The Big Apple
If you are
an Indian, the most common thing you hear about New York is that it is like
Mumbai. This seems to have offended an ex colleague of mine, a New Yorker, who
said “Anyone who thinks Mumbai looks like New York has never been to New York”.
I had heard
this almost twenty years back, sparking a curiosity in me to see the city that
could boast of more energy than Aamchi Mumbai, a city that has been
romanticised in Hindi Cinema.
Inevitably,
the first stop in our US trip was New
York City. We actually cancelled a two day trip to Niagara Falls to ensure we
got to spend time in the city.
As our
flight landed into New York, our hearts were throbbing with anticipation. Yes,
WE WERE IN New York City!!!!
But, we
were in for some disappointment!
While large
in size, the airport lacked the finesse of a Dubai, a Singapore or even our own
Hyderabad. It was not clean too.
Ah!
The cab we
got into was not in ship shape either. It was an air conditioned version of the
black and yellow taxis that ply in Mumbai. The disappointments were mounting.
We had
decided that we would live the New York life and chose to stay in an apartment,
courtesy Airbnb. Our requirement was met by an apartment in Brooklyn.
As our cab
trundled towards its detination, we could see only the seamier side of New York- run
down houses, graffiti splashed walls, seemingly jobless black men hanging
around street corners doing nothing. It was a scene straight out of gangsta
movies.
Then, a pleasant surprise. The beautiful brownstone apartments we had booked as our house. They carried an old world charm and elegance that was soothing.
A cozy, comfortable place that had all
the amenities a family of four needed. Some faith restored.
The first
trip was to the Rockefeller Center, for a view from the top of the Rock. It had
some stunning views of the big apple. Sadly,
we did not much enjoy the place. A tired mind in a fatigued jet lagged body can spoil the best of
situations, I would realise later.
Collectively,
we felt that it was a waste of money.
As we
collapsed on our beds in the evening, we questioned ourselves.
Did we expect too much from New York, we asked ourselves.
We wanted to cut short our trip and fly back to our host’s house. But, it was a cul-de-sac. We had already paid for the apartment in full. Our tickets were non refundable.
Did we expect too much from New York, we asked ourselves.
We wanted to cut short our trip and fly back to our host’s house. But, it was a cul-de-sac. We had already paid for the apartment in full. Our tickets were non refundable.
There was
no choice but to spend the five days in the city.
Sometimes,
a good night’s sleep can do unimaginable
wonders. We woke up the next morning, wifey and I and said to ourselves.
Hell man, we are in NEW YORK City, the heartthrob of the world, and we are complaining!!!
Hell man, we are in NEW YORK City, the heartthrob of the world, and we are complaining!!!
We decided
we were going to make the most of the next four days.
To complement
our fresh thought was our destination of the day, the Statue of Liberty. The
steamer ride from battery park to the Statue was an awesome experience, in
front of you and beckoning you was the Statue of Liberty and behind you, in its
own way majestic, was the receding South Manhattan skyline.
view of manhattan from statue of liberty
The statue itself was grandiose in scale and sublime in beauty. The copper that turned into a greenish patina gave it a different aura altogether. The place was at once serene, symbolic, stunning, the ladies smile beatific, her visage beautiful. We were lost for words. No wonder the sight of this statue gave hope to millions of migrants who thronged the US.
Ellis
Island, neighbouring the Statue of Liberty was the next stop. We thought we
would just kill time there before we entered the place. How wrong were we! The
two hours we spent there were some of the most riveting we spent in New York.
This was the place where the millions of immigrants who thronged the US in the
early part of the 20th century disembarked.
Jews
seeking escape from the anti Semitic hatred, Russians running away from
Stalinist purges, Germans who could not take the load of the collapsing mark,
Italians escaping the Mafiosi, Chinese
seeking a better life, the US welcomed all these with open arms and embraced
them in her warm hug.
As we heard
poignant stories, we could not stop ourselves from admiring the greatness of
the US. The recorded voices said it all. One statement remains etched in my
memory, this was by a husband working in the US to his wife who had come all
the way from Europe – “ welcome to America, a country where you have nothing to
fear”.
Buoyed by
this, we decided to shop. Off we were to the iconic flagship store of Nike on
the 5th avenue, Manhattan. Here, you don't buy a shoe, you buy an
experience.
When I
explained what I was looking for, I was asked to run on a treadmill, my run
recorded and basis physics, a shoe
suggested. I landed on my heel as I ran,
I was informed. The shoe was expensive,
but no regrets. These are the rare cases where the swipe of the card does not hurt. The icing on
the cake? The shoe was about 60% cheaper than in India.
Yes, we
were slowly warming up to New York City. We realised how a small change in our mindset
could change our world view. With a vengeance, we decided to make the most out
of the city.
A friend
had advised that, to experience the US, you have to experience its sports (much
like seeing an IPL match live in India, I would say). Off we went to see a
baseball match between the New York Yankees and Tampa Rays, live in a stadium.
Frankly, we did not understand much. Anyone who says baseball is much like
cricket does not know Cricket I would say.
The stadium
setting was great, the ambiance awesome but excitement lacking. Maybe because
the Yankees were losing. Here, we got a glimpse of the American Arrogance in a
banner that proclaimed that the Yankees were world champions for 27 years!
World champions, must be kidding, right!
panoramic view of the Yankee's stadium
What
Kalakshetra is to Chennai, Prithvi is to Mumbai, Broadway is to New York.
Actually far larger than that. The best artists of the world come here to
showcase their acting prowess to some of the most discerning audiences of the
world.
We
thought, borrowing Big Bs line – Broadway Nahi Dekha to kuch bhi Nahi Dekha. We had to catch the soul of New York, right?
Matilda was
the play that we could get tickets for, all the others were booked, this city loves its theatre, we realised. What a stunning experience it was. We were
completely blown away by the performances of the kids, the stage set up, the
ambiance, in short everything.
It was
complete paisa vasool.
We were
running out of time and we realised that there was so much more to do, to see,
to experience.
The hop on
hop off bus showed us glimpses of the
city we would have missed. The Bryant Park, Times Square pulsating with energy,
Nasdaq, the Bull, Waldorf Astoria (possibly the most premium
hotel in the world), head quarters of
the leading corporates of the world, United Nations ( it was an awesome
experience seeing from close the Security Council and the General Assembly), Empire State Building (a building of 86 floors
constructed in two years between 1929 and 1931, almost a 100 years later, we in
India do not have a building as tall), the
flagship Apple Store on the 5th avenue, one could not but marvel at
the greatness of the city. In one downtown drive, we had seen more iconic places than what we could find in many Indian cities put together. When the bus guide said this was the greatest city
on the planet, it was difficult to disagree.
the empire state building
times square at night
the UN General Assembly
To anyone who was of a certain age and above in 2001, the 9/11 attack on the US soil was unforgettably tragic, an attack on the soul of the world. It left an indelible scar in our minds. The 9/11 memorial was one of the most disturbing places we went to. As we saw from close how the lives of people got traumatised due to one demonic act, our emotions over ran us.
The heart wrenching
stories of the losses of the near and dear ones, the heroic tales of the fire
fighters, how the plot was executed, how the timely action of passengers saved
an attack on the White House, there were
too many tales in one memorial. It was difficult just being there and witnessing
the flash back of the holocaust.
remains of a metal pillar destroyed during 9/11
With time
running out, we decided that we will do aka Shah Rukh Khan in Kal Ho Na Ho. We
walked the length of the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. This brief
walk possibly provides the best view of the landscape of the city. The majestic
sweep offers views of the skyscrapers that make up the Manhattan skyline, the
suburbs of Brooklyn and beyond and the view of the ethereal Statue of Liberty.
The walk
was the last leg of our trip.
This trip sounded
a death knell to our racist mind. We were never mugged, we always felt safe. The most friendly people
we met were the blacks, be it the bus driver, the cop or a passerby. They
helped us with a smile.
Our
apartment owner, another black made us feel at home. She made sure that we were
happy in our short stay there.
As we said
our good byes, she shared with us something wonderful. The house we were staying
in, the original brown stone apartments were 115 years OLD!!! Wow, we had never
experienced this before.
the 115 year old apartment where we stayed
Tired,
exhausted(on average we walked 12 kilometres a day) but with a feeling of immense satisfaction and having
fallen in love with the city, we bade goodbye to the city.
