First Night...

After my friend Shila dropped me off at the airport, I learned that I had been bumped to a flight that flew into New York from Chicago's O'Hare. There was a big snow storm in Denver that was wreaking all kinds of havoc. Also, a bonus, I would arrive in New York 40 minutes earlier. Sign me up... wait a minute, until I boarded realized it was one of those little Skywest planes. Instantly I was claustrophobic, but after a few hours crammed into a seat like a sardine I was finally in Chicago.

I discovered while traveling between terminals one of the coolest things I've seen in an airport It was straight out of a science fiction movie. The glowing walls and rhythmic neon art instillation over head-- I loved it.

The second coolest thing I've seen in an airport was in the men's restroom. How far we've come! A toilet seat cover that automatically changes between uses. I had to take a picture. Flickr doesn't get the credit for this one. As soon as I landed in the Windy City I was taking off for New York. It was a much more comfortable flight on a bigger plane. I felt like a high roller by this point.

Derek greeted me on the porch, or as I preferred to call it, his stoop. He graciously offered me some healthy delicious pizza. I was starving at this point, it goes without saying that I inhaled it. I bought my first Metro Card, and took my first ever New York subway ride. After which we headed out to the Village to check out Stonewall and Duplex, two popular hang outs.

After a few drinks, we did a little late night site seeing. session. Once I found out we were blocks away from Carrie Bradshaw's brownstone, I made it my mission to track it down. Which we did. [See pictures in a post below.] That was one highlight of the night.

We also walked through NYU and Washington Square where I saw the famous arch. The park was being renovated so there was fences surrounding it. The Christmas tree was being decorated, but not finished (!?). I'm posting a few Flickr pics of what it looked like, and once it got the switched flipped on. It was beautiful even with the mess going on around it.

It was a utterly fantastic first day in NYC. You had to pinch me to remind me it was real! I had a blast and must have been thinking of it as I dozed off that night. Tina Fey made an appearance in my dreams. Another highlight! It's not every day that you dream you're an extra on your favorite show 30 Rock! If the first night was any indication, this was going to be the best trip ever!

Fun Fact: At about 1am on June 28, 1969, the gay bar known as the Stonewall Inn was raided by the police setting off events that resulted in the birth of the modern gay and lesbian rights movement. Although the raid itself was not an unusual event, the fact that bar patrons fought back, forcing the police to retreat, galvanized the community. The anniversary is celebrated annually around the world with parades and other gay pride events. It closed in late 1969. It remained empty for over 20 years. It was revitalized in the late 1990's and became a popular multi-floor nightclub until it closed again in 2006 when management lost its lease. Under the new management of the next door Duplex Piano Bar, it reopened in 2007.
The Stonewall Inn is located in the Greenwich Village Historic District, designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1969.

Fun Fact: In 1889, to celebrate the centennial of George Washington's inauguration as president of the United States, a large plaster and wood Memorial Arch was erected over Fifth Avenue just north of Washington Park. The temporary plaster and wood arch was so popular that in 1892 a permanent marble arch was built. During the excavations for the eastern leg of the arch, human remains, a coffin and a gravestone dated 1803 were uncovered.