March 28, 2024

Enjoying new experiences in New York City

NEW YORK — Live from New York ... It’s Ty!

I’m writing this week’s Take on my sister’s couch in New York City, because how many other chances will I get to write a dateline in New York City?

But all jokes aside, I’ve had a wonderful few days catching up with my little sister and doing my best “Dora the Explorer” impersonation of New York. This place is so massive, I never really ventured away from Manhattan because I was so busy discovering new things here every day.

This was my first trip to New York and it is an absolutely amazing place. I mean, I could never live here; I’m way too cheap for that.

Seriously, $14.50 for a movie ticket!

As good as “Lone Survivor” was, I still almost had a heart attack when I purchased that ticket. I will stick to the Capitol II and watching Joy the Pig strut around in her office, thank you very much.

Besides paying an arm and a leg for just about everything, I had a great time shopping and dining and partaking in all of the wonderful Super Bowl festivities taking place up here. I saw “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, ate free pizza at an NYU Medical School minority fellowship meet and greet and discovered a store called “Bag Man,” which is like the New York version of Dollar Tree.

I also got to spend some much needed quality time with my little sister. I’m two years older than Brittany, and we didn’t meet until we were teenagers, so we didn’t really get a chance to grow up together. We have still managed to develop a pretty tight bond, and when she went off to Spelman College in Atlanta, I was one of her most frequent couch crashers.

It’s so cool to see how my little sister is doing up here, getting to meet her friends and seeing where she works and studies at. I always joke that I’m the starving artist of the family, and Britt’s going to be the rich one (she graduated magna cum laude from Spelman with her bachelor’s in chemistry).

An added bonus to her success: how many people can say their little sister is a scientist? This in and of itself is rare, but the fact that she happens to be a black female scientist makes it all the more incredible.

I’m so proud of this girl.

Another aspect of this visit was just walking around the city and basking in the sheer glory of skyscraper after skyscraper and seeing the gothic, art deco and modern style buildings intermingling to form the world famous tapestry that makes up the New York skyline. I’m a closet architecture nerd.

I was too cheap to pay $27 and wait in line to go to the top of the Empire State Building, but I did manage to make one pilgrimage every American should make, visiting the 9/11 Memorial. I’ve mentioned before that I was a freshman in high school when the attacks happened and it’s something that is forever burned into my memory.

Being able to walk around a place where such tragedy happened and seeing the memorials and tributes all along the area was a touching sentiment and the still under construction Freedom Tower/One World Trade Center is massive and beautiful. The things happening on that site are a true showcase of America’s ability to overcome adversity and to persevere in even the harshest of circumstances.

With all of that being said, I had a nice couple of days off and I’m looking forward to another stellar week of covering the ins and outs of Newton and surrounding areas.

I also should probably hit the gym. I’m pretty sure my attempt to eat as many New York delicacies as possible has killed all my 2014 weight loss momentum.

But who I am to pass up authentic slices of New York pizza for 99 cents each?