Another Bite of the Big Apple

“I love New York,” says the items on sale at the souvenir shops.  And it’s true. A lot of people love New York, including my husband. And some people I know who have never been there list it as one of the top cities they’d like to visit in the United States.

I have been to New York City a couple of times before this visit and though I like the city, I cannot honestly say that I love it. “How can you not,” asked my husband once. He knows that I am at home with big, bustling cities and nothing can be as busy as New York City. 

Of course, it has all the elements that appeal to me – deep-seated history, multi-culturalism, dozens of museums and art galleries,  a huge park in the centre of it all that balances its cosmopolitan feel,  a variety of food options,  Broadway shows, interesting attractions that offer equally interesting activities and experiences, exciting events and happenings, business headquarters, and major media centres. But somehow, it just doesn’t feel right for me.

On my very first visit there as a university student on a theatre tour with school mates, I was naturally drawn to the city’s iconic tourist attractions – the Statue of Liberty, Staten and Ellis Islands, the Empire State Building, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Broadway Theatre, Coney Island. These are the things that bring New York alive in my mind, at least, based on the American movies that I’ve seen with scenes set in New York.

But after the initial awe, I felt there was something missing. I did not have the enthusiasm nor the desire to live here or even just to stay long-term for extended touring or working. In fact, on the drive along the streets of Harlem, Bronx, and Queens, as well as the subway ride, I felt a pang of sadness, and I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming from.  I remember telling my friend that time, that the atmosphere was a little bleak and dismal and that it made me feel gloomy.  She joked that maybe I had a past life in New York and that I lived a poor and derelict existence back then. I just laughed at her dramatic imagination.

My second trip there was with my husband. New York was the last stop of our Atlantic Canada/New England cruise. That visit was not so remarkable. All I remember was the traffic, the smog, and the somber atmosphere I felt when we visited Ground Zero. That time, the 9/11 Memorial was still under construction.

And it’s funny because the best part of that trip was the plane ride from JFK airport back to Vancouver. We flew in style (like first class passengers) even though we only had economy tickets (details in a story posted earlier).

It took a few years before we’ve thought of going back to New York, even when we were already living in the East Coast. Somehow, we just never felt the need…until last year, when my husband heard that his idol, Bruce Springsteen was holding a Broadway-style show, “Springsteen on Broadway” at the Walter Kerr Theatre for a limited period.

He tried to get tickets, but ticket sales were done via a lottery system and though we got picked, there was a window of time provided for the actual online purchase. It was on a first-come, first-served basis, and as soon as the website opened, the moderately-priced seats were gone in the first 10 minutes. It was crazy!

Luckily, the show was so successful that it got extended and when ticket sales were made available again, my husband was able to get some. The only snag was there was a limit of two tickets per customer. I told him that since I had been to two Springsteen concerts with him and he really wanted our son to see The Boss’ performance, he could make this a Dad-and-son date for them. I was sure I could find something to do in New York City while they watch the concert.

We also thought this would be perfect for our seven-year-old boy because the show is different from his usual band concerts. This one was a more intimate performance with only him and his piano and guitar, and a few numbers with his wife Patti in a smaller venue, a more subdued audience, and less noise. But we did not tell our son yet. My husband wanted it to be a surprise.