I Love New York

Whenever I come to the City, I remember how much I love New York. I have so much history here. New York was my first home away from home at Morgan Hall, the YWCA, on 45th Street and Lexington Avenue. I was just 17, recently graduated high school in New Jersey, and I was ready to pursue my dreams. That’s a story for another day, but when I am here, I am home.

When Bill and I married in January 2003, we spent our honeymoon in New York. It was a cold January, but I walked Bill uptown and downtown, and we had a blast. While we lived in Delaware, we would take the train to New York at least once a year to see a play or two. We were so busy the last few years that we missed those trips. Bill reminded me that this is the first time he has been to New York in the summer. As cold as it was on our honeymoon trip, it was in the 90s this time. On our last day, we splurged on a Pedi Cab trip uptown to meet a friend for Happy Hour.

Jersey City

Where do you park an Airstream when you visit New York? The Liberty RV Park in Jersey City is an urban camping experience with easy access to Manhattan. We walked from the campsite to the PATH station each day. Good thing we brought comfortable walking shoes! You can’t beat the location, but it’s not the most luxurious campground. Saturday night, music at Liberty Harbor Marina thumped loudly until 11:30 pm. Good thing I brought my earbuds.

The only other time I was in Jersey City was for my cousin Reverend Daniel Degnan’s funeral, the former President of St. Peter’s College from 1990 to 1995. I never saw so many Jesuits in one place; Dan was well-liked and rather famous. For 50 years, he held teaching and administrative assignments at institutions like Harvard Law School, Georgetown University, Seton Hall and others.

The High Line

I have been hearing about this High Line for years, and I had a picture in my head. My vision did not do it justice – the High Line is a beautiful city park running a mile and a half from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street on Manhattan’s West Side. We took a leisurely stroll and marveled at the beautiful landscaping; the trees provided much-needed shade on a very warm summer’s day.

The Little Island

Little Island is another public park at Pier 55, Hudson River Park. I have never seen another park like it, with a unique design that New Yorkers could only create. Little Island is an initiative of The Diller – von Furstenberg Family Foundation, with support from the City of New York. All summer long, you will find free events, entertainment, food trucks, and ticketed events in The Amph.

Broadway

We went to the box office on Saturday to see if tickets were available for the play, Come from Away. Luckily, there were, and we scored great orchestra seats for a very reasonable price. It’s closing on October 2nd, but go see it if you can. It brought back memories of that fateful day, September 11, 2001, and how people pulled together.

For Sunday, we picked up tickets to see Mr. Saturday Night with Billy Crystal. Also, closing soon, we enjoyed the show.

The show was funny, but Billy also brought a lot of pathos to the role of the aging comedian.

Next Stop, the Jersey Shore!