Some NYC Images..

Rockerfeller Center Entrance, NYC

Statue of Liberty

Times Square

The High Line elevated pedestrian walkway

Rock climbing in Central Park

Window at St.Patrick's Cathedral

Prehistoric Sea Turtle at the Museum of Natural History

Some observations from my week there..

• My favorite part of the city is the people.  They're everywhere and they're all on their way somewhere.  
• You can make the same crosstown walk 20 times and never take the same route.  You go with the lights. 
• The streets go on forever it seems.  Its difficult to get a feel for how immense the city is until you spend a few hours walking streets and then trace the route on a street map to see how little ground you covered. 
• The mass transportation system works remarkably well and is simple to understand. 
• People can manage to survive without Walmart or Home Depot nearby but they need a shoe repair shop every few blocks and a place to eat within 200 feet of any spot on the Island.  
• There are more kids carrying violins than baseball mitts around Manhattan.
• There are very few heavy people, except for tourists. Food is expensive and you walk too much to carry around extra weight for long. 
• The police allow shysters to hawk knockoff purses and watches on Canal street right out in the open.
• The airport level security and metal detectors to get on the boat for the Statue of Liberty and then again once you are at the Island is a bit much.  SWAT police strolling around with automatic weapons in hand?  Really?     
• At the worst NY people will ignore you, which is fine really.  Most all were considerate and friendly, willing to help a tourist with directions or commuting tips.       
• The High Line, a beautifully landscaped pedestrian walkway made on an abandoned elevated rail track, is awesome.  A serene walk just above the traffic and chaos below.  All pedestrian walkways should be so nice.
• I wonder how much traffic and air quality around Manhattan could be improved if there was a more sophisticated system for timing the stop lights.  This would be the place to test it.
• The only American luxury vehicles I saw in Manhattan were large black SUV's with chrome wheels and tinted windows.  Lots of them.  
• Families should consider skipping the Disney vacation and go see NYC instead.  Maybe not with little kids, but teenagers should get a chance to see what a real city is like.