New York New York

New York, New York

Sirens and busy city sidewalks; yellow taxis and the subway; delis and hot dog stands on every corner; Central Park covered in a blanket of snow; Broadway and all of its glamour; the bright lights of Times Square; Bloomingdales and the designers on 5th Avenue; ice skating and the Rockettes at Rockefeller Center; the Empire State Building and its amazing view at night; the smell of the meat Packing District; browsing the Chelsea Market and walking along the Pier-sixty next to the West Side Highway; the NYU student hangout at Union Square; trendy boutiques in Soho and the Village; famous pizza from Little Italy; fake bags on Canal Street; businessmen and the stock market on Wall Street; the Tribeca Grande and downtown with an empty space where the World Trade Center used to stand tall; and last but not least, Yankee Stadium and the New York Yankees-this is what comes to mind when I picture New York City. Regardless of its imperfections, I have not traveled to another city that can even come close to comparing to Manhattan. It is my favorite place in the world- a city that never sleeps, a city that stands alone, and a city that is truly one of a kind. There is no place like home and there is certainly no place like New York City, which is why these experiences make New York City my favorite place.

I think the best way to see the city is in the winter. My family usually goes around Christmas or Thanksgiving. We always stay at the Helmsley or the Park Plaza. Walking into those hotels is like walking into a magical land. They both have amazing views that enable guests to see the beautiful city all lit up at night. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with its giant balloons, floats, singers and movie stars, bands, and the Rockettes, is fantastic to watch if you can bear the cold outside for that long. Some years it is only 10 or 15 degrees out there! The broadcast on television does not do it justice at all. Just being there with the giant balloons towering over the crowd is amazing sight to see.

I know this year, (since we are unable to go) I will be missing the one of my favorite smellsÐ'-- Christmas trees mixed with the biting, frosty snow and the smell of burning wood coming from the numerous chimneys that line the New York skyline. One of my favorite things to do is to go ice skating with my family in Lincoln Center. There is nothing better than finally getting to show off my new winter jackets, while attempting to be graceful and to catch a couple of cute guys' attention on the cold, slippery ice. Afterwards, we go to warm our bodies after the countless falls at the local cafÐ"© where we indulge ourselves in hot chocolate.

New York is also one of the best places for shopping. My mom and I love to go to 5th Avenue, where all of the major stores and designers are. Many times, my mom and I have done our Christmas shopping there. When we do go during the Christmas season, my family and I all go pick out gifts for each other, which is the best,