Cradle of the American revaluation

I went on a bus trip around Boston today, firstly we went over to Harvard and walked around that famous university. It must be said it looks a little different from good old VUW, but at over $50k per year you would hope for a nice campus. This city has over 40 universities, ranging from the world famous like Harvard and MIT to Dunkin Donut U (I am not making that up) so you do look different at the socially awkward people walking the streets.

We then went out to Lexicon and Concord (although they really pronounce that so that it wasn’t until I saw a sign I didn’t know which town we were going to). This is where the first couple of battles of the American revolution happened, where some enemy combatants (sorry patriot minutemen) took on the army of the world super-power. While this day they didn’t win this lead to the super-power leaving a few years latter. This created the freedoms that Americans take for granted (I am not sure what problem they have with the current English democracy but they are completely certain that their life is better because of the revolution).. Anyway this is a very nice part of the county and it was good chance to go out and see the nature of this part of the world.

I also had a boat trip around the Boston harbor, it is interesting that with it’s round harbor and the city that is largely reclaimed land at the relatively low intensity it is a lot more like Wellington so yip that is a good thing

Hello from Boston (not the terrible 80’s band)

Today I moved up from New York to Boston. Unluckily my train was well over 2 hours late leaving NY, talking to one of the people at the station and she said that I was one of the few people who didn’t get upset about this, well I have had training by New Zealand rail…..

The trip itself is a little over 4 hours, though some changing country side. There are a number of industrial towns that have clearly fallen on tough times. Then there are number of clearly very well off towns, the sort of places that just look like sets from the Gilmore girls, then there are a whole lot of river mouths with large numbers of boats moored in them. A lot of these river mouths have a large coverage of reads making a wetland area, just like you see in Dawson’s Creak (OMG I am using some bad TV explanations, but I can only blame the countryside)

I got to Boston or more correctly Cambridge as I am staying on the side of the Charles. I had a quick walk around and it such a different felling from the last week, I will let you know what it is actually like once I have got my head around the city

Like a masochist from Newport

Oh well after 8 days in NY tomorrow morning I am like a masochist from Newport (New England bound (© Family guy)) So I guess it is time to think about how things have been here in New York. Firstly have I done as much as you can really do in one week in this town, my favourate song about this town is ‘New York City’ by They Might be Giants. This includes a verse showing the best things as they see it about NYC:

“Statue of Liberty, Staten Island Ferry, Co-op City, Katz's and Tiffany's*
Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State where Dylan lived**
Coney Island and Times Square, Rockefeller Center
Wish I was there”

By my count I have 9 from 12, which isn’t bad for one week. So I have done pretty much as I could without being silly for the week. So what do I now think of NYC, this is a real city of contrasts between the haves and have not’s, it is exciting and frustrating, it is exhilarating and exasperating, and many other couplets. Overall I think the most obvious thing is also the most important, I am very pleased I get to come to this city, but I am even more pleased I don’t have to live here

New York days

Yesterday I went out to the US Open tennis in Queen’s. There is an odd felling seeing so many off the best players in the world in any sport (well it could be said that missing the Wellington/ Canterbury game I missed as many of the best people in their sport but this was a new and different sport) anyway I had tickets to see the number 4 & 5 in the women’s game (Elena Dementieva & Jelena Jankovic) against much lower ranked players. Both games went to 3 sets (at about 3 hours each) and the seed lost. Then there was also another very good Men’s game, so there was 3 great games which was defiantly a good day at the tennis.

Today I went out to Connie Island which is out in Brooklyn (and no not on an Island). It is the semi-ledigenary New York beach resort. It has a relatively wide long beach and it seams to have a large retiree population. So basically it is the New York version of Foxton Beach (this would mean that Levin would have a population of 11 Million which is so scary I will stop this metaphor right now). The best and most famous thing at Connie Island is the Cyclone roller-coaster, which is an 80 odd year old wooden coaster, this is often rated in the top 10 coasters by people who rate such thing, It was real bone-retelling and very cool, there are a couple of points where it really fells like there is no way you can be OK but of course for the few millionth time it dies all end well.

Five boroughs of fun

Today I managed to triple the number of boroughs in New York city I have been to (from 1 to 3). Firstly I walked down town and found Washington Square park, and totally against what I have been told my whole life I have to report there wasn’t any improvised singer/ songwriters there (sorry to report mum). I then saw a coffee shop that actually had an espresso machine. I thought that this place has been famous for coffee shops for better part of half a contrary so this should be good. What was I thinking it really seams that no American can make a decent cup of coffee (my theory is the beans where over roistered) I did see a cart today promising ‘the best coffee in town’ which is one of the least impressive boasts I have ever seen in this town.

I then walked over the Brooklyn bridge, this has to be one of the great symphonies of art and engineering in the world. It is quite simply the most stunning built structures I have ever seen. It did lead me an interesting question of all of the truly great buildings I have seen here in NY all of them were built between 1870 and 1940. So why is it that with all of the money and drive in this town has there not been anything great done in the last 70 years, other city around the world still seam able to do it but not this one. I don’t have the answers but I think this is a important question.

Brooklyn has a very different fell to Manhattan. Put simply it seams to be built around the car rather than mixed used, you come in and you have a whole series of 8 lane roads making it hard to get around.

They say (well someone ones said to me so ‘they’ must say) that “there are only two free things in New York, firstly the air you breath and secondly the Staten Island ferry.” (I hope they don’t say this to Donald Trump as I am sure he will try and change both of these things). The ferry is about a 20-30 minute ride south from the bottom of Manhattan out into the bay. It is one of the best rides you will ever see with the statue going past the skyline, but the locals really do seam not to notice. As for Staten Island itself, my lonely planet describes it as “A suburban appendage with an inferiority complex” it is sort of Hamilton on the Hudson (OK so it is not actually on the Hudson but don’t let facts get in the way of my metaphor) Basically it is close to the city with amazing views but really doesn’t look like a rich area, I am still not sure I get this city. Anyway it was a nice change to get out of the hectic hart of the city into something like a human sized area. Off to Queens tomorrow (to watch the tennis) so that will make it 4 from 5 boroughs which I am sure is much more than most people do in this town.

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

Today I went out to liberty and Elise islands. This is truly one of those must do before you die trips. The Americans really do not have any sense of irony here and that is really easy to come over to that way of thinking (although I did could heat the Simpsons going in my brain whenever they mention that famous verse, which was often). Anyway the view of lower Manhattan is truly exceptional and it was such a lovely day it would have been worth it just for the trip on the harbor. But there is such a lot more than that, it is one of those places you go that you know it is actually impossible to take a photo that no one has taken before, but even so you do feel the need to take lots and lots of photos (while I’m on this why do people need to take photos of themselves in front of the great views of the world come on people we know you where hear this is simply the photo equivalent of the ‘ I waz here’ scribbling on the wall)

I got to go up the statue which is a pinch yourselves type moment there are moments when you have seen something literally a million times and then you found yourself there, I must say in this case yes it does actually live up to the hype. The symbolism of the place might not be totally lived up to by America (or France for that matter) but at least it set such a high ideal which is better than not having them. Americans tend to think that they contain the biggest and the best of everything. They call this the most powerful symbol in the world, my first though was ‘come on’ then I thought this though and really not sure I can disagree.

You then take a boat over to Elise island, which is where most American immigrants arrived during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The most sticking thing here is the overriding belief in the American dream, that coming to America made life better for all from the problems from the old world. There was an acknowledgment of the trials of new immigrants including economic issues and the problems from people like the KKK. Even given this you really get the felling that these people were coming to a better life at least for their children. I have seen similar presentations in New Zealand and even Australia but the national confidence here is truly something to behold.

New York, from the ground and the air.

On Sunday I took the subway up to northern Manhattan, for those of you who know you NY geography you will know that is another name for the suburb of Harlem. Interesting this is not as bad a area as you might think, actually there is quite a nice community fell to it, people actually live on the street here which is all very nice, saying that I am not sure I would like to be there after dark, but that might just be me taking the media too seriously. I then went over to a place called Wards island which has a park with great views over Manhattan, it was a lovely Sunday afternoon so I have no idea why the place was almost empty but I wasn’t complaining, although the people I saw fishing in the East river were a little braver than I am. Anyway this was where one of the major American 7s rugby tournaments was being played. So this added two more firsts to my experiences, the first rugby tournament in North America and the first 7s tournament I have been to where they are not serving beer. What are they doing to our great game??? Anyway it was quite interesting to watch and I managed to stop myself correcting every tactical decision they were making, even if I should have……

On Monday I went over to a thing called the ‘high line’. This is an old raised railway though western New York that has been turned into a ‘green area’ they have planted some wild flowers, grasses etc. You realize quite how differently they relate to nature being in such a big city. Anyway it is a pleasant walk and actually quite a good way to get around. I then walked down to the Greenwich village, this is a little area that really doesn’t fell like NY, small winding tree lined streets with some even cobbled stoned. Most of the shops you see are really expensive restaurants, but I saw one book shop. It happened to have an sign for the paper back of one of the Sex and the City books, it really felt like in this exact spot this was gritty realism rather than the exploitive chick lit it would be a few blocks away, but this might just be me. The whole place screams money, it is the place where young upwardly mobile people with money have lived for century’s, today this means it is the only place I’ve been here where the US flag is less common than the rainbow flag. I then walked down though the abbreviation suburbs (SoHo tribeca etc) all of which have slightly different feelings even though only a real New Yorker could ever really tell you where they begin or end.

In the evening I went up to the Rockefeller centre and up to the observation deck. I got up there around 5:00pm and the views around New York are spectacular you can see for miles in all directions, all I can say is wow. Then the sun set and things got even better and then wow really isn’t enogth, this city at night is truly one of the sights you have to see. We have all seen the photos but it is simply impossible to explain what it fells like to see it for yourselves. Therefore I won’t try to explain it. I came back home via the madness that is Times Square which is just well mad I can really see why the New Yorkers all stair clear of this area and are totally dismissive of anyone who goes up there.