Sin City meets the Big Apple

This past weekend I attended the NCTE conference in New York. I haven't been to the Big Apple since 2003 when the high point of my trip was throwin up on Ed Lover, but I'll save that story for another day.

Anywho, when I arrived in New York tired, weak and hungry on Thursday evening the first thing I noticed after the ridiculously gridlocked traffic was the constant anomaly which gives the city its character. New York is marked (at least Lower Manhattan) by its ability to jam together two things that seem not to belong with one another and make them work. The ritziest hotels, like the Ritz Carlton, boasted of having parking in the parking garage for $85.00 a day; right in front of the hotel were two of the oldest cars I have ever seen and one had a flat tire. In front of Morton's Steakhouse mountainous piles of rodent infested garbage sat on the street, waiting patiently for the dump truck. From the beautiful skline of Cental Park, resplendent in golden and amber fall colors, one sees nothing but gray, smoggy skies and industrial strength buildings with bars. The hoods of yellow cabs with cursing, angry, speeding drivers are covered in flowered murals designed by special ability children to encourage calmness. One block East of the Coach store where signature bags start at $240.00, stands a Senegalese man selling darn good knock offs for $30.00. It's like mixing peanut butter and ketchup between two pieces of bread and then getting a suprisingly good sandwich.

One of the things I appreciate about New York and am longing for in Las Vegas is the indivuality and creativity of independent stores and restaurants. Sin City does have its fair amount of sin and debauchery, but there is nothing particularily unique about the city outside of the 4 miles of Strip. New York, however, seems to thrive on its uniqueness where Vegas succeeds at silencing its.

I did have to do at least one cheesy tourist activity when I was in the city so I woke up early on Friday morning got dressed and went with my friend Ebony to a taping of the Today Show. It was disappointingly small and clearly producer staged, but I was still excited. If you were watching Friday, that was me and Ebony behind the Junior World Duck Calling Champion. :)

Where will my adventures take me next?