New York a Wonder? Fuggetaboutit

May 14, 2008 — -- This is Metropolis. This is Gotham City. This is the one all the other cities wish they could be -- "the only real city city," as Truman Capote put it.

Skyscrapers loom above canyonlike streets. The first high-rises may have been born in Chicago, but they found their moment here. They've flourished and made the city a dazzling showcase of modern architecture, giving it a skyline like no other.

Kurt Vonnegut called it Skyscraper National Park. Infused with the legacy of a great past that can be glimpsed around every corner, it is the most modern of cities, a city in constant flux. It leaves most visitors breathless and sends them back home exhausted -- and exhilarated.

Dissolve into the crowds (about 8 million New Yorkers) who go about their daily business walking fast, talking fast and taking no lip. Share in the pride and sense of community that was displayed so unforgettably when terrorists targeted their home on Sept. 11, 2001. Visitors are often surprised to find out that, for all their hard-bitten reputation, New Yorkers turn out to be some of the nicest folks anywhere.

The vibrant mosaic made up of countless nationalities and religions is both commonplace and unmatched, ubiquitous from Brooklyn to Queens. Each of the five boroughs comprises villages and neighborhoods, yet each has its own distinct character.

Excuse the New Yorkers who claim, only half-jokingly, that their town is the center of the universe. Nowhere is the sensation so palpable as in the heart of Manhattan's Times Square. Possibly the single most recognizable intersection in the world, it is a six-block stretch where Broadway and Seventh Avenue cross, creating a heady vortex of light and energy.

The Great White Way wends through its 24/7 heart, made up of about three dozen theaters and the myriad restaurants and stores that cater to the international crowds they draw. Who hasn't watched the New Year's Eve hoopla on TV, when about 500,000 surprisingly well-behaved revelers create Party Central, waiting in single-digit weather for the ball to drop? It's one of those "life list" things you've just gotta do before you die.

Here you can jump on one of those open-topped double-decker buses and loop around the city, slack-jawed as you roll past the iconic sites and sights that have played both leading roles and idyllic backdrops for films and novels and real-life drama since the dawn of New Amsterdam.

The Empire State Building and its 86th-floor, open-air observatory is a beloved experience for many New Yorkers (and the overwhelmed out-of-town guests they drag behind them) as is a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge or a sail on the tour boat to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island beyond.

There you'll experience firsthand the processing station that welcomed roughly 12 million immigrants who arrived on our shores between 1892 and 1954, full of dreams and conviction. They come mostly by air these days, but come they still do. And who could blame them?

Behold an embarrassment of world-class museums and galleries; the nation's biggest and most fun Thanksgiving Day Parade; a galaxy of restaurants (most estimates put the total number at 20,000 give or take a diner or deli) that promise pastrami to the next Big Thing; and legendary concert venues filled with the strains of the globe's finest performers.

For many, New York presents the ultimate retail challenge that finds tourists shopping till they drop before stumbling back to hotels that range from European-style palaces to boutique gems. But first there is a mandatory stop to recharge and refresh: Central Park, the city's backyard and year-round playground. It has much to offer, from the free summertime Shakespeare in the Park to ice-skating on Wollman Rink. This is where New Yorkers come to breathe.

It won't take long before you're inclined to agree with the average New Yorker about that center-of-the-universe thing, and with Myrna Loy, who once said, "If you're bored in NYC, it's your own fault."

Best time to come: Always