Welcome to New York City ... the Big Apple

Radio City #1, originally uploaded by Kyrion.

Welcome to New York.

You might be anxious. You might be excited.

Whatever you might be, you probably aren’t bored.

If you are anxious, relax. New York City is safe and fun.

If you are excited, you are right to be. This is the most exciting city in the world – believe me, I've spent my life checking them out.

I suspect you will be even more excited when you get on the plane to return home. With a bit of luck, your experience checking out New York will set the stage for a life-long relationship with the city – to which you can return again and again. And it’s a pretty safe bet – when you do, you will never be bored.

So what’s all the fuss about? Let’s start by saying what New York is NOT.

Well, it’s not about physical beauty. This city has its beautiful moments, but it isn’t a stunner.

It’s not about history. New York has a proud, rich history, but you probably won’t see much this week.

It’s not about star-gazing. New York has more celebrities packed onto this small island than any other place in the world. I doubt you will see one.

It’s not about Hollywood’s version of New York –gangs, crime, drugs, muggings. New York has all of these things. But it actually has fewer of them than most major cities! It is shockingly safe.

So what’s all the fuss about? It is this: New York is an experience. The city overflows with a lusty, full-bodied version of life. This week, if you look for it, you will find a million instances of this deep, rich, life-affirming experience. You can’t find it by looking out of a taxicab window, nor do the tour bus drivers announce it as you pass by. It yields to those who are willing to walk. It yields to those who are willing to employ all of their senses. It yields to those who are patient.

What can I do here? You can hear, smell, taste, feel, and see – all in bursts which delight, confound, confuse and soar.Every reader will find their own way – New York demands that you do. But maybe this will get you started – asking the right questions, using the right resources, and setting you on paths you can make your own.

Enjoy!