canyons of steel” (Billie Holiday) are what makes New York so inviting.

With a long list of reputable sites to see, this short NY sojourn was going to command some serious sidewalk overdrive. Successful orientation and navigation of the boroughs, bridges, buildings scraping the sky, requires a thorough decoding of the Upper, Lower, Midtown, East, West, North, South, Corner 1^st and 47^th street lingo. Without which unnecessary extra kilometres add to the epic trek.

It takes a few mere seconds to get into Billy Joel’s “New York state of mind”. Yellow cabs honking, sidewalk snacks, NYPD blue and white, a brief encounter with a real life movie star – ‘Hello Helmut Zemo’, and neon flashing lights blinking beacons of welcome and direction. Chrysler, Rockefeller, Empire State; a movie set on repeat, a surreal reality. “It’s a mad dog’s promenade,
So walk tall, or baby, don’t walk at all” Bruce Springsteen – The Rising

The passage of time has left indelible marks on the landscape and the fabric of people and politics. Our daily bus commute a reminder of positive ebb and healing, as mixed races sit side by side in an ever increasing multicultural fabric. Washington Square, where irreverent comedy, liberal views and alternative lifestyles replace its history of lynching and racism. At the 9/11 memorial, a cascade of identity, memories and grief are coupled with the newly built One World Trade Centre, aka Freedom Tower.
“Sky of blackness and sorrow (a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)…
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life”” Springsteen- The Uprising.
A roller coaster of imagery and experiences, embodied in the institutional financial stalwarts of the American Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and Wall Street. A testament to the city’s fractured, yet vibrant make up of dreams, possibility, reform and change.

Like a good footbath, true immersion requires a decent soaking. Soaking in views of the skyline from the ferry. A Central Park soaking. Soaking in gritty city smells and the plethora of sites under rain jackets and umbrellas. A soaking sidewalk spray from passing cars, and a wet soak in an extravagantly long line outside the Natural History Museum. Saturation of ‘soakingness’ hitting its peak after viewing a veritable array of dinosaurs, dioramas and ancient deities, just a small smattering of the over 30 million artefacts in the classical museum.

When Billie Holiday asks, “Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?” Jay Z explains to her clearly with a cultural relevance and rawness:
“In New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made of
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York” Empire State of Mind

Or more poetically from Padrig O Tuama, (not specifically in reference to NYC!),
“Let us look up and out and around.
The world is big and wide and wild and wonderful….”
Take a bite.