New York City

New+York+City

Jonas Hansen, Staff Writer

My first big trip in the United States was to New York City. My brother was supposed to go with us, but he got really sick and had to come home early from college. I wasn’t sure if we were going to get to go at all. My parents thought it would be a good idea for my mom and I to go and separate us since he was so contagious. It turned out to be an amazing trip.

We rode the train there. My mom and I picked it up at the Baltimore airport. It was interesting to compare it to the train system in Germany. We take the train everywhere. It wasn’t as modern, but we made it there.

It was incredible to get off the train and emerge right outside Madison Square Garden. The traffic, the noises, all of the people, and the tall buildings so close together was unbelievable. We walked two blocks to our hotel. We stayed in a historic one; The Wolcott. My mom really loved the original decorations. I wasn’t interested in that. I just liked the fact that I was finally in NYC!

After we settled in, we walked to the zoo. I loved the penguin exhibit and the sea lions. Afterward, we walked through the park and up to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was my mom’s idea. I had to go along with her; after all, she did agree to take me to the city. Then we went to the top of The Rock. We got some incredible pictures. It was kind of cloudy at that time but we could still see a lot.

The next day we woke up and went to the Empire State Building, then to the 9/11 Museum. It was very moving. I didn’t know it was built in the exact spot where the towers went down. We watched a movie and toured the entire museum. We spent half the day there. When we went outside, it was pouring rain. My mom and I had to walk a few blocks to find a cab. When we did, we rode to the Village to eat at The Meatball Shop. New York really does have amazing food! After watching a movie, we walked all through Times Square. We got to see Alicia Keys as well.

On our third day, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Talk about some incredible pictures! At the end, we ate pizza at Grimaldi’s. I think it was the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life. We had two of the biggest pizzas I’d ever seen; we had so much left over we could eat them on the train.

New York City was a remarkable trip and I enjoyed myself very much. I can’t wait to go back and experience more of the city life.