Manhattan : Bare Foot in the Park
Posted by admin on Aug 20, 2008
Core of Big Apple - Manhattan
Manhattan elicits a jaw dropping reaction. Literally. And I do mean literally. Standing on avenues and gazing up at the towering skyscrapers on all sides it is the most predictable response of most first-timers. Even otherwise no one remains immune to the city lights that illuminate the Manhattan skyline with that heavenly incandescent glow. Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City is the quintessential New York. Residents of the other boroughs too refer to a trip to Manhattan as going to the city.
As for me I got goose bumps standing in the vicinity of the Times Square. A sense of deja vu envelopes you as you take in the locale experienced previously only on celluloid, TV and fiction thats left indelible impressions on the imagination. I could not believe it. I was actually standing in Times Square! The moment got gratefully captured in a caricature, adroitly sketched by a Chinese street artist. Manhattan is synonymous to its intrepid gushing energy criss-crossing the 22.96 square miles of prime land in eclectic New York.
O yes. The people are everywhere. Constantly streaming out of the subways and on to the streets and buildings. Its a great human junction. You will find people of all nationalities and races here, a thronging conglomeration following their calling in life. Financiers, dealers, wheelers, humanitarians, musicians, artists and the man on the street - all occupy one of the most densely populated counties in United States - 70,595 residents per square mile! Unbelievable as this may sound it is true! It is also one of the most wealthiest spots in the US. It has the largest central business district in the United States and is the site of both the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ apart from housing the largest number of corporate headquarters. With out a doubt Manhattan is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center of the world. Home to the head quarters of the United Nations, it has major multi-nationals and business houses flaunting their elitist addresses.
Manhattan’s efficient public transport has nullified the need for privately owned cars. As the indisputable hub of New York City it generates a lot of intense traffic from all over. With many famous landmarks, tourist attractions, museums, and universities, it attracts people from all over the world. The theater district around Broadway at Times Square, New York University, Columbia University, Flatiron Building, the Financial District and Wall Street, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Little Italy, Harlem, China Town, and Central Park are all located on this densely populated island.
The downtown neighborhood of Chelsea is a popular haven for art. Widely known for its galleries and cultural events, it has more than 200 art galleries that are home to modern art. The Broadway Theater is considered the highest professional form of theater in the United States. Plays and Musicals are staged all the time in the 39 larger professional theaters, almost all in and around Times Square. Lincoln Center nearby is home to The Metropolitan Opera, one of the world’s most prestigious opera houses.
The 843 acre Central Park is a veritable oasis from the maze of tall structures, offering a pleasant respite along its walking tracks, ice skating rinks, flora and fauna, hidden sanctuaries and grassy spaces used for playing around. Its a happy sight watching children frolicking and families enjoying picnics here. The sporty kinds can get their workout in the wide open areas. The park is a popular habitat for migrating birds which in turn attracts the bird watchers. The 6 mile road circling the park is popular with joggers, bicyclists and inline skaters. While much of the park looks natural, it is almost entirely landscaped and contains artificial lakes too.
No written account of Manhattan could ever possibly depict the feeling of actually experiencing the sanctum sanctorum of New York city. The city stimulates the senses like no other to create unforgettable memories. People jostling along and the spectacular sights bespeak the throbbing hum of life in the fast lane. Simply walking the streets of Manhattan will have you in a happy frame of mind.
Great things happen here all the time. All you have to do is go online and checkout the Manhattan Events Calendar that showcases all the brilliantly planned events. You will find book readings, beer fests, wine tastings, restaurant weeks, theater shows, musicals and a whole lot more that will make you enjoy the vibrant heterogeneous culture exhibited in the city on a regular basis. August events have the famous India Day Parade besides the organized Street Fairs and Morning Concerts. Summer is also being graciously celebrated in Central Park with Summerstage 2008, Shakespeare in the Park and the Film Festival. Bryant Park is also showcasing a summer film festival while Lincoln Center is having the grand Mozart Festival. And to beat the heat the city organizes the River Festivals, Summer on Hudson Festival and the New York City Waterfalls Show.
With so much going on here you will want to prop yourself up good and proper. Just log on to Downtown Manhattan hotel site and when you are comfortably settled call room service and in your recently acquired New Yorker intonation say – Make mine a Manhattan!