Not that any of you care, but...

[Cerpicio]

I just got back from a nice vacation in New York. My girlfriend and I flew in Friday night and left Tuesday morning. We stayed with some friends in Queens.

I had been to NY once before, about 10-15 years ago, but don't remember much of it. This time around, I saw a lot and took tons of pictures (~500 on my digital camera). Got to see the Empire State Building, Chrystler Building, Carnegie Hall, Trump Tower, the theater where Late Night is taped, the NBC building, Rockefeller Square (Center?), and of course "ground zero" which was very thought provoking. I rode the subway, the train, and the Staten Island Ferry (and saw the Statue of Liberty). Oh, and a little bit of Central Park, too. Ate in Little Italy, walked through China Town, and shopped at South Street Seaport.

It was a lot of fun (and a *lot* of walking!), but I don't think I could live there. Everything is packed so close together. I'm from Indiana, and I'm used to homes having a nice yard. In New York, if it isn't a designated park, it's got a building on it. Though there were more trees in Queens than I expected.

Any New Yawk-ers here?


-- C.

[Verdandi]

I'm not a New Yorker but I also took a trip there (to visit an EQ friend actually) and loved every second of it. My trip was shortly before 9/11, and I did go in the World Trade Center although I hadn't planned on it. The Statue of Liberty tour line was hours long so we said forget it and looked around to see what else there was...and, well, the WTC was hard to miss. The view from the top, of that vast, sprawling city all shrunk down to miniature, was something I'll never forget.

I expected to hate the city really, but ended up loving it. I've decided that I'd like to live in a big city for a few years or so, but would want to be somewhere more suburban for raising children.

I was in Manhattan the whole while, except for a couple days visiting more EQ friends in New Jersey. We walked through Central Park (including the famous path around the reservoir), the Library (including the card catalog room from Ghostbusters), down 5th Avenue (I cherish that whiff of Godiva), through FAO Schwartz, Grand Central Station, Times Square (on Friday night!), etc. There was even a mildly unnerving bus ride most of the way up Manhattan late at night, featuring a random stranger who waved at me after getting off the bus.

Fun stuff

[Melinia]

Hmm.. can you specify New Yorker?
I consider my self a New Yorker but I dont live in the Big City. New York is a big state. I live about 8 hrs from NYC. I'm closer to Canada than NYC.
I would love to visit NYC sometime in the near future!
Both of you listed so many great places to visit when/if I go

[Cerpicio]

Yeah, forgot about Grand Central Station, we stopped by there too. We didn't do much in Central Park, we only got up to the zoo, but took a wrong turn and walked on a street that went through the park, but wasn't really in the park. If that makes sense. We walked to the other side, came back south, and got on a path.

I don't have pets, but NYC doesn't seem like a pet-friendly place. Sure, people have pets, but they don't have a lot of room for them (dogs in particular).

It was a fun trip. I recommend everyone go there sometime and check it out. It's quite an experience seeing so many people, and so many buildings, all packed together like that. Transportation is totally different from where I live. Plus, seeing all those different cultures and lifestyles is interesting.


-- C.

[Liwsa]

For the most part pets are in house pets in the City.

And yes it is very very crowded here.

[Grenoble]

Also a New Yorker but in the Albany region. The Hudson Valley is quite beautiful (this time of year particularly) and we do have open areas.

Great historical region, too...I'm across the river from Troy, the home of Uncle Sam. President Chester Arthur is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery. Rich cultural heritage (Albany was settled by the Dutch and used to be called Beverwyck). We have an architectural phenom called the Egg, which is a performing arts center built to look like...well, an egg...on a post. 5 were created; Albany's is the only one still standing.

I love visiting NYC but hey, there is a LOT more to NY!

[Cerpicio]

Anyone know what NYC is like in the winter? A friend of mine lives near Rochester (yes, he works for Kodak ... for now), and he is *sick* of the snow. But Rochester is in the opposite corner of the state than NYC.

Are NYC winters pretty frigid? I guess snow isn't much of a problem for the subways, but could make walking all the time a pain.


Just curious.
-- C.

[Melinia]

I live outside of Rochester actually Snow does stink but I will take it over hurricanes, volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes any day
So much more to NY: (Rochester area) Genesee Country Museum, 1.5 hrs from the Sterling Renisaince Festival, Seneca Park Zoo, Planetarium, Mt. Hope Cemetery, WEGMANS (yes, our grocery store tends to be considered a tourist destination), and hopefully the Fast Ferry (The Breeze) will start running again from Rochester to Toronto.
Finger Lakes have many fine wineries to go and see.

[Verdandi]

Well if you're talking New York State, I spent the best (so far) 11 years of my life growing up in Buffalo. Loads of snow there, of course, but that's due to the Great Lakes just to the west. (Which is also where Rochester's comes from.) I'm pretty sure that effect has mostly petered out by the time that air gets to NYC, so that the City is more like the rest of the Atlantic coast (around that latitude) rather than like the rest of the state. In other words, occasional big snows but usually just inches here, inches there. New York is a very big state.

How I miss the snow in Buffalo. *wistful sigh* Walking in it is one of the best things about it! Along with making forts in it, having snowball fights, driving in it (an adventure!), making snowmen, making snow angels, skiing, admiring it from the fireside while sipping a cup of hot cocoa.... Um, where were we? Oh, New York City, sorry.

One last hijack, I have to ask, Melina, why on Earth is Wegmans a tourist destination??

[Aleksandros]

NY isn't all the City...

From Upstate NY here, Plattsburgh area - about 150 miles north of Albany, and only 20-30 miles to the Canadian border, right on Lake Champlain (which separates NY and VT). I've heard the weather in NYC itself over the winter is relatively mild, opposed to the rest of the state. Rochester to Watertown deal with lake effect snow (snowed in isn't a possibility toward Watertown, it happens every winter), to extreme cold up in my neck of the woods (literally - Adirondack Park, look it up) - as low as 30 degrees below zero before wind chill on an average January/February night. Also have the dubious honor of working in Ray Brook, 4 miles from Saranac Lake (you may have seen Al Roeker crowing it's place as "coldest point in the US" incessantly every winter).

Now I look at this in print, anyone know a company looking to hire a dispatcher someplace tropical? Expecting our first snowfall any time now

[Melinia]

One last hijack, I have to ask, Melina, why on Earth is Wegmans a tourist destination??

I'm not sure if its the Pittsford or Penfield Wegmans that is the big "must see" but the chain itself is so well kept, large selection, variety of foods, the best looking produce, the set up inside & out of the store. There are many states wanting to have Wegmans come to thier states & cities. (there are only a handful outside the Rochester area)
My cousins came up from PA a few years ago. My parents took them to Wegmans, they walked around with thier jaws to the floor. To this day they still talk about it. Last time Cher was in Rochester she was taken to that store aswell. She was VERY impressed!
It's one of those odd-ball things one has to see or try.. kind of like if you come to Rochester you have to try a Garbage Plate from Tahoe's (don't ask me to explain).
/emote Melinia smacks herself to shut up about silly stuff