Big on insomnia, bigger than apples and so good they named it twice, New York was quite simply ... amazing. The madhouse that is JFK actually proved to be no problems at all - a mad scramble for the shuttle bus was followed up with a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline, silhouetted against an dusky orange, drizzle-filled sky. Good start, no? Things got better when, after a minor communications mix up (who would have thought Grand Central Station was actually that large?), I managed to track down the illustrious Dan - my gracious host and unofficial guide to all things New York-ish for the next week. A quick hop-skip on the subway and we were over in Brooklyn at "The Swanktuary", Mr Rhatigan's fantastic subterranean lair, shared with sparkling Texan Glenn and his faithful companion Bear (a nicer pooch you really could never hope to meet).
The next seven days were jam-packed with so many wonderful New York experiences, it's hard to know exactly where to begin. There was the trip to the top of the Empire State Building, through it's fantastic marbled art-deco interior and right the way up to the dizzying heights of the 86th floor. The view from the top is of course, simply stunning - the scrum of buildings downtown, bereft of their twin sisters ... Central Park ... New Jersey ... the boroughs across the river ... nothing short of amazing. The hustle and bustle of neon-filled Times Square was manic, just as you'd expect it to be, with the flagship Toys R' Us store taking kiddie consumerism hitherto unknown plateaus. A trip to the retro-styled amusement district of Coney Island was made even more special with the Coney Island Mermaid Parade being held that afternoon - a roasting hot day filled with sunshine, hotdogs, lemonade and scaly wonders of every conceivable shape and form. Catching a couple of solo comedy pieces at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre was also a lot of fun, followed by the famed doughy nightcapping delights of Krispy Kreme.
And what visit to New York is complete without the requisite minor celebrity encounter? Hanging with Dan and Dan'l and John Cameron Mitchell (aka Miss Hedwig), watching old Bowie clips at the Museum of Television and Radio was, admittedly though, an unexpected treat. Mixing it up with the muscled and maryed at the Fulsom Street Fair was ... well, say no more (I still can't believe that it's held in an area called the Meatpacking District (fnar, fnar)), and imbibing with Dan and friends from west to east across Greenwich Village became an interesting exercise in contrasting food, beverage and patron styles. But wait, there's more - a jaunt on the ferry across to Staten Island replete with marvellous views of the Statue of Liberty, strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge in the muggy afternoon heat ... it's the city that just won't quit, I tell you!
But what made New York my favourite spot on the whole damn trip were the people - Dan, Glenn, Dan'l, Jennifer, John, Simon, Stephen, the lovely animated Mark, the harnessed BJ and a whole raft of other genuinely friendly and interesting folk gave this little Antipodean the friendliest welcome he'd had in a long long time. And that my friends, was indeed one of life's Good Things.
‹ 28.8.02
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