A nostalgic look at a heroic city

New York Revisited – a very personal journey
By Vera Saunders

Whether you call it the Big Apple, Gotham, the Great White Way (referring to the theater district on Broadway) or just good old Manhattan, it’s still the most exciting city on the planet. After a decade-long absence, I recently returned for a brief stay.

Even though I have flown over there many times, the sense of freedom and exhilaration make my heart beat faster as I see the Statue of Liberty from 35,000 feet in the air. I recall that famous phrase “The huddled masses yearning to be free” – what joy they must have felt at seeing her torch, that great beacon of hope. I left Europe on a typically cloud-covered gray day and realize what I’ve missed these last several years – that brilliant blue sky in mid-winter. The sun. And yes, the adrenaline rush.

Upon arrival, I step out of a rickety yellow cab and nostalgically retrace my steps to the Upper East Side where I walk past turn-of-the-century townhouses on elegant cross-streets, take a sneak-peak into the gourmet food shops with their vast selection of taste treats (oven-fresh baguettes, Belgian truffles and Scotch salmon, to name just a few) jetted in daily from every major capital for discerning Park Avenue residents’ palates and visit the Frick – that jewel of a museum where one can see the world’s finest treasures.

It’s Sunday, and unlike a typically deserted European city center, Manhattan is full of life. I enter Central Park and I’m struck by the creativity, by the kinetic energy. People jog, bicycle on closed-off roads, roller-skate, dance, sing and stroll. The fashionable khaki-clad yuppies, the ethnic minorities and the nannies with their young charges in tow all parade through this oasis-like playland. The vendors still sell hot pretzels to the sound of bongo drums; the acrid smell of charcoal fills the air – I’m back home! < br>
What has changed, what’s the same? Of course, there are plenty of new shops, new chic eateries, new gleaming-glass steel towers rising to ever loftier heights, new art exhibits. New Yorkers always look to the future, however, I’m in the mood for the familiar, so off I go to the Upper West Side – Zabar’s – where loaves of bread hang from the ceiling as do pots, pans and sausages from every corner of the globe. It’s brash, it’s crowded, it’s expensive, but the smell of freshly-roasted coffee beans makes my mouth water. I crave a bagel with lox and cream cheese. I sink my teeth into it – sheer gastronomic heaven!

As I step out of this “deli”, I’m greeted by the ubiquitous screeching sound of police sirens as I rush down the block to my next appointment – the pace relentless but exhilarating. Then, my nostrils are assailed by the stench of steam coming through the manholes. They still haven’t found a solution to this problem. Mayor Guiliani’s “from welfare to work” program has proved successful (even though some criticize his harsh measures), the streets are safer and cleaner – the homeless far less visible.

On one evening with friends, before enjoying a sensational performance by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, they invite me to downtown Chelsea for a meal at the Art Deco Empire Diner famous for its great food, great atmosphere. It’s truly a New York experience.

What would a visit to Manhattan be without going on a shopping spree or if you’re doing New York on a shoestring just cruise the city streets popping in and out of trendy boutiques – here “I’m just looking” is an accepted pastime – no questions asked. Since my departure several years ago, factory outlets are where the “cognoscenti” go. The Japanese, in particular, favor picking up $20 techno bags, wallets or designer jeans at steep discounts. Taking a bus to Woodbury Common, Central Valley just north of the city, I decide to see for myself. At this 150-acre complex, I was amazed to see Calvin Klein T-shirts, Donna Karan suits and Gucci merchandise at 25 to 65 percent below Madison Avenue prices. American clothing manufacturers excel at sizing so the petite woman can find plenty of 2s and 4s. I splurged on a $50 nylon-and-suede utility-belt bag. It’s instant fashion gratification at affordable prices.

On my last day I take a trip to the Metropolitan Museum. I used to love browsing in the American Wing walking through huge rooms decorated with period furniture as I was transported to a bygone era. To create a life-like atmosphere, mannequins in hand-stitched costumes stand in small family groups around Chippendale or Adam-style dining tables and chairs made with exquisite mahogany, oak or other rich, exotic woods. This visit is a must for the first-time European tourist; as is all of museum mile for culture vultures. There’s an embarrassment of riches to be found in this corner of the city.

Returning to the airport, my mind is flooded with emotions. There was so much to absorb. New Yorkers still strike me as aggressive, frenetic, but nonetheless, casually friendly with their “Have a nice day” goodbye greeting.

While I write this, Manhattanites are asking themselves the troublesome question, “Is Tinky Winky gay?” Are they really, really mad or is this business as usual? Those interminable, intense and sometimes irritating radio talk show controversies – now that’s something I’ll surely miss.
Vera Saunders Copyright 1999

After the horror of 9/11, I imagine the mood in Manhattan has changed - less superficial, less trusting, more resolute, more patriotic, more careful, kinder and maybe wiser. However, like a dear friend who has passed on, I choose to remember the fun we had; nights on the town; sitting spellbound at Lincoln Center, watching Mikhail Baryshnikov’s stratospheric leaps on stage to thunderous applause; the little shop around the corner open on Christmas Day for just a bar of butter; politically-savvy cab drivers; media overkill; icy-cold winter mornings, with no transportation in sight, philosophizing with a total stranger at a Fifth Avenue bus stop; the feeling of living at the center of the Universe. That’s my New York.
Vera Saunders July, 2002