A Night in New York

Making our way in Manhattan.

New York is cold, cold, cold and cold. It's 8 below zero Celcius now outside but no snow, only leftovers on the rooftops and sidewalks from last Friday's snowstorm. Despite the extreme chill, the grandeur of the city is still invigorating, the holiday lights and colours adding up to the already vibrant picture. I understand now why they're so proud of this city, it's because the city itself is boastful of itself, it possesses its own character.

Despite the briskly weather last night we went to Rockefeller Center, which was charming, but the images of it are rather oversized from its original size. It's something you'll notice in New York, that even something small tends to look big. And navigating around is easy, thanks to the excellent urban planning -- you don't really need maps to guide you around.

We tried the famous yellow cab upon our arrival at Penn Station, in which the driver seemed to have summed up everything along the way of making it to our hotel -- he looked as if he just passed by everything by accident; the Times Square, the New York Public Library (best noticed in The Day After Tomorrow), the Grand Central Terminal (best noticed in Madagascar), the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building, and even the U.N (best noticed in world-standard arguments).

Our hotel is a bargain! The interior's excellent, we got a room that's conveniently near to the bathroom, a TV for each bunk, an iPod deck, and the best of all -- a breath-taking rooftop view, all these with a surpisingly cheap price for a hotel tucked in the middle of Manhattan. But the hotel's price is understandably (and sadly) increasing as it gets nearer to the New Year, so we're planning to hit Ariff's friend's place in Jersey when we get back to New York after we go to Washington today.

I just don't agree with the weather much. Winter here is different from what you'll get in Europe or Australia, it's mentally freezing you. It's like you trying to sip an ice blended drink quickly, and a very quick one at that, so basically that's how you'd feel when you walk around at night with the uninvited winter wind blowing around you.

I want snow, but warmer weather. Can I?

Posted in New York City. PHOTO Midtown's skyline from Pod's rooftop, morning December 23 2008. For more pictures, see Ariff's Facebook album here. The next time you come to New York, sleep here! Unless you have so much money to waste at Warldorf-Astoria...