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Published: July 29th 2011
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Shit, where was I! Okay so, lets see, it's been a while so we should probably just try and get started where we were at the last entry. Colorado was cool but New York was better, way better. People have told me for a long time how sweet place and i've always just written it off as touristy bullshit.
I was wrong, way wrong.
Note for first time players #7: The most important thing to remember about New York city, especially Manhattan, is one of the safest cities of its size in the entire country. Sure, you probably shouldn't walk through the South Bronx or Queens at 4am, but it's not nearly as dangerous as it once was; i did it no worries. The Subways, though not the most timely form of transport, are really the only way to get around. Ah, the people you'll see. The system itself is like a damn puzzle but once you've got it down it's a piece of cake.
The city itself is so full of cool shit you can just wander for days, through times square, downtown, fifth avenue and other associated coolnessess...
For the sake of brevity and not
to unduly bore you i will simply list the things that are awesome for you to see on Manhattan Island. Mind you this list is far from exhaustive and i'm definitely gonna be hitting up the surrounding Burroughs later in the year:
- Rockefeller Plaza . The buildings are beautiful, the shops are cool as shit and the plaza itself, surrounded by flags from around the world and bathed in sunshine really is a a site to behold.
- Central Park. Few places in the world are more enjoyable to simply wander around and just relax. The views of the city from within the park are also fairly breathtaking.
- FAO Schwartz. Best toy store in the universe, that's pretty much all there is to say about it.
- The MET and the Guuuuuuuuuug. The art scene here is fantastic and covers all the bases from renaissance eras furniture all the way up to post modern lunacy. Get amongst it.
- Time Square. Want to go tourist spotting? or just plain act the tourist? Times Square is the only part of the city i didn't enjoy. Packed with tourists and containing nothing of real substance it's all
just a little shallow.
- Grand Central Station. If you're taking the subway route and not some touristy, cab taking, bus riding horse shit, you will transfer here at least once. Take a moment to explore, the number of TV and Movie sequences filmed here is ridiculous and you will feel like you've been here before.
- That Statue thing. The Statten Island Ferry is FREE so there really is no reason to wander on down there and go by the statue and experience all the splendor and glory.
- Street Food. If you see it, eat it. The hot dogs here are a freaking way of life and after partaking in 5 or 6 you will most definitely see why.
- Wallstreet is kinda cool as are Battery Park and ground Zero. The problem here is that this is true tourist territory and the hawkers associated riff-raff that come with tourist are also, obviously, plentiful.
Glaring omisions from this list include the Empire State Building and Broadway among others. SHIT, get off my case, i'm gonna go back and get all sorts of amongst that shit in the near future.
While in the big apple i also
got the chance to catch up with Crowie (of the Mark variety) which was a really good change of pace from just hanging out with Americans. Also we went and saw the daily show with John Stewart. Apart from being a genuinely funny episode with Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park creators) as guests the general feeling during the show for me was pretty much indescribably awesome. I mean this shit plus wrestlemania plus a surprise guest appearance which will be discussed in a later entry are pretty much the three greatest moments of my life. Still trying to process the sheer level of awesome.
It is very important also to undertaker that Manhattan is arranged in a very ordered fashion. Streets are in a grid numbered in the up-town and hudson river directions. That is until you head downtown past about 13th street, from there you will get lost. Enjoy it though, downtown and lower Manhattan are where the cool shit is.
I spent only six days in this awesome city and want to get back sooner rather than later. It's got something for everybody and every taste. Next we fly back to Colorado in what can only be described as an epic quest of a day and then our journey takes us south into
New Mexico and a little town in the middle of the Nevada Desert.......
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