Today, I’ll talk about some of my more memorable experiences while touring New York City during my multiple visits. There are plenty of things to see, but some of my best memories were experiences that I could only have in NYC.  

         As we rode around the city on our bus we were guided by a resident of the city.  It’s very interesting to get a natives’ perspective on their city.  One of the places we stopped was at Harlem Market.  This gave us perspective on how average New Yorkers shop and sell items to make their living.  But my best memory was when I was told to go to the fish market outside Harlem market and get fresh fried oysters.  I got six large oysters for $4.  You won’t get that from any fish restaurant in our area.  They were delicious.  Two thumbs up!

         Another stop was in Chinatown.  It was fun to look around the little shops.  Our guide informed us it was basically expected that you haggle to get a good price. You could also go into the “back room” and get great prices on designer knockoffs.  Our stop in Greenwich Village was also a pleasant surprise.  I felt safe in the area surrounded by little shops and dining establishments. I ordered some delicious New York style pizza from John’s Pizza (think Peter Parker aka Spider Man).  I also had my first cannoli at a pastry shop. Yum!          And I can’t forget about my first experience in Times Square. Seeing the streets lined with marquee lights, big screens and the New Year’s Eve ball in person was awesome.  Everyone (including myself) was surprised at the size of Times Square.  Everyone thought it was going to be bigger.  Also, etched in my memory are all the “characters” that you can get your picture taken with.  They range from Superheroes to Mickey Mouse and their costumes are not good.  Or maybe there is very little or no costume at all.  Now picture a 70-year-old couple like that.  Enough said.  By the way, don’t do it.  They expect payment.