with tourists. One of my first thoughts on going to NYC was that whatever I did, I did not want to look like a tourist. Therefore, I purposefully didn't wear my Hawaiian shirt and tastefully left my camera neck strap at home. But once you set foot in Times Square, you realize something: it is quite impossible not to
gawk like a tourist if you haven't been to the city at least four or five times before, and what's more, once you're in Times Square, it doesn't matter- everyone there is at least as touristy as you are, if not more. Everywhere you look, there are people in "I Heart NY" t-shirts taking pictures of themselves in front of the square or pointing at any one of the huge ads that line the place.
Once you get out of Times Square, you begin to see fewer tourists and more New Yorkers. The two types of people are easily distinguished: the New Yorkers have cell phones, and the tourists have cameras. The New Yorkers are more likely to shove past you rudely, and believe me, this does actually happen. In fact, if given the choice, I would much rather be surrounded by tourists than in a place full of only the city's business executives.
Fortunately for me, this was actually what happened. Most of the places we went to were populated almost entirely by tourists. Take Rockefeller Center, for example. We went up to
the "Top of the Rock" to see the city from the air (the view is just as good as it is from the Empire State Building, and the lines are shorter). Up there, I heard people speaking every kind of language imaginable (French, Italian, German, and a few I couldn't identify). But I'm willing to bet that not one of them was a genuine New Yorker, except for the security guards.
There were a few places we did go that seemed to be filled mostly with locals, though. One of these places was the Plaza. On the inside, the Plaza looks nothing like it does in the Eloise
movies, but it is still incredibly fancy. And when I say fancy, I mean fancy- crystal chandeliers, oriental rugs, and marble columns galore! Another place in New York that seems to be reserved only for its locals was Grand Central Terminal. The place was absolutely filled with business people who actually ran to catch their trains. It looked like an anthill after someone poured water on it, with people dashing to and fro and moving constantly. All in all, the city definitely fits my one-word description of busy, and I would most certainly say yes if anyone offered me the chance to go back.
Thanks for listening!
Maggs
