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November 22, 2005
New York, New York
Each year since the planes flew into the World Trade Center, I have made three business trips to New York City. The latest was last week. I don’t want to overstate the case, but these sporadic visits have given me a window into the city’s rise from its trauma.
During my times there the year or two after 9/11, there were new things to appreciate. Every time I saw a cop on the street or passed a firehouse, it was impossible not to experience awe, sorrow and gratitude. But a terrible solemnity had befallen the place, and a visitor could see and feel it. It was like a thick fog.
Then, on a trip last winter, my wife and I stopped at a street vendor’s cart on 5th Avenue where pashminas were on sale for $5 each. It was a frigid day, but women mobbed the cart and raided the colorful stacks. When one woman found the pashmina she wanted, she asked the salesman if it came with a box.
“Lady,” he said, “if you want a box, go to Bloomingdale’s.”
You may think it odd, but it was at this moment that it first occurred to me that New York might be emerging from the fog.
Two months ago, when I made my reservations for last week's trip, I had trouble finding a room. Oh, there were rooms, but being a country bumpkin, I gagged on the rates. To be honest, even with my employer picking up the tab, the $190-$250 rates of the last few years have made me feel guilty. But suddenly, well in advance, the hotels I usually book wanted $400 a night. At that price I wouldn’t be able to sleep.
Eventually, I found a deal – or what passes for a deal in New York – on a cheap-tickets web site. But during our two-day stay, I quickly saw the good side of these high prices. They meant the city streets were crowded and vibrant. The cash registers were buzzing. Theaters, restaurants, department stores and museums were packed. New York was New York again.
Americans who lived through 9/11 will never be the same. Those who lost loved ones that day will live with the scars forever. But surely there is something to celebrate in the revival of culture and commerce on the streets of Manhattan.
Posted by Mike Pride at November 22, 2005 05:22 PM