New York Never Slumbers

Can you wink at a city that never sleeps?

Why is New York City called the ‘Big Apple’? Why not the big pizza or the big donut? It seems that sharing the tag with a fruit does little for a place that is world-renowned for its exciting and daring approach to dining. It’s the first of many things that don’t always match in this amazing place, that sometimes leaves you scratching your head, but always leaves you feeling a little enriched.

New York is often titled the capitol of the world. A great piece of marketing no doubt, and not necessarily something that I would agree with, having met a lot of the rest of the world. There is something about New York though. It’s a pulse that accompanies this immense city. The city has a vibe, an ambience, a distinct feel that is so different to anywhere else in the world. The people can be gruff and at the same time tremendously heartfelt – September 11 showed us that. It’s a place of immense contrast.

One of the strangest things in NYC can be walking down a street like Fifth Avenue. You will pass Tiffany’s – marvel in awe at this icon of New York fashionability and your mind will flood with fond memories of one of the greatest actresses of all time, Audrey Hepburn – then, a couple of blocks later, it will look like you took a wrong turn into the shabby part of town. Don’t doubt yourself, persevere! Because a couple of blocks after that you’ll run into Sak’s Fifth Avenue, or Bulgari, or Victoria’s Secret, or Louis Vuitton. A city of contrasts.

My favourite part of New York – in fact, one of my favourite things in the world – is a woman. The woman belongs to a man named Frederic Auguste Bartholdi – actually, he used to call her, “my Beautiful American!” The Statue of Liberty. I’ve been to many, many places in this world, and I found few things that rival the beauty of the Lady of Liberty. When you arrive in New York, take a stroll at dusk to Battery Park. Lean against the rail, and drink in the beauty of the harbour. Very quickly, something will catch your eye. It’s an illuminated blue-green figure, shining a light that was meant to illuminate the world. There she is. She will capture your heart at that point. It’s ok. Your partner surely can’t be jealous of a symbol. For she symbolises the greater parts of our nature. In a world that often falls short of her mark, I wondered on that fateful day in September what she must have thought, watching those buildings collapse. Disappointment maybe? I prefer to think that she was filled with courage, for never was she more necessary than at times like that. And besides the horror, New York has always been a place of such celebration, and of looking forward (you’ll notice that the Statue’s right foot is raised, indicating she’s always moving forward in her efforts to  light the darkness).

For me, Lady Liberty has always been the symbol of New York, not the apple. And with her, the city’s in good hands. As for the marketing, it’s probably not the capitol of the world, but with a pulse this strong, it’s certainly close to its heart.
 

©KM Francis 2008

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