Sunday, 23 June 2013

Manhattan - My First Day

New York – world’s busiest, costliest, entertaining city. When my organization decided to send me here for an assignment, it was like my family’s dream came true. I have been to UK before but No, they wanted me to visit US once in my lifetime.
I flew for an US in mid of March through British Airways. I was having halt in ‘my’ London for 4 hrs, I wanted to go out for few minutes but my passport will not let me do that. I said by to London with heavy hearted thinking that in future I will surely come again and then flew for US. My plane landed in Newark International Airport which is just 5-6 miles away from main New York. I was hoping that winter must have gone but I was wrong, City was experiencing extended winter period. I enjoyed that weather anyway. If you are coming from land where you feel like heater is kept running on streets then this will you enjoy. I also witnessed snowfall that is also in Month of March which rarely happens.
Best part of my assignment is that my office location was in Times Square, the heart of the world also known as ‘The Crossroads of the World’. I was staying in Jersey City and I had to take bus, Gate 51 number which takes you to Port Authority Bus Terminal of New York. This is the main bus terminal of New York City; you will get the buses for all nearby cities from here. This is 3 floor bus terminal and it has more than 300 bus gates.
If you take exit of 8th Avenue from terminal, you will see New York Times building one of the tallest in New York, When I tried to capture the entire building in one glance looking upward I felt like dizzy, This is the first time I was taking look at such tall building.
From Bus terminal to my office is 0.5 mile short walk for which I have to cross one avenue (8th Avenue to 7th Avenue) and they 3 streets. I took 42nd street to cross the avenue first. This stretch has New York few attractions like Madam Tussads, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Regal Cinema, IMAX Theater, and Broadway musical play Theaters.
Once you are in 7th avenue and 42nd street you are in Times Square, where Broadway and 7th Avenue intersects, one of the world’s busiest pedestrian Intersection. This is claimed as the most visited place by tourist in the world. Times Square is also major center of world’s entertainment industry. 
Times Square is place where New York celebrates its New Year eve and the whole world watches it through television. Its big hub for shopping, dining. It also has office of NASDAQ. You will feel like some fair is going on, tour operators will ask you and try to give information about New York tours. You will see people dressed up in Statue of Liberty, Mickey Mouse, Mario, and Spiderman and may more characters get up and inviting you to take photographs but obviously you have to pay them for that.
I entered in office thinking I am here only and there are lots of things to explore

No comments:

Post a Comment