Big Weekend in the Big Apple

Weekend trip to NYC | Matt Shomo

     Moving to Washington DC a few months ago, I was intimidated by the size of the city. It makes sense; my hometown has barely over 17,000 people and until January, I thought Columbus, Ohio was a really big metropolitan center. However, my views on the relative size of cities changed two weeks ago when six of the WAIP students took to NYC for a weekend getaway. 

     I had never been to the "big city" and was instantly blown away by the immense size of absolutely everything. The famous Manhattan skyline came into view miles outside the city and the anticipation continued to build until we unloaded from the bus and exited Penn Station onto 42nd Street. Everything I had heard about the NYC atmosphere was true -- my first interaction with a local even involved being scolded for walking across the crosswalk. Our group mission was simple: accomplish as many "typical" New York activities as possible in 36 hours. 

     We began our journey at Times Square, walked around upper Manhattan for a couple of hours, and eventually made our way to the New York City Public Library. After a quick guided tour, we kept the feet moving up to Central Park and thanks to a very helpful fellow tourist, took some pretty great WAIP family pics (see below). One of the highlights of the trip for me was singing along with a solo guitarist to Beatles songs in "Strawberry Fields" the area of Central Park where the John Lennon IMAGINE mosaic is located. 

     Thanks to some great planning by WAIPer Taylor, we scored some tickets to an off-Broadway show produced and directed by Andy Sandberg -- not to be confused with Andy Sanberg. Mr. Sandberg proved to be no slouch and a great time was had by all. The show was followed by some more exploring on foot; a common theme for our brief weekend in the city. Being a Manhattan rookie, I was blown away by the liveliness of the city at night and felt like I had been missing out all these years. The New York night life lived up to the expectations, and so did every other aspect of the city. 

     After staying the night in a rented out studio apartment near the Empire State Building (a much better experience than the title would lead you to believe) the adventurous Buckeyes got an early start on Sunday morning and made our way down to the financial district. First on the list was a ferry trip to Liberty Island to see Lady Liberty herself. While the statue is impressive, the view from the island was perhaps even more incredible. The mental image of the beautiful skyline on a sunny day is one that will stick with me for quite some time. Our day continued with a visit to the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center. The memorial was a powerful and unique experience due to the constant activity that surrounds the area. Typically memorials of that magnitude are very quiet and isolated but those words don't describe a single block of Manhattan. With the new One World Trade Center looming large across the street and busy tourists all around, the memorial served as a powerful reminder that even after our most tragic moments, this nation prevails and continues to inspire. A little perspective goes a long way. 

     Before I could blink, we were back on the Greyhound back to DC and the whirlwind 36 hours had come to an end. The weekend went more smoothly than anybody could have anticipated and it served as a late-semester bonding experience for the WAIP family. Without a doubt, NYC lived up to my highest expectations and I am already planning a return trip. After the 4 hour trip back to Union Station, I found myself thinking "where did all the buidlings go?" -- a phrase I never thought I could apply to our Nation's Capital.