Manhattan

Oh Manhattan!

The best place to be in the world. I have been there only thrice in my life but the memories of it will never go away. People generally fantasize about a green, verdant getaway away from the so-called hustle-bustle of the city. I on the other hand, dream of getting away to the most vibrant city in the world - the big apple.

My fascination for the place was probably founded in my reading of Ayn Rand in those impressionable years. She eulogizes Manhattan as the amazing landmark of man's ingenuity. Everything from the skyscrapers to the subway network going down five levels under the ground in some places, has been made by man. How else can a tiny island become the commercial capital of the entire world?

I love the sights of Manhattan. The yellow cabs. The cops directing traffic. Hundreds of people crossing the road when the signal turns to 'walk'. Rows upon rows of shop windows. Scaffoldings on building fronts. Bums on the sidewalks. Lights at Times Square. You just have to look up and you can see the amazing shapes that the sky takes in the middle of the skyscrapers. Ayn Rand would have surely approved how man's intellect has made a work of art out of the boundless sky by giving it boundaries.



















I love the sounds of Manhattan. The constant siren wails. The rushing of the subway train under the sidewalk. The noise of the incessant traffic. A trumpet player in the subway station. In the midst of all that cacophony, if you listen carefully, you can actually hear the music of Manhattan. The sounds somehow reflect the complete harmony of the millions of humans and machines coexisting in a tightly cramped space.

I even love the smells of Manhattan. The petrol fumes. The pizza flavours wafting out of the pizzerias. The tantalizing coffee smells from the hundreds of Starbucks scattered all over the island. At the southern tip, you can even get the smell of the sea if the wind is right. They say the sense of smell provides the maximum nostalgia. And Manhattan in all its smells makes an indelible impression on the visitor.

But above all, I love Manhattan for the way it can be represented as a person.

It is systematic and orderly. There are parallel, criss-crossing streets and avenues which makes it absolutely impossible to get lost in there.

It is obviously wealthy. But quite understated. The Waldorf barely has a porch that opens out to a sidewalk! A millionaire walks to work with a coffee and a bagel because she can't find parking space. I love that about Manhattan.

It keeps its distance from people. It does not get in your face. Nobody is too interested in their neighbours' lives. It can be cold and distant but it cares.

It is balanced. It has a huge, natural ecosystem in the middle of a concrete jungle.

It is tasteful. One of the world's fashion capitals and some of the best museums in the world. At the same time extremely grounded in practical reality.

So there you have it. Manhattan anthropomorphised. Systematic, orderly, wealthy, down to earth, understated, distanced, caring, balanced, tasteful and realistic.

No wonder I will probably be most at home there.


-- Post From My iPhone