New York .. New York

What can I say, it is the most overwhelming experience I have ev

er had! It is difficult to describe the way the city hits you. New York City is probably one of few American cities that receive so much media coverage and yet nothing in the world can prepare you for it. What with 200 feet tall video advertisements and tastefully done 50 by 50 feet murals and The ABC News Ticker and Ernst And Young building looking down on you and the Paramount Broadway Theater lit up in all its glory and the New York Police Officer traveling on horseback as he surveys his domain and the bright yellow New York taxis with apna desi cabbies racing past and honking at you and the people – My God – its no joke – so many people – Blacks , Whites, Hispanics, the rich, the sophisticated , the poor , the bums, the weirdos, the street side saxophonist playing his lonely tunes as he begs for money , the colors , the noise , the glare, the intensity – it makes you feel like the most insignificant thing in the world. It’s as if the City can bend down and swallow you whole. There was one point when I was standing at Times Square, I could have cried.

And that’s not the end of it. There is so much to see and do in New York, what with art and culture coming at you from every angle. There are the old Broadway theaters playing the classic greats like “Fiddler on the Roof “, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and many more......And then there are the Jazz and Blues Cafes and Music houses. There are the street vendors with their Hot dogs and “Sheek Kabobs” and for the sophistically inclined there are a plethora of restaurants to chose from. The mood is fast - very fast – pretty much like Bombay. The subway is old and dirty – much of New York is actually quite dirty with the exceptions of the Upper West and Upper East sides of New York. These are big residential areas in uptown New York – A typical flat in one of these areas wo

uld sell for 10 million dollars – that’s right – 10 million!!

And then there is Central Park – a haven in the middle of complete chaos. I wouldn’t say the park was quiet – there is so much happening in New York at any one moment its difficult to imagine the city as still or peaceful. Even at the South West Entrance of the park (which by the way is huge) there were street dancers performing. There is a section called Strawberry Fields dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. You have various people who would just come there and start playing those old Beatles favorites that we all love and people would just join in and sing. Central Park is huge - with lakes and ponds and a zillion baseball fields. You can skate, cycle, take a horse carriage ride, dance, sing or do just about anything you please. It’s New York – anything goes.

And if it’s a panoramic view that you’re looking for,then your trip is not complete without visiting th

e 86th floor observatory of the Empire State Building. What a view – towering tall above New York City – you can see all those places we hear about so often - the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station, the New York Life Insurance Building ,the Financial district, Chelsea, Queens , the Bronx, the Brooklyn Bridge and so many more. Imagine this – New York at 9:30 at night – brightly lit with a hundred different colors, Now imagine yourself on the 86th Floor of the Empire state Building. Some view, huh!

Anyway I could go on and on about New York – but believe me if there is anyplace in America you ever get a chance to see – let it be this one. It’s simply unbelievable!