New York, New York (a little creative writing)

You hear a siren in the distance. Suddenly there are more. Fire engines and ambulances are sounding the alarm, multiplying like white blood cells fighting an infection. Their chaotic orchestra bouncing off walls and down alleyways, penetrating deep into the heart of Brooklyn. It's impossible to tell from which direction the sound is coming from.

You walk passed seemingly identical shops, deli's and corner-store's, their owners sending fresh stock through cellar doors down into the basement. Continuing down the street you hear the low rumble of a train, passing just metres beneath you, carrying hundreds of passengers into Manhattan. Across the road you notice a basketball court surrounded by chain link fence. Young kids gathered around, ready to hone their skills in the hopes that someday they will make it big, and maybe play in the NBA.

Suddenly the warm smell of exhaust and steam is replaced by smoked meats and spices. A throng of food vendors have set up shop, ready to feed any and all who pass. A taxi blares its horn as it careens around the corner, narrowly missing a mob of eager pedestrians. Further along you pass a park of sorts. A reclamation project... a public garden. Looming on either side of the property, are tall narrow brick houses; Brownstones. Their crumbling brick and foggy windows revealing the structures age. The city's age.

People always say New York exhibits a certain personality; that it is as much alive as the people who inhabit it. And it's true. I was only able to spend two days there, but even then I could feel it. Each neighbourhood and borough was different from the rest. Something about this city grabbed ahold of me, and wouldn't let go. Just being there, anywhere, felt like an experience on its own.
I would walk until I got lost, and then walk some more. I didn't want to just hop on and off the subway, suddenly arriving in a new neighbourhood. I wanted to see the transitions, the invisible borders where things slowly changed into something different.

I managed to fit in some of the touristy stuff. The Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and the top of the Rockafeller Center. On impulse I even got in to see a show on Broadway. But mostly, I walked. I walked from Brooklyn to Central park, and by the end of the day I'm not sure I could have walked much more, and it was all worth it. If you get the chance, I really recommend visiting NYC. It took me by surprise how much I enjoyed it, and I hope I get a chance to go back someday.