New York: Expectations

I'd like to find some kind of pattern for my writing about each place we visit but we'll see how that all pans out once we are on the road.  For each location I hope to start with a post about expectations.  The word 'expectations' sounds too lofty though, it leaves room for disappointment.  Really what  I would like to share with you the the things I'm excited about in each place, what I've dreamed of seeing, what I anticipate happening or feeling, or possibly just some fascinating things I discovered in my research.

New York - Hopes, Dreams, and Desires
Having been given ample opportunity to travel and explore over the past four years, the one place that many Europeans seem to ask us about is New York.  "How could we not have seen it?" they ask.  Well, the US is quite large and we are from the other coast.  It has actually been on my travel list for about 10 years.  After a coule of failed Christmas in NY attempts due to lack of interest by my other half, I have finally found a way to fit it in.

NYC is an American icon.  The biggest problem here is figuring out how much we can see in a week without over doing it.  Of course there are the classics to start with - Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, the Guggenheim, Broadway, and more. Then there is the food, the nightlife, the clubs, the cocktails, the shows, the history, the architecture...

The thing I am most looking forward to is having a map of the city in my head. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing a place you've traveled to in a photo or film and knowing that there is a tiny little restaurant around the corner that serves an amazing dish or that you should cut over two blocks for a more scenic stroll between there and the hotel you stayed at.

With such an overwhelmingly huge list of sites and desires for NY, I have actually had a hard time deciding what to do.  I expect that we may see a show or two (both on and off broadway if possible), maybe take a stroll down the Coney Island Boardwalk, and take a harbor tour to see Manhattan from the water.

The Statue of Liberty is a must see.  I'm not sure that I need to climb to the top but I would like to stand at the base, or at least see it from the water.  I have interest in seeing many of the more famous skyscrapers from the outside, and maybe the view from the top when practical.  I'm sure once I see my first view from the top of one tall building in NY, I will likely not need to repeat the experience with a slightly different perspective from the building next door.  I will, however, have to conquer the Empire State Building, and perhaps the Chrysler Building.

I would love to check out the nightlife over the weekend - this is always fun in a town that doesn't sleep.  I have interest in dining at one of the famous restaurants that are notoriously difficult to get reservations at but can't be bothered to put in the time, nor pack the fancy clothes for such an occasion.  Instead we will likely try out the tiny corner delis, have a real greasy slice of New York pizza, perhaps a hotdog on the boardwalk or from a street vendor, and check out a brewery or two.

I'm mostly over the idea of visiting museums but it seems a shame to pass up at least a quick walk through the Met, MOMA, and the Guggenheim.  When I was younger I dreamed of performing, or at least catching a show, at Carnegie Hall.  Since I spent so many years working in the book industry I would also like to see the McGraw Hill building though I'm not sure there is much to do there other than say I stood at one of the largest American publishing houses.  The NY Library is also on this bibliophile's list.  Because of all those silly police dramas I've watched, I'd also like to visit 1 Police Plaza so every time I hear a TV cop say "1PP" I'll have an image pop in to my head of the view from the street.

I want to stand in Times Square, to take in all the chaos and lights and people and life.  I am contemplating a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge, or at least a meal at a tiny cafe at the base of the bridge with a view.  I want to sit on a bench in Central Park, or perhaps lounge in the grass with a book while people go about their normal busy lives around me.  FAO Schwarz is a dream destination ever since seeing 'Big' as a kid.  Even big kids can enjoy a bit of shopping at the worlds most famous toy store.  I will try to resist the giant floor piano though.

Who knows what the city will bring.  I know that there is way too much to accomplish in our short time there but I'm looking forward to seeing as much as I can without completely exhausting my travel companions.
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What's playing on and off Broadway right now?
http://www.broadway.com/

Chopsticks performed on the giant floor piano at FAO Schwarz (from the movie "Big"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETT3UHEEc1A

A booklover's dream and my first choice for hotel before I saw the prices:
http://www.libraryhotel.com/experience.html