A week in New York

My trip to NYC turned out to be both enjoyable and productive. Fortunately I was able to hold most of my meetings at the hotel, so it minimized the unnecessary travel through the freezing cold and snow. I limited any excursions to only what was strictly essential in nature-- seeing Broadway shows, dinners and trips to Brooks Brothers (ha!). As usual the Waldorf was exceptionally accommodating to my needs. Breakfast meetings, power lunches and nicely appointed meeting space. 

The Waldorf=Astoria is a truly a stunning and elegant hotel. Just being there makes you feel special. I've written about this previously, but I can't resist sharing it again. The famous clock tower in the main lobby of the Waldorf has the most delightful chime. Here is a quick clip of it chiming at midnight. Admittedly I am fascinated by clocks so I tend to stare in awe of this beautiful timepiece:

Whenever I needed to leave the hotel, I walked everywhere in the city, only taking a taxi when absolutely necessary. NYC was home to me may years ago so when I return it all just comes back to me as if it were 1985 again. Despite all the time I've spent in Manhattan the sight of skating at Rockefeller Center continues to captivate me. It is magical, exciting and surreal in many ways. It was over two decades ago when I last skated here, when I took a friend who had never been to NY and wanted the full experience. Initially I resisted, feeling as though it was "too touristy", yet when I acquiesced, rented ice skates and took to the rink, I had the best time. That night has remained with me and I have such fond memories of the Rockefeller Plaza ice skating.

New York is such a vibrant city on so many levels. I especially enjoy seeing how various buildings are illuminated in color depending on the season, holiday or special event. This most recent visit, I was there during Valentine's Day, so there were plenty of red, pink and purple buildings throughout the city were really fun to see. These days I tend to only get back to  Manhattan a few times per year, just long enough to soak up the energy of the city and always leave wanting more. Until the next time...