Now I Can Understand Seinfeld

So I just got back from three nights and four days in New York City. The city that never sleeps. Pretty close.

I'm not going to run down a list of events or even the sequence that things happened. Frankly because it would be hard to remember. But there are a few thoughts I can share about my first trip to the biggest city in our country.

First of all: Lots of cabs. Seriously, like 80-90% cabs. Crazy cabs. Everywhere. And they take credit cards. It's not even worth owning a car. You walk. Sometimes. Usually its cab, or sometimes subway. I guess it makes sense, when you lay it all out, but I was just a little shocked.

Second: Big. Manhattan covers more ground than I thought I could cross in one night. The traveling we did during the day, fine. Some sightseeing, some subway rides, a Mets game, whatever. But looking at the connect the dots between the few nights we went out, the place we stayed, sources of food, and everywhere else we touched... I was blown away.

And that wasn't the only way it was big. When you get ~5 miles north of the loop in Chicago, roaming around Wrigleyville, the tallest building is, well, Wrigley field (sans lakefront condos). But in Manhattan, specifically miles away from some of the hottest and busiest places in the city where my friend lived on the Upper West Side, you'd be hard-pressed to find a building less than 5 stories. The majority of them are twice the size. Everything goes up. Everything. You feel small everywhere you go.

Third: There was a notion of being slightly larger than life there. Now, bear with me. I didn't walk with any added importance, mainly because I was either too drunk to pay attention, or I was in a cab. But there was an aspect of New York that I only saw on TV, which was all of it. It seemed there were traces of fame at every turn. Like I was treading on notorious ground. There was a history. A nostalgia. Something palpable on the streets that I don't feel in Chicago. I hate describing non-real things, but that's all I can really say.

Lastly: It's fast. I came from the suburbs to the city. The city of Chicago is fast compared to the burbs. New York = faster. In every way.

And with all that, give me Chicago every day of the week and twice on Sunday. This weekend was one of the most fun and memorable weekends I've ever had. Top 5 all time. Seriously. But it felt great to be home.