Biting the Big Apple

A Weekend in New York City (Part 1)


I’ve always said if you had categories of all “kinds” of people, you would find at least one of each kind of person somewhere in New York City. You would realize this right away once in the big city. It is a concrete jungle where the trees have jungles within, the river networks are underground, and the critters share tight [public] spaces. New York City is a lot to take in, and it would take anyone a lifetime. I once heard it would take you five years non-stop to eat at every restaurant in the city. I have been here before and had a blast, but I was 12 years old. This time I was determined to make the most out of it and observe more sharply. My aunt offered an unplanned weekend there. I couldn’t resist the offer, so we were off.


We started our drive from Silver Spring early in the morning. I was excited to spend some time on the road; I have come to enjoy long drives more than ever. We drove past Washington D.C. and Baltimore (where I had visited a few days ago); we crossed into Delaware and entered Pennsylvania in a beat. Weird highway design and state borders. We continued north along the interstate 95 highway, then decided to stop for lunch at Philadelphia. It is my first time here, Philly is looking good in the summer sun. The streets were surprisingly crowded, and for some reason, traffic was very congested that day. We had to park somewhere else and walk to the nearest snack spot.


The sidewalk was oddly full of people, just standing around and some eating out of take-out containers. We opened a dark-tinted glass door and opened a portal. What I thought was a food joint turned out to be the Reading Terminal Market, home to multiple stalls and shops. It was lunchtime, and hungry folks like ourselves filled the place. Finding seats was unthinkable. It was a struggle to get around all the queues lined up around the many food vendors. It’s order and pick up from windows, self-serve and move - quick! We knew we would be lucky to grab a bite and leave. After minutes of scanning hanging menus, then waiting for our turn, we finally got our orders and left in a heartbeat. We are on a mission here.


Driving across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (2018)

Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023


And so we left and hopped in the car to continue our journey. We crossed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the pouring rain, and I remember jamming to Nas’ "If I Ruled the World." I enjoyed the passenger seat view while munching on my grilled turkey ham & cheese sandwich. We kept going into the heart of New York State in the afternoon hours. You can tell when you have arrived as the full view becomes littered with man’s brain-child – his pride and glory – the city. Once past the last toll gate, I was cruising by the Hudson River bank with a clear view of one, … two, … three Trump properties. It hit me that I was in the belly of the city when I took a look ahead of me and saw an apple sitting on the dashboard top with the street and buildings in the background.


An apple with a street view background, New York City (2018)

Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023


Although we spent most of the day on the road, we thought we should make the most of it and decided to stop by Times Square. I visited this tourist pool last time I was here. I remember being so mesmerized by all the bright lights and street performances. I now see marketing and commerce that don’t sleep. It was getting dark, and we started craving some snacks while passing by Bryant Park. Lucky for us, there was Wafels & Dinges, a humble offshoot selling Belgian waffles and hot drinks right around the corner. I’m a waffle guy, and I relished this waffle drizzled with Nutella and topped with banana slices with a cup of a vanilla milkshake. We continued walking around and passed by major streets, making our way to NBC Studios’ Rainbow Room Observation Deck. We walked into a fan store loaded to the brim with television show merchandise. I wasn’t so interested, and we continued going into the inner parts of the building complex, which extended to the Rockefeller Center. It isn’t your typical Rockefeller Center scene with the ice rink full of skaters. I just got to see the building, statues, and area briefly.


Bryant Park intersection in Manhattan, New York City (2018)

Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023


We continued our stroll around the city, spotting more skyscrapers and cathedrals. I didn’t know where we were spending the night, but my aunt had that covered and took us to her friend’s parents’ place. They were away on vacation, so let us spend the weekend in their million-dollar Park Avenue apartment. Touché! It was time to get some sleep; there was a long day ahead of us tomorrow.


“The million-dollar Park Ave. apartment,” New York City (2018)

Copyright © Kidus Assefa 2023

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