Sheils Writes

I’m in a “New York State of Mind”, it might last for a “New York Minute”, “New York, New York, it’s up to you New York”.  I call this my love letter to the city that never sleeps, well, because it’s my take on New York City, which was a character in my book of life for 50+ years.  My earliest memories begin in the early 70’s, being on a Metro North train coming home from the circus that was at Madison Square Garden, with that swingy circus flashlight around my neck.  However, here I am (picture below) in 1968 on my very first trip to New York.  My parents took us 3 girls on The Circle Line that went around the Statue of Liberty.  While I don’t remember this, I know it because my Mom also snapped a pic of the statue and it sits proudly in my photo album as future memories to be made of my many visits to this city of hopes and dreams wash over me.

Hopes and dreams.  Somehow every time I would sit on yet another Metro North train to head into Grand Central Station, that’s what a small part of me always felt, hopeful and dreamful.

1970s, wild times for this pre-teen/teen girl.  Times Square was a bit of a hotbed of activity to say the least, but here I am walking the streets — with my Mom & Dad and family friends, like nothing in the world could phase any of us.  We had a mission.  We had to get to the circus, the ice show, and even Grease on Broadway, 1977!  Red light district be damned!  It was New York, it was the 70’s, it was everything exciting.  I never had a dream of being on Broadway, so don’t worry, this doesn’t head in that direction.  I just enjoyed Broadway shows, for 2 hours, to be transported to a stage of singing and dancing while taxi cabs flew by at some sort of speed and anger found on another planet, yet this was perfectly normal daily functioning.

1980s, more Broadway shows.  Now I’m with my high school honors English class.  I don’t know if I took honors English, but I signed up for the bus trips to New York.  Then again, in the 2000’s with my son’s drama club.  I wasn’t signed up for high school drama either since I was in my 40’s, he was, but I sure as sh*t was signed up for the bus trips in for ‘dinner’ and a ‘show’.  It was too good of a deal to pass up.  As the years went by, any deal, any reason, any time it was sunny, any time it was rainy, just anytime, going to New York filled me with joy.

Concerts, plays, museums, oh my.  Walking blocks because I just loved walking and people watching.  Sitting at a park, drinking a cold lemonade on a very hot day.  Hearing the horns blare, the ‘hey buddy’ out the window, the smell of hot dog carts and chestnuts, the crowds, the lights, the tree (of course, THE tree), sights and sounds for miles.

I stumbled upon movie sets.  Watched Jennifer Lopez film a scene for Maid in Manhattan and Vanessa Williams filming a scene for Ugly Betty at the fountain at Central Park.  Saw Lucy Liu shopping for shoes at Aldo and Anderson Cooper popping up from a subway station in the village.

However, I think the biggest attraction for me, was that every time, I felt like I was somebody.  I was the photographer, I was the journalist, I was the actor in my own play, I was the food connoisseur/critic, I was the travel blogger, I was the Carrie Bradshaw at Magnolia Bakery, yep did that.  I was Audrey Hepburn having breakfast at Tiffany’s, yep, did that too!

For now, I see my last time there was in August of 2022.  My husband and I wanted to go one more time before we moved to Florida.  We had one of the best days just walking around Central Park, getting hot dogs from the carts, and chatting with random people by the lake while we watched them paddle by on the boats, all full of hopes and dreams too.  I think that’s the magic of New York — you can do everything and absolutely nothing, but you can do it all while being full of hopes and dreams.  I think I need to plan another visit in my future.  My slip-on Skechers aren’t done yet walking the city streets of New York.