Lost Its Appeal

When I visited NYC in my 30s and 40s, I absolutely loved it.  I found the energy infectious and enjoyed all the city had to offer.  But now that I'm 60, I feel differently.  I no longer have the endurance or patience to happily deal with crushing crowds several days in a row.

Nevertheless, we had a lot of fun on our five-day getaway.  My favorite activity was a food tour of the Nolita (north of Little Italy)/NoHo (north of Houston Street) area.  That section of the city is less congested than midtown, which made it pleasant to walk through.  Our guide was excellent and, over the three hours, we ate enough to satisfy lunch.  I especially enjoyed learning about restaurants I never would have previously considered.

My second favorite activity was the musical, Chicago.  We waited nearly an hour in the cheap ticket line to get a 40 percent discount, yet still paid nearly $190 for two seats.  Nevertheless, the show was extremely entertaining.  And it was great to sit so close we could clearly see all the dance gyrations and facial expressions.

Since our son and daughter-in-law now live on Long Island, we definitely will return to NYC.  I'm just hoping the crowds this time were a little heavier due to the holiday weekend.  And I'm also hoping some of my impatience was due to a respiratory infection and being tired from dealing with so much at home.  Whatever the reasons, I'm sure I'll be ready to tackle the city, again, in the future.  But, for an older me, NYC definitely has lost some of its appeal.