Being a New Yorker for 3 Days
By: Mario Manalu
Tags: Frank Sinatra, Utopia, New York, Jazz, Traveling

Photo by Oliver Niblett on Unsplash

“If I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere. It’s up to you New York, New York”. Every time I hear the song New York, New York by Frank Sinatra, I imagine myself walking down the streets of New York City in a long, black, cotton coat and a bowler hat holding a cup of coffee on my left hand and an umbrella on my right hand whilst listening to some other Sinatra songs. A trip to New York has been a dream of mine since I entered the United States. I have always wanted to visit the home of tall buildings, the city full of the rich history of diversity, and where people appreciate art like no other place. I wanted to experience the fast pace life of a New Yorker. Riding the subway to get to work, working in an office on the 70th floor of a skyscraper, and stopping at a Jazz bar for dinner is an ideal image that I have been building and building in my mind for so long. If I ever get to New York, will the city live up to the expectations I have?

My first encounter with the city had nothing to do with what I had imagined. How exciting and nerve-wracking it was to hail my first ever shuttle from LaGuardia to the city. The shuttle ride itself was not too long, but it was enough to make me feel dizzy and sick. The shuttle driver was passionate about honking, speeding in narrow streets, and making U-turns wherever he liked to. I have never experienced a shuttle ride like this before.

I was so excited once we swiped that Metro card to get into the subway heading to Manhattan. Passing through the Court Square subway gate is like entering my ideal world, my utopia. The sounds of the city went through the walls of the subway stations. I could not wait to get involved and participate in the action that was happening above me.

In the middle of busy Herald Square, I looked up to the tall buildings that surrounded me. The buildings were an amazing sight to adore. Each building was taller and classier than the next. The traffic lights and the yellow cabs put everything into perfection. Where else could I get this scenic depiction of a city? I thought that it could not get any better than this. Little did I know I merely began to see the city unfolded itself.

On top of the Empire State Building, I found myself standing still in admiration of the city’s landscape. I saw hundreds of beautiful, tall buildings of different colors and architecture standing strong like a bouquet of flowers catching my eyes. On the far side, I could see Brooklyn Bridge shining its red-orange-ish color, mimicking the sky during the golden hour. Down below, people were happily ice-skating. They all looked like children from here from the 86th floor. I took a deep breath, and I sang a line of Sinatra’s song softly, “It’s up to you New York New York”. Truly, I would never stop talking about the mesmerizing view of New York from up there.

After watching many movies shot in New York City, I finally witnessed in person the sight of all sights and the square of all squares; Times Square. As I imagined, the square was crowded and noisy. Street performers were busy dancing, shouting, and backflipping, trying to make every dollar they could in the sub-zero temperature. Maybe Times Square is called Times Square because they defy the definition of time here. Be it in the morning, afternoon, evening, midnight, the streets are always full of people. I sang another line of the same song, “I want to wake up in a city that does not sleep”. Indeed, they never sleep here in Times Square.

Of all sorts of entertainment available in New York, I got to see the second most popular Broadway Musical called “Wicked”. I was already impressed by the music, the dialogue, and the acting during the first couple of minutes. During the show, I constantly got inspired by how talented those actors on the stage were. They sang, harmonized, danced, acted, and monologued all in one go. I have always wondered how good it must feel for the actors to entertain thousands of people. They have inspired me to try out and explore the world of acting. After the finale, I sang “I want to be a part of it, New York New York”.

New York is an incredible place to explore. 3 days in New York was enough for me to fall in love with the city, the atmosphere, and the friendly people. I would never forget this electrifying short trip.