Looking back at The Big Apple

Three years flew by so fast and the city that I once feared became my home and a place I grew to love. There were so many things to see and do in the city. I could walk for miles and never realize how far I had walked until I got home. With so many shops, people, parks, and places of interest I was never bored on my long walks. At first I could not imagine walking across the park to the whole foods store, it was so far away! But it was not long before I was walking from Battery Park, up the West Side and across to home without thinking about the distance at all.

There is always something to do in the city. You can visit a park or go to the zoo, stop by a museum, go shopping, meet up with friends at a local eatery (or Starbucks), visit an attraction. The list goes on and on - after all it is called the Big Apple for a very good reason.

Some of the highlights of the city were the streets fairs, parades, and festivals. Almost very weekend, from May through November, a street fair or festival can be found somewhere in the city. These can span anywhere from 2 blocks to 20 blocks or more in length with stands selling fruit, smoothies, corn on the cob, cannolis, meat on a stick, or any variety of foods on each corner. Pashimas, hats, artwork, services, stage shows, kiddie rides, plants, clothing, spices, and what seems like miles and miles of people. Most of the festivals are fundraisers for schools, churches, and other charitable groups. A few are purely for fun like the Renaissance Faire and some of the school and community fairs.

If there is a reason to celebrate, there is a parade for it in New York. There are Easter parades, parades for almost nationality, parades for religious holidays, and parades for gay rights, and of course the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The Macy's parade stretches from 81st street on Park West down Broadway to the Macy's store on 42nd street and is televised world-wide. The parade features bands, on and off Broadway acts, Santa and of course the massive character balloons. They start inflating the balloons around midday the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and finish sometime during the wee hours of the night. These balloons each take 50 or more people to handle as they walk along the long route, but they are the highlight of the parade. Next to the Macy's Day parade, one of the biggest parades is the Saint Patrick's day parade where thousands come out just to be Irish for the day (though many have no roots in Ireland at all). There are bagpipe bands, clan after clan, and people sporting green and orange everywhere. After this year's Saint Patrick's day parade lasted more than 5 hours, the city council decided it was necessary to put a limit on the length of the parades.

The Big Apple is a city constantly in flux. It was protected for a long time from the effects of the recession - that is until Wall Street crashed. The crash affected everyone from the pauper on the street to the wealthiest of residents. I saw people who once lived a life flowing with money standing in food lines, using coupons, and reusing items they once would have discarded without a second thought. There were empty shops on Madison Avenue that at one time would have had no problem bringing in clients. For a short time, life in the city slowed it's pace. People were out in the parks more, walking more, and meeting their neighbors. But as all things change, the vibrance is returning and the people are regressing back to their solitary lives in a city of millions. I once overheard some people say that if they ever wanted to get lost, they only had to move to Manhattan. Perhaps they are right ....

I will miss this place ... my friends and co-workers, the close proximity of everything (and free delivery!). It was an amazing place to live for the short while I was there.