A City Like No Other
- Emily Rosca
- Jul 31, 2018
- 3 min read
New York is known to be the city that never sleeps. On a lazy July morning, I experienced New York City in a way few have: as a city that slept.
Perhaps it was a result of it being Fourth of July morning or because I awoke with the sun and half asleep meandered the streets at six in the morning.
I was alone with songs swirling through my head and my camera in my bag. Eager runners sped sporadically past me across the Brooklyn Bridge and a lonely car waited for the signal to cut across the pavement void of vehicular activity. The Oculus, usually brimming with people running through its walls from one subway stop to the next, remained empty. Its balconies on either end, overlooking the hustle and bustle, sat void of human activity and camera shutters.
This trip was a long time coming. New York City called out my name, and when the chance to visit presented itself, I was already envisioning myself galivanting through the city’s populated streets.
My New York City itinerary remained empty until the last possible moment, partly because I wanted to revel in each day and not think about the future, but mainly because I couldn’t narrow down my “NYC Bucket List” to a few items.
If you had 15 hours in a city that is otherworldly, your options for dining and entertainment endless, what would you do? Would you cram in as many restaurants and cafes in a short period of time or would you walk through as much of the city as possible?
Being someone who loves heights, seeing an aerial view of a city always sits at the top of any vacation to-do list. With a city like New York City, finding an observation deck wasn’t a challenge — the Big Apple does boast of one of the most iconic skylines. I settled on Top of the Rock, primarily because of the spectacular view of the Empire State Building from Rockefeller’s 70th floor.
On first appraisal, New York City felt much like Chicago but on steroids. Driving into Manhattan from JFK Airport reminded me of driving east on the Chicago’s Kennedy Expressway — the roads curve in a similar manner, giving way to glamorous skylines. The skyscrapers glistened, and on the surface, the two cities may have seemed similar, but there truly is no city like New York City. Every street showcased colorful, homey buildings and industrial fire-escapes, and there was no shortage of jaw-droppingly beautiful café corners.
New York City is often synonymous with the phrase “the streets smell.” I heard a version of that phrase almost every time I uttered my strong desire to visit Manhattan. The optimist in me hoped people were exaggerating, but the realist in me knew they were right. Trash bags sitting in heaps at the edges of sidewalks were at fault for the foul odor filling the air. But trash-infused air or not, New York still captured my heart and camera lens.
Choosing to see the city instead of restaurant-hopping — a difficult decision that saved my bank account — I walked 18,000 steps in 6 hours. My feet screamed in pain (I learned the hard way that Vans aren’t the best for long-distance walks), but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
The thought of New York continues to float in the back of my mind — the people I’d meet, the cafes I’d drink coffee at, the design restaurants I’d snap photos of, the amazing New York-style cuisine I’d experience.
Visiting New York was the second item on my extensive bucket list, closely in the shadow of Paris. Checking items of lists is such an exhilarating feeling, and in many ways, it fuels my desire to explore and satisfies my craving for adventure.
New York, you were a dream. Until next time.
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