Living Life...Boomer Style

NYC consists of five boroughs: Queens, Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. Each having its own unique flavor, yet blending together to create one of the most incredible cities America has to offer. 

From the Statue of Liberty to the home of the ‘Big O’ on Harry Met Sally, NYC has something for everyone’s pleasure.

Pickwick Arms, a hotel in the heart of Manhattan, is reasonably priced with pod rooms for two and a sleek European décor. From the rooftop one can see spectacular glass and chrome buildings, coexisting alongside homes with charming rooftop gardens and patios. Nature is important in this city of 7.5 million people.

“What most people don’t realize is that growing up here you spend most of your time outside enjoying walking, biking, and the splendor of the parks,” said NYC photographer, Liz Glasgow.

Speaking of outside and parks, any day of the week you can attend at least one free concert.   For instance, Prince played in Bryant Park one week day morning and completely filled the huge park.  Many got up early to see him before going to their day jobs. Look at the top ten list of music and chances are at least two or three of them are giving a live performance at one of the parks.

Filming around the city is also big.  One day while we photographed our way through Central Park, there were three major movies being filmed: “Spider Man 3,” “The Brave One” with Jodie Foster, and “The Nanny Diaries” with Scarlett Johannsson (a fairly usual day at the park). Plus, several commercial photo shoots were being conducted for major department stores.

Walking amongst the 843 acres at Central Park can make you

thirsty.  The perfect place to sit back, relax and quench your thirst is Tavern on the Green. Built in 1870, this Victorian Gothic study in architecture was the home for sheep and their shepherd.  In 1934 the mayor decided it should become an eatery.  It now has gleaming crystal chandeliers, leading you outside to the Garden Bar, where you can enjoy specialty drinks, an exquisite menu to suit your palate, and people to watch. You never know who may be sitting next to you.

Culture is part of what makes NYC sophisticated. In Manhattan alone there are over 110 theaters. Only the best shows survive here. Manhattan boasts a minimum of 87 museums, including the Metropolitan’s Cloisters Museum, the Guggenheim, Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Arts, as well as the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Manhattan is an island with 20 bridges allowing the outer world to enter its eminent domain. Each bridge is different, most being built in the late 1800s to early 1900s. The Circle Line Tours are a great way to see these bridges.

You can also take a sunset cruise for a romantic evening, charter a large sailboat, the Schooner Adirondack, charter a yacht for six to 100 people, or take the Staten Island Ferry. There are so many ways to see the island from the water, including water taxis. You can even get to a Mets game, or Giants game with a water taxi and miss all of

On the Circle Line Sightseeing Tour, you will get to observe the many different aspects of Manhattan with a narrated, three hour ride. Your guide will point out Nicole Kidman’s and Cher’s apartments, as well as homes of the old greats like Frank Sinatra, Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn. It is on this tour that you may be surprised by all the water activities available.  Sailboats are plentiful. Kayakers and boaters enjoy the waterway, too. Plus, sunbathers abound in the parks and benches that flank the waterside.

SoHo (south of Houston Street) is home to many artists, as well as a Mecca for the latest fashion trends in clothing and home furnishings. SoHo borders Little Italy, a happy little district with some of the best Italian restaurants in the city. La Mela on historic Mulberry Street in Little Italy is a fun place to enjoy a meal. The delicious food is served family style or à la carte. Live entertainment, such as wandering musicians and a comedian make this a pleasurable experience.

A trip to NYC is not complete without visiting Ground Zero. It is a surreal experience. Remnants of smoke stains and broken glass still remain, with some buildings still being repaired. This is hallowed ground.

But, more importantly, since the days of 9/11, the words rude and New Yorker no longer exist in the same sentence.

A local diver said it best, “After 9/11 New Yorkers pulled together. We became thoughtful of one another. To this day, for the most part, we have stayed a hospitable city. It forever changed us.”

NYC is an incredible city. One where we mere mortals can play and immerse ourselves in a culture that somehow makes you feel like a better person for visiting.

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New York, NY Updated Monday, November 23, 2009 6:51 AM Cloudy 45°F High: 52°F Low: 50°F Wind: 10 mph Humidity: 70% Tuesday 56° / 43° Wednesday 57° / 44° Thursday 57° / 55° Friday 61° / 38° MSN Weather Data provided by WDT

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