My New York....before the "experience"

                New York City means so many different things to so many different people. What does it mean to me? Well I have to say I’m a lover of New York and have always been proud to say I’m a New Yorker, yet I’m truly from Long Island, and don’t travel to New York City as much as I should being it is so close. When I think of the city I picture a crisp fall day, traveling on the train getting into Penn. Station and scurrying with the crowds up the stairs to the familiar “city smell” that is one of a kind and always makes me know I’ve made it to New York City. Dressed in your best “city chic” you have to make a stop at one of the millions of Starbucks you’ll pass in your travels to get a hot latte, your “look” wouldn’t be complete without it. Walking alongside the locals, the tourists and the people like me whom I consider the “in-betweens”, you notice everything around you. You have to take it all in quickly though because New York City is not the place to stand in one spot and look around being that you would get trampled on in a heartbeat.

 I can’t say I know much about the architecture only that it’s breathtaking and people don’t appreciate it enough (me being one of them). I have never been to a single museum or art gallery, never saw a Broadway play or have been to the empire state building or the statue of liberty. All of these things I’m aware are right at my fingertips but that’s not what I think of when I think of the city. I am guilty of gravitating towards time square due to the high energy, bright lights, and tons of stores that are available. New York City to me is the typical “city that never sleeps”. My most frequent trips into New York City are simply for the never ending nightlife that it provides. Anything from a local hole in the wall bar to four story dance clubs to even the break dancers in the subways, the city always is intriguing and never has a dull moment.

One of my most beloved things that I think of when I travel to the big city is of course the food! I’m Italian and trips to little Italy are one of my favorites. I absolutely love when streets are basically shut down with tons and tons of food stands every which way you look. New York City has not only every ethnicity serving all kinds of foods, but at all different prices and different environments. Thinking of New York City I can picture a dirty water hot dog on the run or an extravagant, pricey sit down dinner where I’ll end up spending an entire paycheck on an appetizer. That’s the best part of it though, the city is made for everyone and has everything you could ever need all in walking distance…and if you can’t walk there’s always a kart with a biker attached to it willing to give you a ride!