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Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE June 17, 2008

New York Trip A Real Experience

Start spreading the news. Every American should visit New York City at least once.

From a cowboy singing on Times Square in his underwear to a cab driver who barely speaks English while Bobbie Gentry is playing on the radio, my family had a terrific time in the “Big Apple” during a recent whirlwind five-day excursion.

Here’s a thumbnail sketch of why New York is the most visited city in the United States.

DAY 1: Flying out of the busiest airport in the world is always a challenge. But on this Sunday, we zipped through the Atlanta Airport check-in line and the scanners without a hitch.

Great 110-minute flight to John F. Kennedy airport in New York. Cab rides to our hotel on Eighth and 51st are a flat $45 per ride plus a $5 toll. My wife, daughter, and mother have never been to New York so the ride itself is like a visit to Six Flags.

We’re only a block away from one of the most exciting places in the world, Times Square. It’s the heartbeat of the entertainment industry with gigantic billboards, huge high definition screens and perhaps the most famous street in America, Broadway. It’s a dazzling spectrum of color which boggles the mind.

New York planners laid out the streets in a grid pattern so it’s easy to acclimate yourself. Plus, there’s so much to see that no matter which direction you walk, there’s another landmark. Those landmarks don’t include a 6-foot-5 muscular young man on a corner dressed only in a cowboy hat, cowboy boots and white underwear strumming a guitar while women have their picture made with him.

Out in front of Radio City Music Hall, my son spotted and I spoke to Danny Devito. He was friendly, which we found to be the case with most but not all New Yorkers.

We find Rockefeller Center and take elevators to the “Top of the Rock” for a fantastic view of the city. That gigantic green space that we see north of midtown called Central Park turned out to be my favorite place.

Plenty of places to eat with fantastic food. We choose St. Andrews, a Scottish-themed restaurant where we dine on everything from steak to sea scallops. Walking back to the hotel gives us another view of Times Square, this time at night. Talk about alive! This is truly the “City That Never Sleeps.”

DAY 2: Up early and out on the streets where we each buy $50 tickets on Gray Line Tours, which allows us to sit on the upper level of a topless double-decker bus for unobstructed views of the city. We can hop on, hop off for 48 hours.

The tour guide is wonderful with tons of tidbits about the city, including the fact that the building where the famous ball drops on New Year’s Eve is unoccupied but the owners make money off the billboards which cover the sides.

We get off at the former site of the World Trade Center, which is now a mammoth construction zone where the new Freedom Tower is being built. The guide says it will stretch 1,776 feet into the air, 323 feet higher than the Empire State Building. Striking wall sculpture of that dreadful day on Sept. 11, 2001 with these words, “We shall never forget.”

On to Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, where the front door is guarded this day by New York City’s finest in full combat gear with submachine guns. We learn later that this anti-terrorist squad locates itself in various parts of the city each day. On Tuesday, we see them at the Empire State Building.

For the faint of heart, there was never a time in New York when I did not feel safe. A police presence exists almost everywhere you turn. This is a good thing. Through our travels, my wife and I have learned that you must always be aware of your surroundings, no matter which country you’re in. Be alert but don’t walk in fear.

We stroll to Battery Park for a hot dog and pretzel from one of hundreds of street vendors. In New York, you are never very far away from a snack. We ride the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where all the immigrants were processed before coming to America.

Fantastic photo opportunities with NYC skyline in background. Goose bumps of patriotism as we gape at Lady Liberty, this magnificent symbol of freedom.

Interesting outdoor cafes at South Street Seaport area. One entire souvenir store dedicated to the Yankees. We catch tour bus back to Times Square where we dine with my high school classmate and his wife at Becco, a superb Italian restaurant where I have the very tasty Veal Chop.

The day is far from over as we get back on the tour bus at 9:15 p.m. for a nighttime look at the city and the pearl lights of the Brooklyn Bridge. The lights are spectacular, and the view of the bridge with the city in the background is incredible. In Brooklyn, we hear about how the movie, “Gangs of New York,” gained its realism.

We see Little Italy, which has really shrunk to just one street because it has been overwhelmed by Chinatown. All the little eateries and shops in Greenwich Village seem like a great reason for another visit. In bed at midnight.

DAY 3: Today we negotiate the subway for the first time. We have ridden the Metro in Paris, the Tube in London, and after a false start or two, we find the New York subway the easiest and least expensive way to get around the city. It’s $2 a ride or four rides for $7. Cab rides start at $2.50.

Macy’s, the world’s largest department store, is our first stop. It covers an entire city block and is characterized by the big red star trademark, which actually came from a tattoo on the hand of its founder when he was a sailor.

My son had walked across the 1.3 mile Brooklyn Bridge on a previous trip so we had to try it. It was great!

Without any protest from our legs, we take a cab back to the Empire State Building. The non-communicative driver of unknown origin has Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode To Billy Joe” on the radio. Ironically, it is “the third of June” but not on “a hot, dusty Delta day.” After 18 minutes, he does ask, “You did say Empire State Building, didn’t you?”

Built in one year and 45 days in the height of the Depression, Empire State has a spire on the top that was to be used for dirigible landings. You know…blimps. It only took one try for that grand experiment to come to a halt.

Called the “Empty State Building” by disgruntled citizens for awhile because so many of its offices were empty, this building will forever be ingrained in my memory with King Kong hanging off the side.

We see so much as we walk back uptown to the New York City Public Library with its two famous lions, “Patience” and “Fortitude,” guarding the entrance. Many of the holdings in the huge facility are underground beneath a delightful park at the rear of the building.

Back on the graffiti-free subway for a ride to Central Park. The atmosphere on a warm summer afternoon was perfect. We saw runners, bikers, and even a roller blader who crashed right in front of us. New Yorkers were playing softball, kickball, and soccer. A few paddled canoes around a lake or tossed Frisbees.

Many families were just spread-eagled on the luscious green grass with the sun warming their faces and the ever present sky scrapers in the background. We saw The Dakota where John Lennon was killed and the “Imagine” carving which Yoko Ono had built in his honor.

Central Park is so well done with the Hans Christian Andersen statue, the Alice in Wonderland carving and the pond where remote controlled toy boats sail. Squirrels and ducks abound. From the hustle and bustle of Times Square to this tranquil place was quite a nice change of pace.

Genuine New York style pizza was the meal choice of the evening with relatives who are studying to be police officers in the city.

DAY 4: We take the NBC studio tour and stand five feet away from the desk that Brian Williams will use for his nightly newscast. An eight-minute narrative of the origin of NBC brings back a flood of memories with clips of “Bonanza,” “The Cosby Show,” and “Cheers.”

We sit in the “Saturday Night Live” studio from which the live broadcast emanates 24 Saturday nights a year. It’s a lot smaller than it looks on TV. The NBC Studio Store is a great place for souvenirs.

Lunch at the Carnegie Deli is a given. The sandwiches are gargantuan. Bring cash. They don’t take credit cards. Walls lined with pictures of celebrities who have eaten there.

You must go to Fifth Avenue, one of the most exclusive shopping areas in the world. Sak’s, Tiffany’s, Versace, they’re all here. High dollar price tags. The NBA Store is fun for a hoops fanatic like me.

Break up the shopping with a stop at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It literally takes your breath away as you enter the awesome sanctuary.

We topped off the afternoon with a great trip to the American Museum of Natural History. The largest free-standing dinosaur in the world greets you in the lobby. Did you know polar bears can swim 60 miles between ice floes?

You can’t visit New York without seeing a Broadway show. We see “Jersey Boys,” the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The language is strong, but the music is out of sight. Loved it.

After the show, Ellen’s Stardust Diner is a hit. It looks just like a diner out of the 50’s. Here’s the catch. The waiters and waitresses actually sing. You get your menu and then they mount a tiny stage or wander around the restaurant singing songs from Broadway. It’s a fun place.

DAY 5: My mom has always wanted to see the NBC “Today” show live. By arising at 5:15 a.m., she gets the chance. The streets are the quietest since we arrived but there’s already a line to stand outside the barricades and see “Today” mainstays Matt, Meredith, Al, and Ann.

They only do one outside shot in the first hour but in the second hour, we shake Al’s hand and get our picture made with Meredith. NBC photogs are snapping pictures left and right, hoping you’ll buy one later. We do, and the ABAC 100^th birthday banner shows up well.

One last trip to Times Square for a Hard Rock Café souvenir for a friend and then another cab ride to JFK. Our driver is a former accountant from Cairo, Egypt whose most famous fare was Julia Roberts. He said he had asked Tony Bennett to exit his cab because he wouldn’t extinguish his cigar.

He asks me how hot it gets in Georgia, and I tell him that the last few summers have been mild with 90-degree days. When we land in Atlanta, it’s 102.

Visit New York. It’s an awesome experience.

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