New York – The city that never sleeps

I saw the line “The Citi never sleeps” decades ago in Mumbai on a Citibank hoarding. That Citi not only went to sleep, but almost died before being resurrected by their God, the American Federal Government. The line however seemed to fit in well to New York, where I have a feeling, the line may have originated from to begin with.

I love New York. I guess because it reminds me of my city Mumbai, and so feel very much at home. I could spend days just aimlessly walking around and taking in the breathtaking sights of tall skyscrapers, each a work of art. I’ve never been able to figure how they build monstrous skyscrapers of a 100 floors almost touching each other on all 4 sides. I’m told that New Yorkers recognize tourists by those who have their heads pointed upwards as they walk. And that’s absolutely true. I for one find it extremely difficult not to look up and take in all those huge man-made objects d’art, New Yorkers take for granted in Manhattan.

The way the Avenues and Streets are marked make it a relatively simple city to explore. Especially for Men. Who do not like to ask for directions. And spend most of their time searching for places, rather than admiring or appreciating them. New York has been designed for us. We know within 1 block, whether it’s a street or avenue that we are going in the wrong direction and so trace our way in the opposite direction.

The Metro is yet another New York wonder. For $ 2.50, you can enter any metro station and travel to any part of the city. A cost-effective and time-effective mode of travel. A place that breaks down all barriers of status and a system used by millions of New Yorkers and hundreds of thousands of tourists, daily. The metro lines and maps make it reasonably simple to find the right train, right station and reach your destination quickly and comfortably. On most occasions. The early mornings from 7 am to 10 am and evenings 4 – 7 are crowded. But for us Mumbaikars, even the peak traffic is less than our off-peak traffic. And its but natural that in the city that never sleeps, the city’s transportation is round the clock. Every hour. Every day.

Every city is known by its eateries. And New York is no exception. It’s probably the only city in the world that offers cuisine from every single country on Planet Earth. As if that’s not enough it even offers adapted foreign cuisines. An example, “Indian Chinese”, a cuisine popular in Indian metro cities. It offers authentic cuisine for the discerning and adapted cuisine for the rest of us. And you’ll be able to find food across every conceivable price range. Restaurants that offer a complete meal with a drink for 1 dollar, to  places where a meal for 2 costs more than most of us make in a year. And yet, it’s not simple to get a table at most of the nicer restaurants. Just like for most other things in New York, you need to wait. In a line. And like most other things in New York, these lines are well managed and your turn does come. And on most occasions, the wait is well worth it.

And finally the city that never sleeps has 1 focal point. A point that is well lit 24 hours, 365 days. Filled with people. And people all over watching these people on live video.
http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/

Arguably, the world’s most visited spot. Times Square. Where now, even the naked cowboy has competition. From none other than the naked cowgirl. Who I’ve not yet had the privilege of seeing. Because my brother and friends in New York, think that they are New Yorkers and New Yorkers don’t do touristy stuff. But I’m a tourist and when I’m back I’m going to Times Square. With or without them.