When it came to celebrating birthdays, my mother set the bar high. The family was stationed in Germany when she commenced her 40th decade, so off to Paris she went with a number of friends. I on the other hand let each decade pass with a celebration with my friends. All celebrations were enjoyably, but relatively unremarkable. As I approached my 60th decade, I knew this was the one to celebrate in a different way. Thus began my journey to New York City, known by those who love her as NYC.
Since there is only two weeks difference in our ages (she is the oldest), my friend Debra and I planned to celebrate it together and NYC was the place of choice. As with all trips the planning and saving for the trip is part of the fun. Getting a hotel room close to Times Square (42nd Street) was a must and we chose the Iroquois Hotel (44th Street), just two blocks away, which proved to be a wise choice for a number of reasons.
Part of the planning also included choosing a Broadway show, our choice Jersey Boys and making a shopping list for Canal Street, Century 21 (near Ground Zero), Macys and Bloomingdale (the latter two a wonderful childhood memory as a result of the Christmas classic, Miracle on 34th Street). Then there were the must-sees: Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, open bus tours of the boroughs of Manhattan, Soho, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island, a visit to Ground Zero and a stroll through Tiffany's (another memory created by Breakfast at Tiffany's). The last planning item was to call my credit card company and advise them I was going to NYC and to expect charges, numerous charges. I could think of nothing worse than losing the capability of using my credit card while in NYC.
So with all the planning done my friend and I headed to NYC Thursday, Oct. 25. It was a lovely day so we checked into our hotel and quickly headed out to enjoy the city. Over the course of my career I have had the opportunity to visit every major city in Canada, but there is a certain draw to NYC and Times Square did not let us down. The billboard lights were blazing, masses of people of all ages from all cultures were strolling down the streets and experiencing what is Times Square. Toys R Us had numerous movie characters greeting us on the street, whether Darth Vader, Snow White, a Muppet or Spiderman, they were all a hit with children and adults alike. This was also the week Windows 8 was launched, so Microsoft had a city block of computers set up for people to have a 'hands on' experience of the new product. Everything NYC does is on a big scale.
On the advice of a colleague we went in search of a restaurant called the Nook. It seats between 15-20 people and you bring what you want to drink with you. It was the best Polish cuisine I have ever eaten and being a first generation Canadian with Polish heritage, my high rating of this restaurant's cuisine is credible and well researched. The trip was off to a good start and we retired early with dreams of copious shopping and a Broadway play awaiting us the next day.
We started Friday with a quick check of the news before heading out. While the weather forecast was fine, the news came that Hurricane Sandy had taken a sudden turn and appeared to be heading our way. While Deb and I openly pooh poohed the likelihood of a direct hit, inwardly I felt a little twinge in my tummy. But there was a day to enjoy, so we bought our tickets for the double decker buses that travel the boroughs and we headed to Canal Street, which is shopping Mecca for purses, watches, scarves and jewelry. This was followed by a pass by Ground Zero, where the second tower is being completed. I felt saddened by this, as to build towers on what is a massive grave site is somewhat troubling. But I also understand the symbolic message the reconstruction of the towers gives the world about the spirit of the people, the city and the country.
After this sombre moment, off we went to Century 21, which has some of the best shopping one is to ever experience. All rational thought left for several hours. We then hopped the double decker to return to Manhattan and to get ready for our Broadway show. The bus ride provides an opportunity to learn about the history of NYC, enjoy the architecture of the buildings and to be outside on a beautiful fall day seeing the leaves in all their fall colours.
We headed to a small outdoor patio restaurant and enjoyed pate, cheese and crackers with a glass of wine just before we headed off to see Broadway. The production was great, but the most significant memory for me was made in the line up to the ladies' room. While I was waiting I began to have a conversation with the young girl ahead of me. She told me she was celebrating her 30th birthday and her friends had all chipped in for her ticket. So of course I had to say that I was in fact celebrating my 60th.
Her response was to congratulate me, but quietly told me she would not be seeing her 60th. Never shy, I asked why and she told me about the cancer she had recently been diagnosed with and her fear of not making it. I saw she was trying hard to have a good time for her friends, but was frightened. So, as women of all ages do, we connected. I told her I worked for a cancer agency and began to write down some resources that would help her learn more about her upcoming journey, and told her cancer did not equate with death with huge advancements being made in successfully treating many different types. When I came out of the washroom she was waiting for me and gave me a huge hug and said she was already feeling better.
It was not lost on me that even though she was amongst friends, she was feeling alone. If entering my 60th decade means I look of an age that people feel they can turn to me for comfort and advice, I am okay with this age.
After the Broadway show we strolled down Times Square again, going into a few big stores such as Hersey to buy chocolate. It was during this walk we saw a number of young adults asking for donations. They were very professional and showed their credentials as recognized fundraisers to feed the homeless. The young man mentioned the need was going to rise quickly. My stomach twinged again and Debra and I both forked over some money.
Saturday saw us shopping again, but not before we saw the newscast for the evacuation of people being planned with Sandy hitting Monday, Oct. 29, the day of our planned departure. My friend questioned the need to plan so early and I made the observation that to move 500,000 people to non-existent housing was probably a huge feat in itself. I sent my husband an email updating him on my plans for Sunday and I gave him the first indication that Sandy was becoming more of a reality.
Sunday morning saw us going to the Metropolitan museum and enjoying a few hours taking in the Andy Warhol exhibition and of course all of the Renaissance paintings - Renoir, Cezanne, Monet. We left the museum in a wonderful peaceful mindset and decided to walk the 40 blocks back to the hotel, past Central Park and on up to Tiffany's. I noticed there were no longer any signs of homeless people on the streets. They had all been placed in shelters along with their animals.
We were now beginning to hear the stores would be closed by 4 p.m. and we headed to a couple to complete some shopping. My last purchase was a t-shirt for a new baby. By 3:30 p.m. the stores were all closed, employers were giving their staff time to get home as virtually none of them live anywhere near downtown.
By now we had both received confirmation our flights had been cancelled, as the airport was being closed. Part of emergency planning included shutting down the subways and buses by 7 p.m. This gave crews time to begin sandbagging the subway tunnels. The winds were picking up, but we continued with our birthday celebration by going to a high end restaurant. Towards the end of the meal, the waiter began urging us to leave as they were closing. So we strolled back to the hotel, and saw a very different Times Square. The only people out were tourists. There were no buses, only police and emergency vehicles with their lights flashing. Taxies and limousines were now off the streets and the bridges were closed due to high winds. It was extremely eerie to see a city normally busy to the point of madness changed into this quiet, almost abandoned, city core. We stopped for one last glass of wine at a hotel before calling it a night and bracing for the storm.
Early Monday morning we knew we were not going to be flying out Tuesday as LaGuardia airport was flooded. Monday was spent in the hotel lobby talking with other stranded tourists and watching the horror unfold in Atlantic City, Staten Island and on it went. The number of deaths increased hourly.
The hotel we were staying at had a skeleton staff that stayed at the hotel themselves. Their friendly and helpful nature to the guests never wavered. Their kitchens were down so we had to venture out to a couple of cafes that were open with limited choices from a 'hurricane menu.' We chose a cafe, went in and sat ourselves down. Two waitresses, a chef and the owners staffed the place. Even in the stress of all that was going on, humour was evident. We asked about the soup and our young waitress replied, "Oh, it was very good" and smiled. So we ordered wine, yes wine serves me well as a tool for coping. And we had another supper of pate and observed how people cope when in a situation not of their own making. We saw some anger which exhibited itself as rudeness, but for the most part I saw a city showing how well it could cope under trying conditions and how it cared for its most vulnerable population.
The mayor of NYC had frequent news conferences to answer questions and to provide New Yorkers and their guests assurance all was being done to keep them safe. The leadership he exhibited and the thoroughness of the emergency plan executed by NYC was governance at its most excellent.
Post Script
Tuesday, Oct. 29 we learned our flights were cancelled for the following day as LaGuardia was still flooded. The subways were closed due to flooding, schools were closed and NYC University Hospital had been evacuated as their backup generators did not work. And all the bridges, with the exception of one, were closed. Nothing was going to change soon, so we came up with an alternative plan to get out of the city.
We took a taxi to LaGuardia airport and though it was closed, the car rental agency was open. We rented an SUV with a GPS, took the only bridge open to exit NYC and drove to Ottawa in the tail of Sandy all the way. On our journey we noticed many power trucks heading for New York and New Jersey. On some level I knew this was part of the emergency plan, but on another level, as I view the world through a Pollyanna lens, I saw people coming to the aide of others.
In Ottawa, I caught the last flight on Tuesday to Toronto, only to hear about that city's experience with Sandy. It was an adventure I will never forget and would prefer not to experience again. But it was a rich experience and, putting everything in context, I was always safe. Lives and homes were lost; I experienced none of this travesty. I wonder what else this decade holds for me.
