|
My dreams about New
York
I have been dreaming about
visiting
New York
for a long time. However, I had to wait until I graduated from my
secondary school when I came across a piece of good fortune. I was invited
for holidays by my aunt who had been living with her family in
New York
for a few years. Just after writing my Matura exam I went to an
appointment in the American Embassy in
Cracow
. A nice talk
with a lady from Embassy was completing by awarding me a visa to the
USA
for half a year. Then everything went so fast. Booking the plane ticket,
countdown of the days till my departure cross the ocean, packing up
My flight or rather flights (As at first I flew
from
Wroclaw
to
Warsaw
and then from
Warsaw
straight to
New York
) were an earnest of all surprises that were to come. Having a seat at the
window gave me a lot of fun like watching the earth, ocean and clouds from
the air. But the most beautiful was
Greenland
with its white slopes.
First steps on the new land
After having landed on the
JFK
Airport
in
New York
I was shocked by the huge number of planes, when ones of them are starting
and other ones landing every a few tens of seconds. Long way through the
halls of terminal finally led me to the passport check. While waiting for
my turn I noticed an advertisement which made me laugh : “With VISA card
you need no visas”. A small talk with an officer, receiving a luggage
and, at last, I could meet my family that was waiting for me at the
airport. I had an opportunity to live in Brooklyn in
New York
for two moths.
 Apart
from a high air moisture, which you have to get used to while being in
New York
, I have to add a boiling heat in summer. That is why, it is not
surprising how widely the air-conditioning is used in houses, offices,
stores, buses, tube and cars. Great variety of cars driving along wide
roads may be a lucky find for fans of motorization. Automatic gear case is
a basis for easy traveling in traffic jams. The
New York
underground is also a good way of traveling. I heard it is the only tube
in the world that brings benefits. The underground map can be taken from a
ticket office for free. These offices also sell chips and magnetic cards
that open entrance gates to the station. After coming through the gate you
can use the tube as long as you like until you come through a gate in one
of another stations.
City that never sleeps
New
York
are skyscrapers but also beautiful bridges. While two of them that are
probably the best known ones:
Brooklyn
Bridge
and
Manhattan
Bridge
that connect
Manhattan
and Brooklyn are more classical,
Verrazano
Narrows
Bridge
is longer and more modern. It connects Brooklyn and
Staten Island
and you can drive over it for free. For 7$ you can drive over a two-level
bridge with three traffic lanes in each direction on both levels. Taking a
ride over it I stacked in a huge traffic jam what let me get out of the
car in the middle of the bridge. Constant motion of this construction
is initiated by cars and wind. For drivers it is also fine to use the
tunnel connecting
Manhattan
and
Brooklyn
which shortens the distance and time of travel. However, one has to pay
3,5$to avoid standing in traffic jams.
City, that never falls asleep, is illuminated by thousands of lights.
Night stream of cars seen from the
Empire
State
Building
is created by white and red points rushing in all directions. The best
place to watch at night is the platform of the
Empire
State
Building
where you can stay up until midnight. Ticket-offices are closed half and
hour earlier and do not sell tickets after that. Going up to the top of
this skyscraper you may stay until it gets dark. It is an opportunity to
watch the city from the air both during the day and at night. There are
two platforms on the
Empire
State
Building
. The first one on the 86th floor, which is a balcony around
the building. The only problem is that the view is disturbed by the iron
bars that are to stop any potential suicides. The other scenery platform
is on the 102nd floor but a few last floors have to bee covered
on foot. The room with glass shields is quite small but not so crowded.
Skyscrapers
Anyone who was delighted with
Empire
State
Building
should also reach the top of World Trade Centre – the highest building
in
New York
. Slender construction of the twin towers distinguishes incredibly from
the background of other skyscrapers. The whole 107th  floor
of the building is a scenery platform surrounded with huge glass shields
through which one may observe the city below or clouds covering tops of
the highest buildings at any weather. 110th floor seems to be
the most interesting one and you can get there via escalator. If the
weather is nice the entrance to the terrace on the roof is opened.
I recommend visit on the
Times Square
to all the lovers of interesting places. And it’s not just because of
its popularity, hundreds of adverts and crowds of New Yorkers and
tourists. Among the fascinating things we can find juggling shows and a
huge music store called Virgin. To anyone who loves fast lift rides I
offer using glass elevators of the Marriot Hotel located on the
Times Square
. There is no problem with entrance. But just in case, I propose to behave
as if you were living in this 45-floor hotel. At a wall, inside a huge
pillar, a few elevators goes up and down at the same time. Only some of
them go to the last floor. Of course, you can count on the fastest ride if
you don’t stop on middle floors. Well, while visiting this expensive
hotel you may see how rich and famous people live.
Interesting places of
New York
Walking down the alleys of
Manhattan
you can meet both mounted police and cars of services responsible for
keeping cleanness in the streets, which are decorated with colorful
lights. In contrast to this, we can find some interesting buildings:
Madison
Square
Garden
,
Chrysler
Building
,
United Nations Building and other skyscrapers. Quiet Wall Street is
something completely different from the well-known
Rockefeller
Center
. Exclusive saloons of Mercedes or Ferrari, electronic equipment stores or
huge malls attract buyers. After shopping fever you can have a rest in
Central Park – a green oasis of
New York
. For those who require something more I recommend a trip to the
mysterious world of dinosaurs, human evolution and animals in the
American
Museum
of Natural History. This huge museums has got rich collections enhanced by
the information computers with touch screens. Displayed films and
projectors of two-dimensional holograms also attract tourists. Model of an
archeological outcrop involves moving pictures of people – astonishing
solution. You have to sacrifice at least 3 hours to sight see the museum.
The skyscrapers of
Manhattan
can also be watched from the board of a ferry floating between
Manhattan
and
Staten Island
. Additionally, you may see the monument – symbol – the Statue of
Liberty. There is also a huge number of yellow taxis
Manhattan
is associated with. However, you can also come across some peculiar
vehicles like scooters with engines. Wherever in
New York
you are, you always hear the sounds of ambulances and police cars.
Boiling hot and moisture
The summer heat can be survived by a bath in the
Atlantic Ocean
. Wide beaches of
Coney Island
attract crowds of salt-water baths and sunbathing fans. Watching airplanes
landing at JFK airport is permanent element of staying on the beach. They
suddenly appear over the ocean and fly above the beach one after another
so that at least one of them is always noticeable. Additionally, there are
small sports planes flying over the beach and carrying boards with
adverts. A lunapark with CYCLONE roller-coaster can be a nice
entertainment as well. Not really high but fast, classical roller-coaster
still has lots of fans. At the second ride you may try to negotiate the
price of ticket.
 New
York
is the only city in the
USA
where you can cross the street on red light, if there are no cars
upcoming. If someone in
Manhattan
waits for the green WALK patiently while all the others already crossed
the street, it is possible that he is a tourist from
Western Europe
. Also drivers can feel privileged in an uncommon way. Within the city
they can use sound signals of their cars almost all the time. It usually
takes place at crossroads where slow ride of some drivers is criticized by
using horn. Everyone in this city is in hurry and it doesn’t depend on
how he travels, by car, tube or on foot. It explains popularity of all
sorts of fast foods which are located on almost each corner on a street.
The capital of dreams
Multinationality of
New York
is noticeable nearly everywhere. Immigrants create this city and it might
be the reason for its exceptional character and atmosphere. May of them
believe that their American dream about richness will come true. For the
present, all of people learn tolerance and
usually gather themselves in ethnic or national groups. In this way, a lot
of Chinese people live in
Chinatown
, Italians have got their Little Italy and Poles live mainly in Greenpoint.
I suppose that each nation of the world has got its representatives in
New York
. Magic of this place attracts many tourists that wish to taste the big
world or check if it looks like it is shown in films.
I think that anyone who has an opportunity to be a part of this huge
organism is convinced that
New York
is an unusual place. It is easy to like this expansive metropolis full of
people. Of course, during these two moths I spent in
New York
, I didn’t manage to see all the interesting places but I was fascinated
by this city for sure. This largest city I have ever seen had a great
influence on my life. My previous assumptions about
New York
have changed a great deal. I haven’t expected this city was so cool.
Everything is much larger there then anywhere else and optimism of people
is shared with others.
|
