Why I Love New York City

Residents and visitors either love New York City - or hate it.

I've heard every argument against NYC, and many of them have merit. "It's too crowded." "It's too noisy." "It smells bad." "I hate snow." "It's so expensive."

Most of those apply at times, but NYC is a truly great city...many say "the greatest city in the world." If you are an artist of any sort, you have to love it. The [artistic] amenities cannot be matched anywhere in the world. If you are a sports fan, a foodie, a health nut, or a lover of things exotic and interesting, you also have to love New York City. If you are not any of those things, you probably love it anyways.

Here's a typical week for me (last week):

Last weekend I went to a Yankees game with my best friends MJ and BTA. We also went to Ellis Island to hunt for records of BTA's relatives, ate a fantastic dinner in Little Italy, enjoyed Greek food in Astoria, Queens, and tore up the Lower East Side (a few times).

On Wednesday, I went with my great friend Heather to the Bronx Zoo, the largest metropolitan zoo in the USA. I saw lions, and tigers, and bears (yes, you can say the next line on your own). And gorillas. You can get right up next to gorillas at the Bronx Zoo...

The next day President Robert Sirota of the Manhattan School of Music hosted a BBQ for school staff on his rooftop terrace - 18 stories above the city and overlooking the beautiful Hudson River. Eating good food, drinking fine wine, and looking out at the mighty Hudson River (and Riverside Church and Grant's Tomb) on a beautiful sunny day in June...a good time was had by all.

A few days later, Taylor and I went to Lincoln Center to watch American Ballet Theater perform Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. It was beautiful, as always. One of the great treasures of New York City is Lincoln Center with it's multiple theaters. The Metropolitan Opera House, where ABT performs, is the most magnificent.

The Metropolitan Opera House

Me and Taylor at intermission

Two days later, I found myself in Brooklyn Bridge Park (in Brooklyn, under said bridge), conducing a "flashmob opera" for American Opera Projects, Make Music NY, and Sing for Hope. Three singers, a pianist, and I performed scenes from Gregory Spears' Paul's Case (you may remember I conducted this opera back in March.

I am a bike nut, so I rode my bike there, then over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan where we performed two more shows (in Columbus Circle and Central Park). All performances were exactly as we hoped - interesting, quirky, and unexpected (by the bystanders, at least). More on this soon.

Today I woke with a hankerin' for a solid breakfast, so I wandered over to Tastee Korner on the corner of 31st Street and 30th Avenue in Astoria, and had a serious breakfast for $5.25.

After breakfast I rode my bike over the Triborough Bridge (now known as RFK Bridge) to Ward's Island (the whole island - almost - is a park), then over the Harlem Foot Bridge (AKA Ward's Island Bridge) into Manhattan, through Central Park, and to my office on the Upper West Side.

Flowers on the bike path on Ward's Island.

The view south from the Harlem Footbridge - the East River

Tonight I played softball with my colleagues from MSM. Tomorrow I will take a swim in Flushing, NY, ride my bicycle on Long Island, and eat Egyptian food before Taylor and I go to New York City Ballet to see the premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen's new violin concerto/ballet. On Tuesday, I'll be attending the New York Philharmonic.

Seriously. This is a typical week. I love this city.

The Triborough Bridge to Queens, from Ward's Island - my commute home.