CLOSING ONE CHAPTER – OPENING A NEW CHAPTER

June 18, 2020By 32

This Blog is long overdue, but so many things happened worldwide ….

 

After almost 21 years in New York, it is time to open a new chapter and move to a new place in a new state.
By now, we all know how fast the Covid-19 took over. NYC was not prepared. March 16 was my last day in the city which was three weeks before my official retirement day. Manhattan I left, was not the city just a few weeks earlier.

 

Cindy and I have said goodbye to New York City with a crying and a laughing eye.

 

Below are things I will miss, and those I will not miss.

 

Note that Blog has more pictures than usual. During my last working month, I starting looking for pictures to represent NYC during this time. There are thirty one photos, one each day. They show what I love about NYC and what I will not miss.

 

The saying goes that pictures say a 1000 words, but interestingly, sometimes you still need some words to describe a scene.

 

Let’s start with things I don’t miss anymore.

  • There are too many homeless people in the city, when I walked early morning from the train station to the office for work. 

P1020378

  • It doesn’t matter where you are. On the 19th floor in the office, walking the streets or riding the CitiBike, the sound of fire trucks and ambulances are non-stop. So are horns that honk.
  • If I were Mayor in the city, I would forbid honking. Drivers not just quickly tap the horn. They angrily press for a long time. When I then shout at them “Stop honking”, they show me the finger. Haha, I still take it personally when somebody does that to me.
  • When I walk into the office, and it has 2 entry doors, I hold the first one open for somebody. That somebody passes me, doesn’t thank me, opens the second door and lets it go. The doors slam in front of my nose.
  • I took the elevator to the 19th floor several times per day, up and down. The elevator is small and can hold about ten people. I can almost count on one hand the times  I had a nice talk with somebody. Most of the time, people, young and old, walk-in, head down, focused on their phone, swiping through Instagram pictures, or look at the home screen, thinking which app they should open. Open one, close it after a few seconds, open another one …. and soon we arrive at the lobby, head down and out they walk. No good-bye, no eye contact, no have a great rest of your day. I used to say “have a great evening” or ”enjoy your lunch”. People looked at me like “who is this person”? Sometimes I got a smile back.
  • Too many people spit on the street, and too many dog walkers don’t clean up their dog’s poop. What’s up with that? 
  • I am definitely not going to miss the Long Island Railroad. I’ve seen and rode many train lines all over the world and I have to say this is one of the worst. Often I felt like I was commuting on a train in a third world country. After a while, I stopped relying on their schedule for timeliness. 

Maybe all of the above sounds bad to you. But if you know me, you know that I like the beauty of life. Therefore, I try to concentrate on exciting and beautiful things. And OMG, there is so much to like in New York City.

  • The architecture is extraordinary. From old to brand new. There are masterpieces everywhere.

P1020540

  • Central Park is an oasis in the middle of this huge city. Once you are in the park, there is no city noise anymore. Grass, trees, and wildlife greet you.
  • It is a great walking city. On a typical working day, I walked between 15,000 to 20,000 steps. I loved to walk to the office and kept my eyes open for something special. My little camera was always ready to capture it.
  • The diversity of the people. I often told myself how fortunate I am to live where so many nations live in one place.
  • Bob Dylan concerts. Haha, I have to say that. Dylan likes to play in NYC around Thanksgiving. In 2019 he played for ten evenings. I went to 3 of his concerts :). When he doesn’t play in the city, he plays outside town close by. 
  • Opera, classical music, plays on or Off-Broadway. There is not enough time (and money) ) to see all you would be interested in.
  • Museums. It is a city with not just a few museums, but many, many and Cindy and I were not able to see all of them. 
  • NYC is surrounded by water. Big cruise ships enter and leave the harbor almost every day. Well, that part I will not see in our new hometown.
  • You can be a nobody in NYC. There are so many people walking around, you can walk for miles, and nobody will notice you. It is a refreshing feeling from time to time.
  • The office we had at Dover Windows was incredible. It had so much light, big windows facing south and a great view. We had many successful meetings with architects and owners. Of course, there was a Nespresso machine whenever the desire came up to have a delicious espresso or cappuccino.
  • In wintertime, the subways are nice and warm …. in the summertime, well not that pleasant. Sticky and hot. And smelly.
  • We are going to miss our wonderful house in Glen Head and our neighbors who couldn’t have been nicer. We really miss our neighbors and all the friends we made back East.

Here are a few pictures, mainly from my last month in the city.

 

We closed this chapter. It was exciting, rewarding, and fascinating.

 

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

P1020716