Empire State Of Mind

Surprise!  Apparently I'm blogging again!

In case you weren't aware, I wrote a blog about my study abroad experience in Europe last year.  I kind of miss blogging.  I've started up some new blogs a few times over the last few months but haven't been happy with the content and never published them.  I decided I'm just going to go for it and see what happens.  I thought I'd start the first post out with a bang.

So I'm in New York.

It's CSU's spring break this week and I'm spending the first part of it in The Big Apple.  It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to buy a plane ticket to New York but it's a place I hadn't been and the opportunity presented itself.  I flew from Denver to New York with a layover in Chicago on Monday and met up with my good friend Vlad who was fulfilling his lifelong dream of seeing Lebron James play with the Heat in Miami a few days prior (more about him later).

Following a series of unfortunate events with Vlad's flight from Miami to New York, we were finally able to meet up and take a bus/subway to our hotel.  Our original lodging had fallen through only a few days before we were supposed to get here which stressed me out like none other but we managed to find a place to stay.  We were literally around the corner from Times Square which let us be the ultimate New York tourists.  After checking in, we walked around the overwhelmingly bright and crowded Times Square

Consumerism at its Best

On Tuesday morning, we caught a train headed down to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan.  From there, we walked up to Wall Street and Ground Zero.  The 9/11 memorial consisted of two amazingly crafted fountains dug deep into the ground where the towers used to stand.  Forming the barrier up top were etched names of those who were killed in the attacks.  Although I remember the event happening quite well, I didn't realize how big of a deal it was at the time.  I tried to imagine what it would have been like to have been in the city that day but could not wrap my head around it.

NYSE on Wall Street

Ground Zero Memorial

We then headed back to Battery Park to catch a ferry to Liberty and Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty.  Lady Liberty was impressive in person!  Our ferry tickets also let us go up on the pedestal but the line to get in was taking too long and we decided it wasn't worth waiting.  Ellis Island wasn't terribly exciting but it was neat to see the rooms where immigrants registered when they got off their ship.

Welcome to America

After getting back to Manhattan, our legs needed a break.  We had planned to head back to the hotel to catch a quick rest but were partially zoned out on the subway and missed our stop.  When we realized this and got off at the next stop, we discovered we were at the edge of Central Park.  Knowing that Trump Tower was close by, we walked to 5th Ave and saw all the stores that I could never afford.  After more wandering, we found Rockefeller Plaza and saw the ice rink, NBC studios, and Radio City Musical Hall.

Ice Rink

Radio City Music Hall

At this point, we headed over to the Eugene O'Neill theater to try our luck at the Book of Mormon ticket lottery.  Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), we weren't chosen.  At this point, we really needed a break so we grabbed some food and headed to the hotel for a nap.  Feeling recuperated, we set out to Times Square again to do some overpriced shopping.  Vlad had never been to Applebees before so we stopped into the one right off of Times Square which we realized was a mistake a minute after looking at the menu.  Prices were about $5-$10 more expensive than the normal mediocre Applebees food so we left.

After the failed lottery ticket attempt the day before, the two of us decided to go for rush tickets Wednesday morning to ensure we would see a show.  My sister, Megan, told me about rush tickets.  I had no idea what they were prior, but basically you line up at the theater hours before the box office opens hoping that you're one of the first 20ish people to get a greatly reduced ticket.  The seats are not ideal (think front row or partially obstructed view) but paying $30 instead of $300 is worth it.  We decided on Avenue Q.  The show's website was not very informative about the rush tickets and we showed up way earlier than we needed to but got the cheap tickets!

We then walked back to the hotel where Vlad took a power nap and we checked out of the hotel.  Our next stop was Central Park.  We walked around the park a bit and saw the ice skating rink as well as some scenic shots frequently used in movies.  It was freezing but the park was a nice break from the rushed city atmosphere. 

Central Park

At this point, we headed back into the city and met up with my uncle Mike.  He took us to a food cart where we got curry wurst which was delicious!  We walked around for a short bit and parted ways but it was great to briefly see him!

Up next was the Brooklyn Bridge.  Vlad and I caught two trains to the Brooklyn side of the bridge and walked across to Manhattan.  The architecture was amazing and you could see the green lady in the distance to the left and the Manhattan Bridge to the right.

Brooklyn Bridge

When we got back to Midtown, we got off at Grand Central Station and walked to the Empire State Building followed by some more shopping followed by Avenue Q.  Our tickets were for the front row which wasn't ideal for the singing but the show was a great time!

Grand Central Station

Almost every trip I took in Europe, there was either a snow storm or a rain storm.  Apparently that theme decided to stay with me in the US because when we got out of Avenue Q, it was pouring!  At this point we had nothing else to do so we got our luggage from the hotel storage room and trudged through the torrential downpour to catch the subway to the airport.
 
So here we sit, currently in the JFK airport, waiting for our 7AM flight to our next location.  Even though the only people who may read this probably know where that is, I'll keep it a secret until next week's post.

Granted we were really only in New York for two full days, the city surprised me, mostly in a positive way.  Everything was much cleaner and felt much safer than I was expecting.  The pace of life is definitely faster than what I'm used to/like.  The amount to do in this massive city is endless.  We hit up almost all of the major tourist sites but it would be fun to explore areas away from Manhattan.  Could I see myself living here?  Absolutely not.  Would I come back? Absolutely.

One more thing.  Vlad has been making YouTube videos about his time on exchange here in the US and they're pretty funny.  Here is his spring break compilation video. 

That's all for now.  Bye.