Central Park

Some things in New York are not as they seem in the movies. Actually a lot is not how it seems. For one, the first week I was here, I was positive that if I went outside after dark, I was going to be mugged. Now, I did have to go out a few times after dark to take out the trash, get my laundry and walk across the street to the grocery store. I did not get mugged. I was also sure, at this time, that if I used the subway, I would be mugged. No seriously... You walk down the subway stairs, swipe your metro card and someone will be waiting to hold you up and take all your money. turns out this isn't true either. There was however the unfortunate time that first week here where I sought out the nearest Target store, in BROOKLYN by the way, and I had to take the SUBWAY at NIGHT. Ya, as far as I was concerned, I might as well have handed my purse to the nearest and scariest person and just walked away. My friends in Ohio were also concerned with my safety. I remember telling a girl at work that I was moving to New York, and she was like, "O my god, you're going to get shot." Well so far, I have not been shot, and no one has tried to beat me up or anything. Believe it or not, there are not "hoodlums" walking around Midtown with brass knuckles beating up old women, at least as far as I can see. Okay, so I was wrong. I may overreacted a tad. So things in NYC are not as scary as they look on the movies.


One place, however, is exactly how it seems in the movies. Yesterday I went rollerblading in Central Park. Which by the way is about 6 mi. Yeah me! I saw everything from ponds with boats and fountains to statues of all kinds of people. My favorite was the Alice in Wonderland statue. Central Park, to a Midwesterner, is magical. As I skated around, dodging bike carriages and small children, I was in awe of how such a beautiful, lush, green oasis can exist in the concrete jungle that is Manhattan. The ponds and fountains are brimming with beauty, and you can't help but get the feeling that you are in a movie. In fact, if you go far enough inside Central Park, you can't even hear the horn honking, pedestrian dodging madness of Manhattan traffic. I have to admit I did get lost, but because it was the middle of the afternoon, it seemed more like an adventure than cause for concern. There is an underlying worry in Central Park though. Because in the movies, Central Park at night seems very scary. Like in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, sorry for the strange reference, a fight scene occurs there where one of the green heroes is gravely injured. Similar scenes can be found in a handful of Hollywood productions including Men in Black and just about every other NYPD Blue and Law and Order. I'm not saying for sure if it is truly as scary at night as they make it seem, but don't worry Dad, I'm not going to find out. Officially though, Central Park is my favorite. It kind of reminds me of home. Not that Ohio is magical by any means, but it's green. In Central Park, I get the same familiar safe feeling of happiness. I love exploring, and in Central Park, there are plenty of places to help quench my curiosity.