New York State of Mine

In honor of September 11th, I wanted to write something about New York City.  I considered describing my personal experience that day, but instead, in honor of a city that is so often the setting for so many great stories and memories, I thought I'd share a few of my own.

1.)  The Rockettes
My earliest memory of New York City is being taken to see The Rockettes with my grandmother and sisters at Christmastime.  I remember it being stinging cold, but clinging to my Nana's jet black fur coat, I warmed up quickly.  I remember the theater being unlike any I had ever seen.  I can't recall all the numbers and performances, but I remember the smell of peppermint and chocolate, and the bright colors of the huge toys on the stage, and of course, the Rockettes (who are probably responsible for setting a bar of femininity and grace that I would never achieve).  

2.)  "Rocky Horror Show" with Sebastian Bach
Back in high school, my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to go see the "Rocky Horror Show" which was featuring Sebastian Bach as Riff Raff.  His friend Mark was responsible for teaching me the ways and wonders of hair metal back then, so going to see the lead singer of Skid Row in a funky Broadway production was awesome.  We made a whole day of it; walking around the city and window shopping, grabbing dinner at nice restaurant.  It was the first time I was able to take advantage of the fact that we lived so close to the city and do something so adult.

3.)  Girls Trip
In college, my three girlfriends and I decided to take a road trip to the city to go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center.  Right off the bat, it proved to be a memorable trip; Ashley's drive shaft got stuck just as we were getting onto 95.  We pulled over and while she got it figured out, the three of us went to get something to eat at McDonald's, only to be told that they were out of meat and dairy.  We scratched our heads at the insanity of a business that makes its money off its cheap meat and cheese, and rejoined Ash who had gotten the car fixed.  We finally made it up the rest of the way with no incident.  We had a great time looking at all the display windows decorated for the season, and when we finally got to the rink, we witnessed over 11 marriage proposals.  Which made us all wonder- how bad do you feel for the guy that was marriage proposal #8?  

4.)  Getting Pizza at "Original Ray's"
On the only trip to the city that Joe and I took together, we made it our mission to find THE Original Ray's Pizza before we headed over to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex.  Being from New Jersey, I am a bit of a pizza snob and I know good pizza.  But to get a slice of true authentic NYC pizza was exciting.  However, when I went up to the counter to order, I handed the girl my card.  "Cash only!" she yelled over the din of the crowded parlor.  As I shrunk away in search of an ATM, it was the first time I had ever felt some of that no-nonsense attitude of New York.  You get it and harden to it so you can survive in the city.  Of course, I still cursed her under my breath (I'm still from Jersey, after all, and we don't always take kindly to that attitude).

5.)  Beck's Bachelorette
My cousin had her bachelorette a few years ago in the city.  She wanted to have a day at the spa, followed by dinner at a cool underground place, and then drinks afterwards.  I was so honored she invited me along and we had a ball.  As luck would have it, she was marrying the brother of an old friend of mine that I hadn't spoken to in years, so while the girls were upstairs getting massages, we caught up on old stories and mutual friends.  We had dinner and then headed over to a bar that the bride's sister, my cousin Ali, knew about.  As we sat there goofing off and drinking, Beck grabbed my shoulder and nods in the direction of the bar- one of our favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, walked in with his wife.  We were all a little buzzed but I think Beck was the courageous one who actually went up to him, with the rest of us who knew who he was following close behind.  I am happy to say I actually managed to tell him how much I loved him and they even posed for a picture with all of us.  *Beck, if you are reading this- please tell me you still have that pic!  A day at the spa, fancy dinner, and celebrity sighting- it was definitely a New York night.

6.)  The Skyline
This might seem cheap and easy (like me!), but the single most important thought or memory about New York City to me was and is the skyline.  It was the backdrop to so many good moments for me.  I had a lot of family up in the Atlantic Highlands region of the shore, which is a town built up onto the cliffs looking out onto the ocean and it's dominated by the Twin Lights lighthouse.  We would go to my grandparents' house or my aunt and uncle's house for all kinds of holiday parties, but my favorite was when we'd go for Fourth of July.  They had decks that faced the water and on clear nights, you could see all the way to the city skyline.  I loved watching the pops of colors from the fireworks set off all around, from all the way to Sandy Hook to the edge of the city.  I picture that, and suddenly the rest of the memories start to flood back; the smell of my male relatives' cigar smoke or the mixed and muddled perfumes of my aunts, or the giggles and inside jokes coming from my cousins, and usually the music of Carole King or James Taylor playing in the back.

Everyone has their own personal connections to the city and I would never presume that ones' experiences outweighs another.  New York City to me was always this distant relative that I visited and was familiar with, but never really got to know.  We took for granted that we lived only a ferry-ride away.  It was a presence, like how Bruce Springsteen is seen- something I don't think we ever realized how significant it was, because to us, New York will always be simply "the city" and Springsteen will always be just "Bruce".

I'll never forget seeing the smoke drifting above our heads as we stood outside of the Hofbrahaus in Highlands, standing on the lookout with dozens of other people, quietly whispering out of fear and disbelief, watching helplessly as our beloved skyline changed forever.  All we could do once the shock had worn off and the grieving completed, is remember the good things from before, our thoughts and memories of trips and visits, meals and museums, epic nights and adventures.  And to remember there are many more great experiences to be had.

Never forget that.