There's just too much going on in this place to do it justice here. So, I'll settle on the two experiences that will always define NYC for me.First, 1979: The place was CBGB: a music venue located at 315 Bowery at Bleecher St., Manhattan. CBGB stood for country, blue grass and blues. At the time of our visit, punk was in vogue. I went to see Cleveland's The Dead Boys with two friends from college. Thom was into the Cleveland music scene so he knew about the Boys. Stiv Bators, lead singer and Cheetah Chrome, guitarist, were the band's biggest personalities. I don't recall much about the music. It was loud, there were gestures, some spitting, verbal harassment between the band and the audience. All really pretty lame in the context of punk, especially London punk; but a memorable experience for a couple of green Ohio students. Regrettably, CBGC closed in 2006. The building is still there though with some of the inside graffiti intact.
NYC today: Definitely do a ferry boat tour. You'll pass by the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the famous bridges and Manhattan. There's nothing like the view of NYC from the water, especially in the early morning.
After a tour, head over to Greenwich Village - it is up and coming once again. McSorley's Old Ale House is a quaint, old watering hole ("153 years and ale is well" according to the sign on the window.) See if you can spot Houdini's handcuffs on the bar foot railing (see my Friend's Flickr account for a photo of the handcuffs). The pub has a lot of history and the ale, dark and light, is good especially on a hot summer afternoon.
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