New York

Times Square at night: the kid version of this moment, finally real

Spirit Airlines to Newark. Seven hours. We arrived at EWR, took a cab to Hilton Midtown, dropped our bags and walked straight to Central Park. Cold, drizzling, gloomy in the best way. Banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery eaten on a bench. People running shirtless in the rain. A dog in a full raincoat. The massive horses parked outside for the carriages. Hot dogs from Billy's cart. That evening we went to Times Square. I had wanted to see it since I was a kid watching the Spiderman movies. It delivered completely: just light and chaos and being somewhere that is trying its hardest. Very cold night. I took my gloves and jacket off for a photo and my hands started hurting almost immediately. We paid five dollars for someone to take the picture on their DSLR. Worth it.

Bryant Park the next day had a skating rink and nobody wanted to try it. General concern about broken bones. Saw St. Patrick's Cathedral. At Rockefeller Center there was another rink and something shifted. I had never skated before and I wanted to try. I fell. Then I figured it out and was moving on my own. Sharang and Vibin had a harder time. Grand Central Station next, the ceiling is exactly as good as everyone says it is. Cream cheese bagels became our default food for the rest of the trip. The Halal Guys bowl was a much-needed reset after two weeks of interesting but never quite filling food.

Another day: the High Line, walked the full length, off at Chelsea Market, then Pier 54, then Greenwich Village which is exactly as good a neighbourhood as it looks. Battery Park, the free Staten Island ferry out and back to see the Statue of Liberty on the water. Charging Bull, NYSE. Then I wanted to skate again. Wollman Rink in Central Park was open. The others did not want to come. I went alone and skated for over two hours. One of the better solo decisions I have made traveling. After that the Friends building, met Jhanavi and Akash, and visited the New York Google office for the skyline view.

One evening we walked the Brooklyn Bridge end to end. Cold, windy, the skyline behind us the whole way. When we got off the other side we went straight to Katz's Deli. The sandwich is as large as it is famous and it was worth every dollar. Lucas, who Sharang knew, took us to a rooftop bar that night. The view was good. The drinks were strong. On the last day we had a night flight and booked a cab during rush hour. It cost a lot. We made it.