New York City 2023/24: A City on the Verge of a New Year

Well, it’s the start of another adventure.  It’s good to be back in Gotham.  It was cloudy coming into LaGuardia.  After an early flight and a cab ride into the city, we made it to Chinatown. 

Our room wasn’t ready, so we walked to Katz Deli for a Pastrami on Rye.  They have been serving them since 1899.  They have had plenty of time to get them right.    On the way to Kats, we passed many Chinese markets selling food we had never seen before.    Hope we get a chance to try all of it.

Our hotel in Chinatown is a short walk to neighboring Little Italy.   Most people think of New York as a big city, and it is that.   But, in reality, New York is a collection of villages. You have heard of many of these and many more that you haven’t.   These villages and their diversity make the city what it is, and by extension, it makes America great. 

After checking into our room, we took a 3-hour nap, catching up on the sleep we missed yesterday due to our 5am flight.   Waking up, we see that darkness has enveloped the city.   From our 12th-floor room, we can see the Empire State Building lit up In Christmas splendor.   We walk over to the Chinese grocery store next door to stock up on snacks and drinks for the room. 

Then, two blocks from our hotel, we ate at a real Chinese restaurant, far from Chinese food in most of America. After dinner, we walked over to Little Italy to get cannolis for dessert. It was a good first day in the city that never sleeps.  

The city is alive with people in anticipation of the New Year.   It’s a great feeling to be part of it all. It's going to be a wild five days, and I can't wait to experience it all.