You've seen the movies, read the books, and heard the stories - there is very little fresh information I can say about the often-revered "greatest city in the world" that you don't already know.
Everyone from Jake LaMotta to Wayne Gretzky to Godzilla has lived in one of the five boroughs at least once in their lives, and many more have visited with big eyes and big appetites.
I will say, though, that even in my fourth visit I continue to be more and more impressed. We stayed in Queens ("Where's my boy, Vinny Chase?!?"), which was my first time there (if you don't count the airports) and took in the Mets-Phillies game, which I was happy to see New York win.
P.S. Cole Hamels is the next Kenny Powers, done and done.
However, Paul Lo Duca didn't make an appearance... I was pretty choked about that, although I was happy to see Gary Sheffield's bat-swinging antics at the plate, although they only delivered a lame bloop single that made Luis Gonzalez's World Series-winning hit in 2001 look like a Mickey Mantle bomb.
If you haven't been, the Mets' new park, Citi Field, is far and away one of the most beautiful stadiums we've seen to date. Even the massive Pepsi Cola sign next to the bleachers is mouth-watering, and the Manhattan skyline in the far distance makes the bleachers arguably the best seats in the house.
Of course, we made a trip into Manhattan earlier in the day, complete with plenty of car honks, vulgar language, and cheap pizza. On the subway back that night/next morning (3 a.m., sorry mom) I even saw a guy passed out naked putting his jeans back on - just classic!
He then proceeded to lay back on the bench, which clearly freaked out a couple of ritzy girls who were walking back to their hotel and probably realized, "Hey, we should have cabbed."
The nightlife disappointed us a little bit at the start, only because we asked a waitress from the ESPN Zone in Times Square where the best bars were and she said Hell's Kitchen... Yea, okay. Besides, it's clear you expect a lot from the city. We just kept going towards the lights.
Nevertheless, we found a couple good joints complete with two groups of bridesmaids celebrating an Irish wedding. Where they attractive? Not really, but it definitely exemplifies the party attitude of the city, and gives a little bit of a hometown feel.
Like I said, Godzilla was here once, too (wink).
We never saw Central Park. Even though I've seen it a few times before, it's just one of those things that you look at and say, "I'd like to see it if i can. When will I be here next?"
But the bottom line is that we found enough bars to get "tired" just enough after hours and had a perfect day downtown, therefore I can firmly stamp that New York, for all intents and purposes, can declare itself as the greatest city in the world.
Where else could you stop partying at 3 a.m. and feel you're leaving too early?
My personal hero of the night: Vir Sodhi for buying a round of shots and then fending off a couple of girls so classy you wouldn't bring them home to mom.
Additional hero: Jordan Niskanen for his unintentional, night-long impersonation of a baby horse (after which he is now nicknamed).
