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New York has been an incredible experience. It is a massive city, with a grandeur that epitomizes American culture and style, which is not as humble or refined as the longer establishments in Europe. I am fortunate to have a great cousin, who's hospitality was much appreciated. I was able to stay with Ramon for free in the Bronx, which is the northern burrough of New York. It is a solid 30m into the city, Manhattan, which is the city burrough, and contains two portions of city, uptown and downtown. On top of that, there are endless neighborhoods, such as harlem in the north, and the more ritzy areas, like Soho, Tribeca and so on in the south. Most everything to see was in Manhattan. I didn't bother to go all the way out to Queens, which is the easternmost burrough; not much to see out there, other than neighborhoods. Also, nothing much to see in the Bronx… it is not the best of neighborhoods, and according to Ramon, it has a very high violence rate. I did spend a little bit of time in Brooklyn, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, and walking through some of the downtown area while on my way to Coney Island. There were many highlights, and many sights to see. Of course, one cannot fully experience the incredible city of New York in a mere 6 days. I saw a lot, and saw everything I wanted to see, as far as touristy stuff, but there was even more to see that I didn't have either the time or the desire to see.
The highlight of the trip was definitely the Empire State Building. It is the tallest building in New York, and offered unparalleled 360 degree views of the city. It was then that the grandeur of New York hit me. Skyscrapers which literally scrape the sky, and challenge the gods for supremecy on Earth. Not just one, or two, but an entire Island of these incredible structures, stretching for as far as the eye could see. Manhattan was such an incredible place, and surprisingly clean as well. Public transportation was good, and it was a welcome change to see efficient public transportation that made sense, as opposed to most of what I saw in Europe.
Time Square was an amazing visit as well. It stood as tall and as brazen as I had ever imagined it, and is a Mecca of capitalistic advertisements. It was an experience, but did not offer much more than that.
I don't know if it was New York, or just my love of being back in the States, but I really enjoyed my time here. Everybody spoke English, and I could actually find a supermarket without having to walk half of a mile! Actually, I could find 3-4 supermarkets in that half-mile area. I could actually read the ingredients of these products, and pay in American dollars, and determine readily if something was a good deal or not. Of course, in Manhattan, there are rarely good deals; NYC is an incredible place, but it unfortunately is not a place I would ever want to live for the reason of the expense. The real estate is WAY too expensive! This hits you both as you pay for rent, upwards of $3-4,000 for a two bedroom, but also as a shopper for goods and services; shops have to pay this same ridiculous price for their lease agreements, which means that this gets passed on to their consumers. I was shocked to see a burrito bowl at Chipotle cost $10!!! What! I thought a national franchise like Chipotle would streamline their prices, but not so. In CA, I could get that same burrito bowl for $6.50 - 7. Amazing. Not to mention, in the winter, it would get pretty friggin cold. Right now, in September, it is the perfect time, as summer patiently turns into fall. However, I am sure that come October and November, things get a bit more frigid. To pay all that money to live in such a cold, and in summer, humid place… it baffles me. However, the city is an amazing site to behold, and it was a premium experience.
At 26, as an American Citizen, I have finally seen NYC, which many boast as being the greatest city in America, and also the greatest city in the world.
Other honorable mentions of great sites were the Bethesda fountain in Central Park, and the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty. It was surreal to see what so many immigrants saw, staring at them as they came in boatloads, promising them freedom and a better life as they came with a couple of dollars in their pockets, and dreams of making a better life for themselves. It was a great experience. After traveling the western world, I can say that I finally understand what my parents mean when they constantly remind me how lucky I am to be born in this country. My visits abroad, as well as watching some of the speeches and remarks of the national conventions of the republican and democratic parties, has reinstated a large sense of pride in my heart for being an American. We have a resiliency, and a set of values that has made this nation the premier nation in the world. Most dream of visiting this amazing place, and others achieve actually living here. While it is far from perfect, and while we are trailing other countries in many ways, we are still the leaders in freedom, pride, and bravery. Maybe that is just rhetoric speaking, but I am proud to be an American, as we are either respected or feared by the rest of the world for our principles, and our economic and military might.
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