New York, New York: So Good They Named It Twice?

Everyone seems to love it, yet I can’t find an ounce of awe in New York City.

People’s eyes light up when they hear the words New York City. Glamorized images of Fifth Avenue, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty cross their minds and most are overcome with a desire to visit the city. But when I hear New York City, I think of traffic, smog, and the occasional Mets fan who actually thinks the Mets matter.

Back when I lived in upstate New York, the city was only good for cheap flights to Europe and Yankee games. Other than that, it was a waste of time. At that point I was speaking as a country girl, but now that I’ve traded in my country roots for a blatant love of city life, I still feel a certain detachment from the NYC hype.

A weekend excursion this summer sustained my anti-NYC feelings, but I did lighten up a bit when it came to accepting the city for what it is; I warmed to the fast-paced groove on the packed out sidewalks, I craved the grub from the myriad of curbside pizza places, and I felt humbled by the grandiose skyscrapers surrounding me.

My brother Mark and I hitched a scenic ride on the train from Albany-Rensselaer straight to Penn Station. A few hours in the comfortable coach flew by and views of rolling green hills turned to graffiti brick walls in no time.

Picking a hotel in New York City can be a challenge, so be sure to have hotels.com and tripadvisor.com both up and running while selecting where to stay. The candid traveler photos will be your best friend and could save you a nightmarish experience. We booked The New Yorker Ramada a few months in advance for a reasonable rate of about $150 a night. The location was perfection, as it was across the street from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.

This midtown Manhattan hotel, like others, may fool you with a glamorous lobby, but the rooms are no where near impressive. The space was passable, however, and the views 26 floors up were spectacular.

We took to the streets the moment we arrived and found our area was bustling with a variety of restaurants. The food can range from oober expensive to cheap dollar meals, so your best bet is to walk around and try to find an interesting/affordable posted menu.

Halal Pizza & Bakery Inc, 521 8th Avenue (between 36/37th Streets), was an absolute God-send. This 24-hour walk up pizza place has amazing New York style pizza for about 99 cents each. It beat the Pizza Tour of Vancouver with Alicia & crew tenfold. If you’re looking for a sit-down slice, look no further than a few doors up… you’re surrounded by glorious pizza in this city.

A set menu meal was also had at a charming new fusion Asian/Indian restaurant on 8th Avenue. Spring rolls for appetizers, tikka masala for the main course, and a delectable mango mousse for dessert totaled $20, a steal for dinner in midtown Manhattan.

We met up with friends on Sunday and roamed Times Square where we caught a glimpse of the MTV studios, stopped by the Virgin Megastore, and took in the onslaught of outdoor ads above our heads. Mark got in a hilarious row with a misinformed Mets fan after he spotted all of our Yankee hats. Then we made our way down to the subway and tried to figure out the system.

For a few dollars we zipped underground from midtown to lower Manhattan to see Ground Zero. Seeing this area was emotional on many levels, and the site itself was huge and piled high in construction. The mood was quiet and somber as people looked through chain-linked fences to see what remained of the World Trade Centers. A sign was posted of what the new Freedom Tower will resemble and there are mixed feelings about the design. Here’s a live web cam of the area so you can keep track of its progress.

We made the trip to NYC for a concert at Madison Square Garden. Dispatch, a folk/rock/reggae trio from Vermont, had broken up in 2002. They announced in January 2007 their intent to reunite for one night only to raise money and awareness for Zimbabwe. Within a half-hour of the pre-sale, they sold out the first night’s show. They added another night and then another, for which we snagged two tickets, with all the proceeds going to Zimbabwe charities.

MSG was brimming with loyal fans and the energy reverberated all the way to the last row (yes, unfortunately that’s where our seats were). With the strum of each note and the pound of each beat, the concert was an amazing display of familiar songs and impressive showmanship.

After the concert, the crowd poured out of the arena and surrounding shops were busting at the seams. We hit Halal Pizza and retired to the Ramada. The next day we made the trek across the street to Penn Station and grabbed a train back up to Albany. If you have a chance to visit Albany, hang out around St. Rose to get the college feel. Many thanks to my friend Alana who let us stay at her fantastic apartment near the college. Take in a slice at I Love NY Pizza on Central and grab a drink at one of the many bars this drinking town has to offer.

The two-day tour of NYC ended with me giving it a few more notches on the likeability scale, but it still ranks pretty low in my all-time favorite cities. There’s just something about NYC that lacks appeal, though my trip there was full of fun. For young people, we may revel in the nightlife, but we can’t afford it in this overpriced city. Two days in NYC and I almost had to take out a second mortgage on my non-existent house. Maybe when we make our millions I'll rank it higher, but until then, New York verges on unaffordable for this college student.