New York in a Day
At a photoshoot for work I met a woman who hadn't been to New York City since she was in fourth grade. But she was back, staying in Brooklyn for the photoshoot and with an extra day after wrapping to explore the city. The one thing she knew she wanted to do was go to the SUMMIT at One Vanderbilt, but she was turning to the rest of us for recommendations on what to do and what to eat. And I found myself wondering, how can you possibly do New York City justice in one day?
Start the day with a bagel, sure. Have some pizza for lunch, why not? Explore Central Park. Have a brush with death when a pigeon flies into your face. Break your neck gazing at the Grand Central ceiling. Gather views from the Empire State Building, or 30 Rock, or The Edge in Hudson Yards. Grab a bodega coffee. Walk through a thick wave of street meat aroma. Take a clunky Citi Bike across the Brooklyn Bridge. Times Square, if ya nasty. Sure, it's possible to do all of this in one day, but even then, would you really be experiencing New York?
I've lived here for four years now, and I am still getting acquainted with the City every day. All the time I find myself exploring corners of neighborhoods I've never seen, walking streets I've never walked, getting to see the City from new angles. Each subway ride brings a new set of thrills—what type of weirdo will you be sharing a car with today? Even on my commute to work, which takes a subway ride and then a walk, I am noticing things I've never seen before. Storefronts are changing every day. People come and go. The city is constantly in flux, making it impossible for any two people to have the same New York experience, or for any one person to have the same New York experience from one day to the next.
I am sure the same can be said by a local of any city, anywhere in the world. This woman I mention comes from outside Memphis, and I am sure a Memphis native would have an overflowing cache of knowledge and recommendations for me should I visit. Every city is unique and complex, impossible to grasp in a single day. But hey, you might as well try!
Her plight had me wondering, after living here for four years, what I would do to get the most of the city in one day. The simplest answer: just take a walk. Pick a starting point, forego a planned endpoint, and just stroll. Take yourself from neighborhood to neighborhood. People watch. Stop into a pizza place here and a bakery there, without too much research beforehand. That way, your New York experience is purely yours, and not the experience someone else has already lived for you and recommends to their millions of TikTok followers. A more practical person might recommend the hop-on, hop-off bus tour for a comprehensive picture. But I say, just walk. Get on some comfy shoes and put one foot in front of the other across our dog shit-stained pavement.
I've come to realize that New York really is the greatest city in the world. Despite all the scaffolding and cranes, the mental health crisis among the unhoused, the constant honking, and the cost of living, there is no place I would rather be at this point in my life. How do you possibly soak in all that greatness in one day? You do your darndest, that's how. And know that no single day in the City is going to capture its essence. Respect the fact that you can't judge a city from a mere twelve hours of roaming its streets or eating its food or experiencing its people. Real appreciation comes with time, and as I've said, I am not sure I've even reached that point yet.
There is a reason so many artists live here. The inspiration is rife. So is the hardship. So is the love and respect for the City's unique mishmash of cultures. So, if like this woman you plan to spend a single day getting to know New York, my first response would be a sarcastic "good luck." But my second thought is one of hope, because in a city so saturated with adventure, each day holds the possibility of intrigue and discovery. Be that annoying slow walker and soak in all NYC has to offer. My bet is you'll be back.