Tawking, Wawking and Drinking Cawfee: Ode to the Big Apple

Anyone who truly knows me understands that no matter where I live, I will always be a New York girl. My upbringing becomes quite evident when my vernacular automatically shifts while among family and friends who are also native to the lower portion of the state. I am also the consummate tourist, scouting out new locations for dining, entertainment and just relaxing. I find comfort when I return to town after a long residency elsewhere in the U.S. to discover that those off the beaten path, only a New Yorker would know, staple hangouts, are still there. This is my ode to the Big Apple.

My love for New York did not begin when I entered adulthood, it started early. During the third grade, my mother played the song “Native New Yorker” by Odyssey almost every day of my life. While my brother and I would roll our eyes and say, “There she goes again,” we eventually recorded the words not only into our memories, but our spirits. It was kind of odd back then to hear a young child sing the mature lyrics like they had already lived them, but it was simmering in my blood. This was not my mother’s intent, but somehow the message rang clear as I watched her sing every word and sway in a trance-like rhythm even though she was tone deaf and could not dance a lick. It did not take long for me to realize that this song transported her to another place, a time before a husband and children. Although I did not fully understand, I sensed the need to one day live those lyrics.

That was just the beginning. Beyond the music was also my mother’s desire to expose my brother and me to all of New York State, not just the city. A complicated woman as she was, who at times left me at odds with her, gave what she could to enrich her children’s lives. So, after relocating to Long Island, we maintained a constant connection to our Brooklyn roots through church, family, and cultural events. What she did not know how to show us, she allowed others to fill in.

Although tourism is still a major draw for New York City, the state gets a bad rap for being one dimensional. It is as if the city highlights are all there is to offer. Tourists typically have their eyes set on the mainstream attractions like the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Rockefeller Center. What most people do not know is that New York State doesn’t just mean skyscrapers, shopping, museums, food, and nightlife. It is farms, nature, adventure, culture, history, and tranquility. The secret is you can find these things in the city too. You just have to know where to look. The lessons one is capable of learning when willing to encompass the entirety of New York, extends beyond the standard classroom and the information is retained longer.

For example, to add to our sphere of New York diversity, my mother took us yearly to admire Christmas window displays at department stores in Manhattan and mega-house decorations on Long Island. There were also hiking trails at Bear Mountain, attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, fishing trips upstate, legislative lobbying at the capitol in Albany, cooling off from the summer heat at Jones Beach, buying fresh seafood on Freeport’s Nautical Mile, amusement rides and eating frog legs at Coney Island, rock collecting off the shores of Montauk, family picnics at Heckscher State Park, learning about the stalactites and stalagmites in Howe Caverns, and attending powwows on the Shinnecock Reservation. Not to mention the memorable trips to the racetrack, Belmont, Aqueduct, and Yonkers. It got to the point that my brother and I befriended other kids whose parents were also regulars. Can someone say, “gamblers anonymous,” (smile). I would also be remiss if I did not mention sampling the variety of ethnic foods as we scouted the town in search of the best pizza, franks, and pastrami sandwich on rye. She-made-me-love-New York.

My love was satiated further when, after returning home from college in Virginia, I did what most twenty somethings do, I became a regular to the club scene. I danced my way across the city and Long Island, all the while learning how to navigate the trains, highways, tunnels, and bridges. It was my mother who taught me about highway travel in New York, explaining that all I needed to know is which direction the highway extended, whether north-south or east-west. As long as I knew where I lived in relation to this, I could always find my way home. This Dora the Explorer lesson was most helpful as I became a part of an elite membership of New Yorkers who have been employed in every borough of the city and the Long Island counties. With this knowledge I have traveled all over this great state and still have much more to explore.

I welcome anyone who is willing to share my love of New York on a tourist adventure. If you are looking to visit New York and you want an experience beyond the obvious attractions, then email me at justpaiger3@gmail.com. You will not be disappointed.