The best way to see the city is from afar, in my opinion. I grew up in an area of New Jersey where, if traffic and the intervening river were not an issue, I could have gotten to New York city in 15 minutes or so. Still, traffic and the intervening river usually are an issue, so we rarely ventured in.
I remember walking to my bus stop at 7:15am when I was in high school. I had to travel up one steep hill and down the other side. In the winter, I often got to see the sun rise over the city when I reached the crest of the hill. Breathtaking view.
These days, I have no real desire to get inside those borders and experience the feel of the city up close. But this vantage point? This I can appreciate.
The last time we were driving up Route 3 on the way to visit my parents, I pointed out the front window of the van and told the boys they could see the Empire State Building when we reached the top of the hill. They were duly impressed, and as such I made sure the rest of the trip was on the roads with the best views. This sudden interest in skyscrapers is what prompted our little adventure this afternoon. My mom took me, the boys, and my sister’s boys to a park in Weehawken which, for those of you not familiar with North Jersey, is right across the Hudson River from New York City. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton had their famous duel in the spot where the park – not coincidentally called Hamilton Park – now stands. I’m sure their view 203 years ago was quite different from ours today.
Summer is winding down. Just another week to go before we have a new routine to look forward to. It’s probably time to start getting ourselves used to going to bed early and getting up early as well. I’m going to miss staying in my pajamas until 10:00…
Hi!
What a beautiful view! And what handsome gentlemen… hope all 4 do well in school this year! Hmm..new routine, me NOt lookin’ forward to it.
Love your blog by the way..
Thanks! I’m really not looking forward to dragging myself out of bed every day, but having a routine at least helps me remember to do things like laundry (I say, as I look at this mountain of dirty clothes in my room…)
Great view and adorable kids….you can’t get much better than that! Lovely pictures! I’ve never been any farther north than Maryland in the eastern part of the US. I would love to see your view in person, but for now your pictures gave me a taste.
It really is spectacular. These days, though, I’m just as happy (happier, actually) to enjoy the rolling countryside views that are abundant where I currently live. It’s funny what a difference in surroundings there are just a mere hour away from the city!
[…] kids have a real sense of awe about cities, since we spend so little time in them. Mostly, we admire them from afar, enjoying the occasional New York skyline when we’re on our way to some other destination. […]