It's just about 4:30 pm
on a very warm Friday afternoon in New York City. I am sitting in a
restaurant at the corner of 34th St and 5th Avenue, my
chair turned so I can look out the window. I am waiting to meet with
my field supervisor to review the successes and failures of my trip
to the city this week. It had been a quick and unexpected trip to New
York and my major responsibilities were to do some follow-up and some
fence mending.
The supervisor was
running a bit late so I had some extra time and took full advantage
of one of America's favorite pastimes...'people watching', and with
the huge crowds on the sidewalk and heavy auto traffic, there was
plenty to 'watch'.
It had been a number of
years since I spent this much time in the heart of the city. Aside
from a few quick car trips across the George Washington Bridge on my
way to someplace else, I had not really visited Manhattan for many
years and had forgotten what New York was all about. But a few
minutes of looking out the window brought it all back. The city is
about people.
This particular Friday
is right in the middle of July. Mixed among the business attired men
and women moving about the city were hoards of vacationers. It was
somewhat reassuring to know that some people still dress a bit more
formally in shirts, ties and dresses to go to work, even in the heat
of summer.
But the tourists were
easy ones to spot too: shorts, sneakers, tee shirts, cameras and cell
phones. Almost everyone was carrying a cell phone and most were
actively talking on them. One other easy way to identify the tourist?
Most were gazing upward at the tall buildings and skyscrapers. Right
within this block,,, the Empire State building... and everyone seemed
to be trying to get a picture of it
OMG! “Watch out!”
Someone just stepped off the curb, against the crosswalk sign and
into the path of a speeding taxi. You have to be careful and watch
where you walk.
The number of people
amazed me. I remember New York as a busy place, but not like this. My
guess? In about a five minute period of time, I think more people
passed the window than live in the entire town of Pittsfield.
It is fun to watch them
move along, stopping and starting as the traffic lights change and,
as they waited for the light to change, they were either pointing to
some distant building or taking a picture of themselves to post
somewhere, proof to their friends that they really were in New York
City.
At the corner, buses
and cabs stopped, discharged passengers and took on new ones.
Everyone seemed to be in a hurry. That was one thing that had not
changed over the years. In fact, I would guess that people were in
more of a rush today, after all, it was a Friday.
I like the
double-decker buses What a great way to get a view of the city and
even the brief shower didn't detract from the fun people seemed to
be having.
The restaurant, with
tables filling up fast now, sounded much like what you might expect
to hear at the United Nations building. English was not the most
predominant language being spoken. Conversation could be heard in
French, German, Italian, Chinese and just about everything in between
and while it was a bit early for dinner, I suspected that many came
in to get out of the heat. First item to be ordered? Something cold
to drink.
My supervisor still
had not arrived, so I moved from a table to the bar to give a family
with young children “from away” a place to sit. At the bar I met
a couple from Scotland and we struck up a brief conversation about
places to see and things to do while in New York, (Like I am an
expert!!) But it was the first time they had been in NYC and I was
able to make a few suggestions. Their goal was to get to the 'Today
Show' at Rockefeller Plaza. I told them I would watch the show in the
morning to see if they made it.
Greg arrived and we
spent the first half hour talking business. Soon we were both
engaged in looking out the windows at the passing crowds which
appeared to have grown larger as the cooler evening air began to
settle in. Remember, 'cool' is a relative term.
“It's like the
crossroad to the world out there” he said. “People from all over
the world, mingling together as if everyone world-wide was able to
get along, regardless of what country they were from”
The 5th
Avenue and 34th Street that I remember have had a storied
history, whether it be hosting parades or being featured in the
movies...as if 'miracles 'really happen! Maybe the streets had been
known for the tall skyscrapers or being home to some pretty famous
people. The city, regardless of where you are standing at any given
moment though, is still all about people, even on warm July days.
It was a good week,
even with the high temperatures and the hustling crowds.... but I'll
admit it. It was good to get home to the peace and quiet of the
country!
No comments:
Post a Comment