Here we three were on a chilly December evening huddled together for a group snapshot. A fellow tourist was kind enough take our picture for us with my borrowed Kodak Instamatic.
What a sight we were, three former restaurant co-workers just at the point in each of our lives when we were just setting out to explore new horizons. But tonight, the horizon could be seen far off in the distance in the fading twilight, co-illuminated by the thousands of lights twinkling across the landscape of all of New York City. For tonight we were on top of the world...or at least as close to it as we could manage...on top of the Empire State Building.
I had dreamed of this magnificent city for years. I ran away from home with the ill-thought out plan of coming here when I was six. I collected postcards, photos and other memorabilia of this city since as far back as I can remember. I was allowed to let my muse run wild one day in 6th grade after a drawing I started depicting my minds-eye view of a New York City panorama during the morning art lessons turned into an elaborate project. I dreamed of being a famous artist, attending avant-guarde parties with the likes of Truman Capote, Jackie O and Andy Warhol and after a long night of revelry, retiring to my fabulously appointed penthouse overlooking Central Park.
So for me this trip was a landmark event because it was my first visit. My first trip to a city I'd long ago fallen in love with from afar. So you can imagine I had high expectations. And of course, my beloved Big Apple didn't let me down.
This was the first trip here for any of us, actually. Michael P. who always tried to impress everyone he met whether it was at work at HoJo's or out in the gay clubs of Providence with his worldly demeanor, had not yet been here 'till now. Michelle was kinda new to everything. Before HoJo's she'd lived a very sheltered North Smithfield teen-aged life. After a few choir practices, she was warped goods for life, like all of us. HoJo's had that effect on you. And due to her naivete, she was the biggest gawker of the three of us, yet I knew I had to forcibly restrain my awe and amazement over the sights of this town, as did Michael, I'm sure.
We planned this trip a couple months before. We picked this time just before Christmas so we could see seasonal sights like Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree, shop Macy's and Sack's Fifth Avenue for gifts and smell hot roasting chestnuts from the street vendors carts. Turns out it was everything we could have hoped for.
The weather was cool but very mild...perfect for lots of walking and sightseeing. We hit the museums, shopped, ate at great restaurants, saw "42nd Street" on Broadway...the whole touristy thing. Due to the fact we wanted to stay within a tight budget we stayed primarily uptown so we didn't venture downtown to see the Statue of Liberty, Wall St., or the World Trade Center. We even squeezed in a hansom cab ride through Central Park. That was a hoot!
We went on a tour of Radio City Music Hall and our obviously-"family" guide told us that not long ago he met none other than Barbara Streisand in the very elevator we were in and when he innocently told her how much he was a fan of hers, she looked at him as if he were a bug and shrieked "Why do you people have to bother me all the time!" and stormed out of the elevator once it came to a stop. Needless to say, he relegated her albums to the bottom of his pile from then on.
As our group exited the elevator, we had our own brush with greatness. "Ladies and Gentlemen!", our guide halted us in mid-step and exclaimed, "That man right over there is famed designer Calvin Klien!". Calvin Klien heard him from across the room, peered at us and gave a slight wave...and then quickly left. I think Michael's heart skipped a beat.
On another night we were walking from our hotel towards Broadway to have dinner and then go to our show. On the way, we passed by this trailer parked outside a theater and I noticed it was filled with all sorts of electronic equipment. I recognized it must be a sound trailer for some TV broadcast inside the theater. Thinking it might be for someone famous I asked the guy inside who this was for. He told me it was for a new up-and-coming comedienne. She was doing a one-woman show. "Her name is Whoopi Goldberg", he informed the three of us as if we might have some sway over the future of her fledgling career.
We thanked him and Michael, Michelle and I continued on our way. "Have you ever heard of her?", I asked Michael. "No, you?", he asked Michelle who just shook her head. "Hmm, maybe someday she'll be famous and we can think back to when we "knew her" back in the day.", I thought.
What a sight we were, three former restaurant co-workers just at the point in each of our lives when we were just setting out to explore new horizons. But tonight, the horizon could be seen far off in the distance in the fading twilight, co-illuminated by the thousands of lights twinkling across the landscape of all of New York City. For tonight we were on top of the world...or at least as close to it as we could manage...on top of the Empire State Building.
I had dreamed of this magnificent city for years. I ran away from home with the ill-thought out plan of coming here when I was six. I collected postcards, photos and other memorabilia of this city since as far back as I can remember. I was allowed to let my muse run wild one day in 6th grade after a drawing I started depicting my minds-eye view of a New York City panorama during the morning art lessons turned into an elaborate project. I dreamed of being a famous artist, attending avant-guarde parties with the likes of Truman Capote, Jackie O and Andy Warhol and after a long night of revelry, retiring to my fabulously appointed penthouse overlooking Central Park.
So for me this trip was a landmark event because it was my first visit. My first trip to a city I'd long ago fallen in love with from afar. So you can imagine I had high expectations. And of course, my beloved Big Apple didn't let me down.
This was the first trip here for any of us, actually. Michael P. who always tried to impress everyone he met whether it was at work at HoJo's or out in the gay clubs of Providence with his worldly demeanor, had not yet been here 'till now. Michelle was kinda new to everything. Before HoJo's she'd lived a very sheltered North Smithfield teen-aged life. After a few choir practices, she was warped goods for life, like all of us. HoJo's had that effect on you. And due to her naivete, she was the biggest gawker of the three of us, yet I knew I had to forcibly restrain my awe and amazement over the sights of this town, as did Michael, I'm sure.
We planned this trip a couple months before. We picked this time just before Christmas so we could see seasonal sights like Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree, shop Macy's and Sack's Fifth Avenue for gifts and smell hot roasting chestnuts from the street vendors carts. Turns out it was everything we could have hoped for.
The weather was cool but very mild...perfect for lots of walking and sightseeing. We hit the museums, shopped, ate at great restaurants, saw "42nd Street" on Broadway...the whole touristy thing. Due to the fact we wanted to stay within a tight budget we stayed primarily uptown so we didn't venture downtown to see the Statue of Liberty, Wall St., or the World Trade Center. We even squeezed in a hansom cab ride through Central Park. That was a hoot!
We went on a tour of Radio City Music Hall and our obviously-"family" guide told us that not long ago he met none other than Barbara Streisand in the very elevator we were in and when he innocently told her how much he was a fan of hers, she looked at him as if he were a bug and shrieked "Why do you people have to bother me all the time!" and stormed out of the elevator once it came to a stop. Needless to say, he relegated her albums to the bottom of his pile from then on.
As our group exited the elevator, we had our own brush with greatness. "Ladies and Gentlemen!", our guide halted us in mid-step and exclaimed, "That man right over there is famed designer Calvin Klien!". Calvin Klien heard him from across the room, peered at us and gave a slight wave...and then quickly left. I think Michael's heart skipped a beat.
On another night we were walking from our hotel towards Broadway to have dinner and then go to our show. On the way, we passed by this trailer parked outside a theater and I noticed it was filled with all sorts of electronic equipment. I recognized it must be a sound trailer for some TV broadcast inside the theater. Thinking it might be for someone famous I asked the guy inside who this was for. He told me it was for a new up-and-coming comedienne. She was doing a one-woman show. "Her name is Whoopi Goldberg", he informed the three of us as if we might have some sway over the future of her fledgling career.
We thanked him and Michael, Michelle and I continued on our way. "Have you ever heard of her?", I asked Michael. "No, you?", he asked Michelle who just shook her head. "Hmm, maybe someday she'll be famous and we can think back to when we "knew her" back in the day.", I thought.