Showing Off

New York was on its best behavior.

The newly arrived stumbled downstairs after a night of listening to be-bop on St Marks and having no idea what to expect of the City. Here were are, they said, and now what do we do, we are open to whatever this place wants for us. Amazed at the tall buildings and this really is the city we've been hearing about all these years.

Sauntering turns into endless miles of blistered feet and flushed smiles. Step down one subway entrance and arrive in a whole other world. Times Square much smaller than I expected, everything much smaller than I expected and it is really only a city after all.

New York always disappoints with its mortality. It makes up for that by being absolutely breathtaking otherwise. For looking great in pictures and having secret stories to tell about what used to be before this came along. For always keeping you on your toes and allowing the tickling thought of what if we were to move here, just for a year, just to have done that. We could live in that apartment across the street, that one with the crooked fire escapes; it can't be so expensive, look at how dirty it is. New York wins them over by alluding to an Other life to be had. It makes the bottle-and-a-half walk home excruciatingly pleasant.

and as you try to comprehend this sight you realize that you were never really there at all.