"NEW YORK, NEW YORK" a New York City Travel Page by Gage17

What can I say.... I LOVE NEW YORK! I love it so much I even wear one of those t-shirts that says so from time to time. It is the capitol of the world, the most exciting spot on the planet, and, to me, one place that everyone must experience for themselves at least once.

To me, one of the most appealing attributes about New York is the fact that EVERYBODY is there. I thrive in the diversity one finds walking around the different neighborhoods, and it pleases me that so many races and ethnicities and beliefs can coexist side by side in such tight confinements on a daily basis. Not that they aren't without their troubles... it is a megapolis, after all, not uptopia, but still, I like the vision of the city.

I was fortunate enough to live in New York for a year from October 2001 to September 2002; the first half was spent in Brooklyn (Sunset Park) with my brother and his future wife then we moved to Manhattan (Nolita) in the spring. Although living in Manhattan was more convenient, I think I liked life in Brooklyn a bit better. Even as a resident, I liked the idea of "going to the city", even if it was for work. I think I was just happy to be there at all!

I like to travel a lot, and when I've lived elsewhere, usually I'd find myself some place else once a month on some roadtrip, but New York kept me captive for the duration of my stay. Each weekend I found somewhere new to explore either in the city or in one of the boroughs. I became rather obsessed with my explorations in the city which eventually led to walking all of the bridges on Manhattan as well as walking the length of Broadway. Yet still, there was so much more to see... one year is just not enough!

Moving to New York when I did was a particularly moving time for not only Americans but all peace-loving citizens of the world. It was just a handful of weeks after September 11th, and the city was definitely still healing. Such an unreal time to be in New York.

Because the subway stations under the WTC were damaged, the MTA started running ferries to Brooklyn, and this was part of my daily commute. I used to ride the ferry and watch the skyline pull away, feeling so strange that there used to be two enormous buildings right there. And now they're gone. Like most folks, I couldn't fathom it, yet it helped me to be in NYC at that moment in time. The course of history changed forever on that September day, and we can never go back. But the great thing about New York is: it's always growing, always changing, and always moving forward.