New York, New York!
All I can say to start this blog is OMG!! What an experience I am
having here in New York. Today I seriously needed a break from all the
hoopla of the city that NEVER sleeps. It’s in the late afternoon here
at my friend Georgia’s pad in Brooklyn and I am seriously overwhelmed by
the chaos of this state, so decided to chill out today and write to
you. I head home tomorrow.
I flew in on Friday morning and have been on the go ever since. I came up to just check it out. I haven’t taken a vacation this year and New York was on my bucket list. So why not?
The minute I stepped foot into the big city was the minute I felt a change immediately. Not only was the weather cooler but so were the people. I was even told to not look at anyone in the eye throughout my time here, they may think you want to steal something. I say, yeah right, whatever! It can’t be that way. My outgoing personality speaks volumes and I just love people! How can anyone sneer at good conversation? Well, I am here on day 4 and I will say, they were right. Many of the people other than my taxi drivers and friends were very rude and don’t give a hoot who you are. They are in it for themselves and themselves only. It’s very unfortunate.
So on my trip here, I have done just about anything my body and mind can handle. Throughout the trip I have visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Memorial. The Museum is very well constructed yet also very heartbreaking. The Memorial itself, the one you see with the water going into a hole where both towers once stood, is another thing. No offense to those lost in this tragedy, but the memorial is very dark, very deep, and very wrong. To me, it looks like the gates from Hell. I don’t know who approved such a design, let alone how others feel, but its just plain inappropriate. That’s all I will say.
Moving on, I traveled by ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, coasting along the harbor that runs through New York and New Jersey. The Facebook link you can see below. I never got to go into the Statue of Liberty due to a two month wait on tickets. Forget it!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203333929771186&l=5651074214509168095
Grand Central Station was very interesting too. I road up and down the subs throughout my stay, going back and forth from Brooklyn to Manhattan. People watching mostly, which is incredibly amusing. It’s unreal whats out there. And can you believe it takes almost and hour to ride the subway 13 miles sometimes? By bus its around 1- 1/2? Crazy!
Here is my friend Georgia and Alfie, on a typical day on the subway.
Central Park is absolutely beautiful. Its amazing they have this in the middle of Manhattan. It is very well cared for and full of people enjoying the outdoors, sucking up every bit of fresh air before heading back to their homes. I stopped at Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon tribute from Yoko. It took me FOREVER to find it! 😂 Their home was just nearby where he was killed, so I stopped there too. I guess Yoko still lives there.
Apartments run galore here. Their homes average about 800 square feet if you’re lucky. Many rent with the average of $2,000 a month. You practically have to make $100,000 dollars here to make it. Guess I won’t be moving here any time soon.
Shopping is a big deal here too. Thankfully I am not a shopper and can just walk by. Who wants to carry all the stuff anyway? Without a car, which my friend does not have, why bother to even shop? Lugging all of it to the subway or bus, forget about it!
Other places I visited were FAO Schwartz, American Museum of Natural History, Battery Park, Times Square, New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Vietnam Memorial, United Nations, very beautiful Catholic churches within the city, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. I never went hungry that’s for sure. But the best of all and the most exciting part of my whole trip was getting on the TODAY show!! Yes, I won a lotto ticket weeks ago to be able to be in the crowd out front of Rockefeller Center for Monday mornings TODAY show, hosting the band Bastille. I had to get up at 4am, take a cab, (costing me $40 by the way), and be there by 5:30 am or I wouldn’t get in. Well I made damn sure I was there by 5!!
Holy Smokes! I was seen on TV four times by my sister and actually talked to many of the hosts, co-hosts and band members. But best of all, I got pictures with all four band members!! So awesome!! Below is me that morning hosting the morning crowd for the TODAY show. Lol! The next ones are me with each band member. How cool is that!
If you don’t know who these guys are, click on this MTV link and I am sure you’ll recognize the song.
http://www.mtv.com/videos/bastille/920677/pompeii.jhtml
Bastille are an English rock band formed in London in 2010. They began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece is completed by Chris Wood, William Farquarson, and Kyle Simmons.
One thing I do want to say about these four guys is they are very humbled by their new found fame. Just talking to them was very real, very direct, as they are very much down to Earth. Let’s just hope they stay that way. I wish them all the best!
So tomorrow I come home. Actually I’m ready. This city life is definitely not me. Too busy and too crowded. I love my 2.5 acres, nice house, kids playing outside, friends and family nearby. Can’t beat that!
-Signing off from New York…
Annette Kniola
I flew in on Friday morning and have been on the go ever since. I came up to just check it out. I haven’t taken a vacation this year and New York was on my bucket list. So why not?
The minute I stepped foot into the big city was the minute I felt a change immediately. Not only was the weather cooler but so were the people. I was even told to not look at anyone in the eye throughout my time here, they may think you want to steal something. I say, yeah right, whatever! It can’t be that way. My outgoing personality speaks volumes and I just love people! How can anyone sneer at good conversation? Well, I am here on day 4 and I will say, they were right. Many of the people other than my taxi drivers and friends were very rude and don’t give a hoot who you are. They are in it for themselves and themselves only. It’s very unfortunate.
So on my trip here, I have done just about anything my body and mind can handle. Throughout the trip I have visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Memorial. The Museum is very well constructed yet also very heartbreaking. The Memorial itself, the one you see with the water going into a hole where both towers once stood, is another thing. No offense to those lost in this tragedy, but the memorial is very dark, very deep, and very wrong. To me, it looks like the gates from Hell. I don’t know who approved such a design, let alone how others feel, but its just plain inappropriate. That’s all I will say.
Moving on, I traveled by ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, coasting along the harbor that runs through New York and New Jersey. The Facebook link you can see below. I never got to go into the Statue of Liberty due to a two month wait on tickets. Forget it!
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203333929771186&l=5651074214509168095
Grand Central Station was very interesting too. I road up and down the subs throughout my stay, going back and forth from Brooklyn to Manhattan. People watching mostly, which is incredibly amusing. It’s unreal whats out there. And can you believe it takes almost and hour to ride the subway 13 miles sometimes? By bus its around 1- 1/2? Crazy!
Here is my friend Georgia and Alfie, on a typical day on the subway.
Central Park is absolutely beautiful. Its amazing they have this in the middle of Manhattan. It is very well cared for and full of people enjoying the outdoors, sucking up every bit of fresh air before heading back to their homes. I stopped at Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon tribute from Yoko. It took me FOREVER to find it! 😂 Their home was just nearby where he was killed, so I stopped there too. I guess Yoko still lives there.
Apartments run galore here. Their homes average about 800 square feet if you’re lucky. Many rent with the average of $2,000 a month. You practically have to make $100,000 dollars here to make it. Guess I won’t be moving here any time soon.
Shopping is a big deal here too. Thankfully I am not a shopper and can just walk by. Who wants to carry all the stuff anyway? Without a car, which my friend does not have, why bother to even shop? Lugging all of it to the subway or bus, forget about it!
Other places I visited were FAO Schwartz, American Museum of Natural History, Battery Park, Times Square, New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street, South Street Seaport, Vietnam Memorial, United Nations, very beautiful Catholic churches within the city, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. I never went hungry that’s for sure. But the best of all and the most exciting part of my whole trip was getting on the TODAY show!! Yes, I won a lotto ticket weeks ago to be able to be in the crowd out front of Rockefeller Center for Monday mornings TODAY show, hosting the band Bastille. I had to get up at 4am, take a cab, (costing me $40 by the way), and be there by 5:30 am or I wouldn’t get in. Well I made damn sure I was there by 5!!
Holy Smokes! I was seen on TV four times by my sister and actually talked to many of the hosts, co-hosts and band members. But best of all, I got pictures with all four band members!! So awesome!! Below is me that morning hosting the morning crowd for the TODAY show. Lol! The next ones are me with each band member. How cool is that!
If you don’t know who these guys are, click on this MTV link and I am sure you’ll recognize the song.
http://www.mtv.com/videos/bastille/920677/pompeii.jhtml
Bastille are an English rock band formed in London in 2010. They began as a solo project by singer-songwriter Dan Smith, who later decided to form a band. The four-piece is completed by Chris Wood, William Farquarson, and Kyle Simmons.
THE BAND BASTILLE
Lead singer Dan Smith
Guitarist Will Farquarson
Keyboardist Kyle J Simmons
Drummer Chris”Woody” Wood
One thing I do want to say about these four guys is they are very humbled by their new found fame. Just talking to them was very real, very direct, as they are very much down to Earth. Let’s just hope they stay that way. I wish them all the best!
So tomorrow I come home. Actually I’m ready. This city life is definitely not me. Too busy and too crowded. I love my 2.5 acres, nice house, kids playing outside, friends and family nearby. Can’t beat that!
-Signing off from New York…
Annette Kniola
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