These are a few of my favourite things

I have walked into a coffee shop which is playing the Glee soundtrack, I'm sitting across the street from the Boston Legal offices and I am touring a brewery today. I think the stars are aligned.

And Jennifer, seasons 1 to 5 on DVD along with a dubious music collection attributed to my sister. I'm full of surprises.

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One door closes, you go to Boston

I made it to Boston at about 5 this afternoon. The weather in New York was glorious this morning. The wind was gone and the skies were clear (it had risen to minus 6).

I took the opportunity to go to the top of 30 Rock (Rockefeller Plaza), which houses NBC (among other things). The view was indescribable. Seeing central park from that height was an experience. I would have loved to just stay up there and look at New York, trying to read all of the stories wrapped up in it.

I then just walked the streets for an hour, which did not help the blisters which have developed because of my stupid runners I wore yesterday for comfort. I should have stuck to the cowboy boots- they are great to walk in, though it feels like 2 blocks of concrete. Walking through the streets of NY is as good as visting one of the famous landmarks.

The drive to Boston was easy and Connecticut was beautiful. I have the 10 hour drive to Cleveland in 2 days that is going to be a humdinger.

I went our for dinner tonight and had some good old Clam Chowder which was great. I got to walk around town which has a mild English feel. This is in part from the lack of organisation in the street pattern, which was from it being one of the earliest US settlements and the city expanding as needed rather than being planned. I have also seen a recreated Cheers bar but I just could not go in- it was too cheesy.

Tomorrow I have a few things planned. I am going to tour the Sam Adams brewery which is the local beer that I have been drinking most while I have been in America. I'm also going to check out the Boston Legal and Cheers actual buildings (I saw the Ally McBeal building tonight). I'll also check out MIT and Harvard. I'm going to finish the day with a Blue Man group show.

Only a few days left. See you all soon.

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Just spectacular

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No way

At the James Spader Broadway show today, Joy Behar was seated directly behind me. We made eye contact twice and I eavesdropped whenever she talked. She is having a terrorism expert on her show in two days and she emailed someone during the play to organise to get James Spader on her show. I wanted an autograph but I had no pen :(

That is a photo I took in Times Square. Look to the right and you will see the Ernst & Young building sign at 5 Times square. We are that cool. The last nail has been driven in, I am relocating to New York and am going to live in Greenwich Village.

Other highlights from today include:
- The Subway- an underground magic carpet
- Taxis, they suck and I punched the bonnet of one today to teach him a lesson
- Some street performers are great (the guy in the Madison Square Gardens station with the Caribbean steel drums) and some are bad (Times Square station band)
- Just walking through Greenwhich Village, Little Italy, NoLita, NoHo
- Seeing Wall Street and the NY Stock Exchange
- Seeing the Statue of Liberty and realising it is as small as everyone says (well, it was cold)
- Seeing Madison Square Gardens

The moments which don't make the blog but are what made NY what it is to me are the random things I saw in the streets as I walked around. I you can walk from Central Park to the financial district in 1 and a half hours (so says google maps) but that is one street you will see in the endless maze of streets. There is so much to see and take in. It is worth the trip (even if it is just for the 3 story M&M store).

Off to Boston tomorrow to see the Boston Legal building and tour the Sam Adams brewers (the beer I have had the most of since being here).

It's so cold the beer is frozen (really, there is ice in it)

It's minus 9 Celsius.

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Lunch in New York

So far today I have taken the Staten Island Ferry (with Billy Joel playing Everybody Loves You Now), seen Wall St, the bull, the Statue of Liberty, the Friends apartment exterior, China Town and now Little Italy. I'm in the Mulberry Street bar which is a huge dive (toilet stall door is a curtain) enjoying a Sam Adams. It is famous for being in movies and TV shows (like Law and Order and The Sopranos). I did not know that before I came in. I love NY.

I'm about to walk through Nolita (listening to Vanessa Carlton, Nolita Fairytale) and then on to Broadway show number two, Race with David Spader. I will let them choose the soundtrack for that.

Phantom exceeded all of my expectations - it was phenomenal. I was excited about the experience but had heard the Michael Crawford soundtrack a million times and seen the big screen version so did not thing there was any more to see but I was wrong. As Janice would say "Oh my God".

There is more to do after Race and I am sure you are going to hear about it.

I only have a few days left in the US. I am heading to Cleveland for an overnight stay the day before I go which I am excited about. I love Cleveland and especially the people. I want to see the EY crew again (if they'll have me) and finally get a good coffee again at Phoenix.

It will be good to have conversations again - I have not had that in a while. Travelling alone in a city of 10 million people can be lonely. Feel free to email me with what is going on in your town. I'm always online or just leave comment - they get emailed to me and make me smile (Mum and Uncle Brian keep me entertained).

PS it has been lightly snowing the whole time I have been in NY- it is truly magical. Maybe God does love me.

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I'll be there for you

This is more culturally important than the whitehouse.

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New York just got bigger

I'm on the subway. Not scary at all.

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That is a poor photo of the Majestic Theatre

Phantom of the Opera is about to start. I'm looking for apartments tomorrow. I wont leave New York and you can't make me.

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Mixed messages?

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New York, New York

I'm walking through central park, eating a hot dog and listening to john Mayer. It is a good day.

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Here and now

You can't describe that moment so I won't try
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Congratulations Ohio State

for winning the Rose Bowl.

Also to the Cleveland Browns for two wins in a row. "Maybe next year" may just mean something (fingers crossed).

I'm sitting in an Irish bar on 7th ave, not far from central park enjoying a beer after a day of driving and walking. New York is so great, it surpasses my car, my apartment and all forms of alcohol- and I have only been here 5 hours.

Washington DC was an amazing place (for those who are listening, it is really called District of Columbia). Everywhere you turned there was something of historical significance or something interesting to look at. Unfortunately I was too taken by it and I walked for 7 hours - I have one photo for every 5 minutes. I was stuffed when I got home.

I walked the 10 kilometres in which was an amazing experience as I saw the sights come to me. I got to walk through Arlington cemetery (cemetery for the armed services and prominent public servants like JFK) and ended up at the start of the mall, being the Lincoln memorial. This, plus 7 hours of walking, plus the walk home (a sensible man would have caught public transport but I did not understand it so I walked. Big mistake, huge mistake). Don't get me wrong, the 7 hours was well spent. I saw the:
- Lincoln memorial
- Pool of reflection
- WW2 (Hitler, Hitler, Hitler) WW2 memorial
- Capitol hill
- The Whitehouse
- the natural history museum
- and if that is not enough, much more.

This left me maimed for my second day in Washington. The next day I did not leave the hotel until 11.30am. I visited the spy museum, got my obligatory t-shirt, aimlessly walked around and went home.

I am going to be honest and let you know I was asleep before the new year came but I was Furukked. I had nothing left.

That left me relatively fresh for the drive to NY. The next morning, while I was planning the NY drive and sight seeing I caught Chey and Cass on MSN which was great. It was so good to chat with mates.

The drive to NY was easy, with exception to leaving the turnpike which resulted in a missed turn and mucho profanity. It was easily resolved and soon I was safely at Doubletree NY metropolitan. The rest is history (to be honest it isn't but it sounded good).

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I'm here

I'm all giddy in the inside but too NY cool to show it.

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goodbye Washington, hello New York

I'm sitting in a starbucks (no need to tell me how dirty I should feel) on the way to New York. I sat down and planned what I wanted to see there, or more specifically what shows to see, before I set off. I'm getting myself in the mood with a bit of Rent and Phantom on the four hour drive.

Let me know of I have missed anything:
Times square
Central park
rockefeller centre
Empire state building
Statue of liberty
Yankee stadium
30 Rock
metropolitan museum of art
Grand central station
Broadway shows
Friends apartment- corner of grove and bedford, Greenwich village
Little Italy
Wall street

I may never leave. I'm sure I can audit from there- is that ok Mark?

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