cialis serif;”>Entering JFK airport can be extremely overwhelming and stressful, cialis especially if you were born in the back arse of nowhere. It felt like a new beginning, cialis a new reality. I had dreamt of bourbon-washed pavements, latte-sipping cultural connoisseurs who spoke of ambitions and premonitions over background sounds of George Gershwin, and slow paced improvisational jazz. Maybe I had been watching too many Woody Allen films, but at times, that’s exactly what I got.
Depending on where you happen to be standing/walking/loitering, New York is either the most overwhelming and chaotic city on the planet, or the warmest, most romantic mixture of separate contemporary cultural and social focal areas, all smashed into one large metropolis. Located on one of the world’s largest natural harbours, New York City consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Each of the five boroughs gives you something different, but each still contains that same romantic vibe and resilient character.
With an estimated population of over 8 million people distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles, New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. With as many as 800 languages, it’s the most linguistically diverse city in the world. Thankfully, the city’s subway system is sophisticated, vast, easy to figure out and not subject to New York City traffic, which can sometimes come to a complete stand still.
For all the bright lights and street corner fights, one can always find a charmingly quiet neighbourhood where the world doesn’t feel like it will swallow you whole. Greenwhich village and Astor place can offer you a relaxing cultural challenge and an insight into New York life. There is something for everyone. Art appreciation or boutique procreation, New York has it all. Times Square offers the glitz and glam that only a superstar could revel in, but in essence it’s the devil’s waiting room with thousands of promotion sales assistants offering you over-priced tickets to the latest comedy show or beat poetry spectacle. Spend as little time as possible here.
The systematic fanatics are at it again and you can see it all on Wall Street, where business boys turn into business men. The Narrow Streets are where the suits all congregate, but with only a Starbucks and Ground Zero to feast your eyes on, the place can make you feel isolated and unwelcome. It is evident that money takes precedence here, making it nothing more than a concrete maze of business cards and coffee cups.
New York has always resonated with history. The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Times Square, Broadway, Lincoln Center, Central Park — all the popular places that visitors should visit. In addition to the exciting concrete skyline, top-level museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and many more, make New York City their home base.
Manhattan doesn’t need much of an introduction, and is easily the focal point of the city. After a month in New York, I was quite impressed with the amount of greenery in the city. Trees line the streets, alongside lamp-posts that light up the walkways when the sun settles over the skyscrapers. Central Park is a fantastic way to step out of the buzzing horns and the everyday hustle of people, who all seem to have to be somewhere unreachable within a couple of minutes.
I found the city to be wonderfully romantic and neurotic, with every street corner giving you something different. Whether you enjoy the glamour of Broadway or gazing at the Manhattan skyline from a Brooklyn park bench, all I can say is that my Irish eyes were smiling.
