Eloyda's New York Blog

New York Summary

Jonathan, Matt and Scott, I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful experience that you provided us all.  Again our trip was very well planned and really reflected all of the hard work that each of you put into it. 

I thought that I would complete my  of our trip to New York the way that I frequently have my students reflect on an event or field trip; by using their senses. 

I will begin with the many things I heard.   Before our trip I heard warnings from different people about how dangerous it is to move from place to place in New York City.  I also heard about the crime that spreads rampantly throughout the city.  Instead, I heard the friendly voices of strangers asking whether there was anything they could do to help us reach our destinations.  We also heard some wonderful presenters speak of all the things that make New York the amazing place that it is.  We learned more about the strong people who fought for equal rights for men, women, the poor, immigrant and the people of color.  What I didn’t hear was the sound of many horns honking, which was fantastic.  I think that maybe the traffic laws in Pueblo should reflect those of NYC. On the other hand, most of the smells of NY can be kept there. 

At times the smell of urine and filth that filled the subway stations would turn my stomach, especially at night.  It was at those times that I most appreciated the crisp, clean Colorado air.  Although the smells on the trains and the trash on the streets were disgusting, not all of the smells of NY were bad.  At times when I walked past a restaurant or a street vendor the aroma of the delicious treats waiting inside would make my stomach grumble even if I had recently finished eating.

Some days I ate so much that I felt surely I would not need to eat for the rest of the day until I smelled or saw something that I just had to try.  I had a list of things I wanted to try that took me until the last day to finally complete.  I had to have real New York pizza so that I could appropriately compare it to Chicago’s.  (New York wins hands down.)  I had to eat a hot dog at the original Nathan’s in Coney Island.  (It was very expensive and not any better than a hot dog anywhere else in the world.  They are all pretty bad but I was able to check it off my list.)  I ate a delicious pastrami sandwich from Katz’s, seafood at Salty’s and, of course, the most scrumptious cheese cake I have ever tasted.  I had to have cheese cake twice and take a taste of Matt’s to be satisfied. 

      The thing that touched me the most about New York was the different types of art that were visible throughout the city and its outskirts.  At the Museum of the city of New York we learned about the art of building a city in the sky while making it a comfortable yet efficient place to work, travel and enjoy numerous cultural experiences.   At the Metropolitan Museum of Art we discovered the fascinating works of Picasso and the Egyptians of long ago.  In Cooperstown we renewed our love of baseball and the heroes that graced the field with their art.  At the Fennimore Art Museum there was Magnum photography that caused many in our group to stand in awe at the powerful images.  We experienced the art of the statues, tributes and monuments dedicated to the men and women who founded the city and built our country.  Of course, the most powerful work of art and my personal favorite was the Statue of Liberty.  Her beauty and the reminder of all that she represents were very powerful for me personally.

I still can’t believe all that I got to see in the last fifteen days.  I saw Central Park on our walking tour as well as from the seat of a horse-drawn carriage.  I saw two Broadway shows; “Mary Poppins” and “The Phantom of the Opera”. (My goal was only one.)  I got to see The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Carnegie Hall.  I saw the Brighton Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  I saw the kindness of people and, I saw shoes.  (Since I was told not to look into anyone’s face, I got in the habit of looking at people’s shoes instead.) The shoes that I saw were as diverse as the people who wore them.  They were a direct reflection of the wealthy, the poor, the fancy, the plain, the young and the old.  They represented for me not only how much walking is done on the streets of the city of New York each day but the differences in the culture and heritage that is foreign to people who grew up in Pueblo.   

While noticing shoes I also noticed how New Yorkers have a sort of sixth sense.  I saw this when they were on the subway or when they finished eating their lunch or were waiting for their food.  They closed their eyes.  Sometimes they looked like they were sleeping but I’m not sure they were.  They knew exactly when the train reached the right stop or when they needed to report back to work.  Maybe that’s why tourists annoy them so much.  We talked way too much to be mistaken as locals.

 Visiting New York was a great experience.  I learned so much and had a blast.  Thank you again.

2 Comments so far
Leave a comment