What was your first time in New York City like?

[rorschach37]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 8:39am

Just thought it might be fun to hear everyone's stories of their first time in the Big Apple. My first trip to the city was a high school gradutation present from my mother. We were only there for a day (all we could afford at the time), but it was absolutely magical. We had lunch at Bubba Gump, saw my first Broadway show (American Idiot), and spent the rest of the time shopping and sight-seeing. It was a beautiful summer day as well. I'll never forget it. :)

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 9:10am

Can't really help you with this post....

Let's see....my mother was in labor, she pushed and I came out.

Can't really remember much of the day personally.. : )

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 9:25am

^ Bwahahaha!

My FIRST time is equally elusive. My folks use to bring us into the city all the time...but hang around the lower east side. The best part would be getting fresh made potato knishes. (from Moishes????)

My first BWAY experience was with my older sister to see Grease. This would have been in 77 or so. I was highly disappointed...in the production (I SO didn't get the symbolism of the microphones), in the theater (I think I expected jewels to encrust the walls!) Couldn't begin to tell you where we ate, or what else we did.

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 9:43am

The famous knish place on east Houston (lower east side) is Yonah Schimmel's.

[D2]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 10:13am

I'm from here.

But I do remember going out with my family to meet with an old Navy Buddy of my father's in midtown. It was night, they had a lot of kids (most of them older than me) and their hotel had a pool.

I also remember we were all walking down a very busy street, and I looked up and saw a giant billboard with a drawing of an upside down lady with a purple face, and wearing roller skates.

Evidently we were passing the Winter Garden Theatre when FUNNY GIRL was playing.

[sondheim94]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 10:23am

My first time was a drama class trip my junior year of high school. We arrived at dusk. We took a taxi from LaGuardia to Time Square where everything lit up. I fell in love! Then we immediately walked over the the St. James and saw American Idiot.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 10:36am

I went last year for the first time for my seventeenth birthday and I ADORED it! It was a present from my mom and dad who knew that the only thing I wanted was to see a Broadway show, and this was during the Ricky frenzy, so they got me third row tickets to see Evita. Seeing Eva walk out into the balcony in her white gown to sing DCFMA, was easily one of the happiest moments of my life.

It was only a weekend trip so I couldn't do all the things I wanted to, but we still managed to see most of the sites and since I couldn't leave the city without seeing one more show, we saw Phantom the other night which was beyond glorious.

NYC is truly a magical place.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 10:44am

When I was four, I went into the city for a day to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I don't remember much except that I loved it and that I watched the Richard Simmons Broadway Sweat workout video in the car on the way back to my grandparents' house. haha

My first Broadway show was Beauty and the Beast, which saw shortly after I turned six.

[Kelly2]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 11:08am

Aw damn Kathy totally beat me to the joke I came in here to post. Oh well!

[cmorrow]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 11:21am

On my first visit here, fall of 1977, I saw my first B'way show. It was Frank Langella in Dracula, the production with the amazing Edward Gorey sets. It was great, but gave me a distorted idea of what to expect from "Broadway." Since then, not many shows I've seen have equaled that one, although admittedly it's likely I remember that production as dazzling because I was so excited just to be in NYC.

After the show I went out pub-crawling in the Village with friends. At some point along the way I lost track of my Dracula playbill. If anyone finds it, could you let me know?

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 11:26am

August 1968. I was 12. My father had to go to New York on business so we planned a family vacation around his business trip. My mother and I flew to New York on Saturday, and Monday morning we headed down the Atlantic coast for a week, seeing all the historical sites – Philadelphia, DC, Williamsburg and so on, before heading back to New York to fly to Chicago to visit family (and so my father could go to the Democratic convention. Yes, =that= convention).

Saturday night, after dinner at Wolf’s Deli, my parents took me to see Fiddler on the Roof, at the Majestic, with Harry Goz (and as Tzeitel, Bette Midler although she wasn’t famous yet). My first Broadway show. Sunday we took a Circle Line cruise around Manhattan, and that was where New York first scared me. I can still remember looking up at midtown as we cruised north on the East River and seeing those towering canyons of buildings. It scared the crap out of me and I never got over it (and “Another Hundred People” three years later pretty much sealed my feelings about New York City). Up until very recently I have never been happy or comfortable in New York even though I’ve never had a bad experience there. Everything about the city overwhelmed me and scared me, and continued to do so on every subsequent visit. I guess those first impressions you have as a child really do stay with you most of your life.

Updated On: 6/22/13 at 11:26 AM

[emeraldmist]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 1:34pm

October of 1995 - I was 15. My mother's friend had to go to NYC for a week on business and she told her company that she had to bring her 12 y.o. son with her (single mother) and that she would prefer to bring someone to care for him from home. That someone was my mother so the company paid for the 3 of them, and my mom thought it was such a great opportunity that for the cost of 1 plane ticket I could go too, so she pulled me out of school for a week - best decision EVER! :)

While Sherri worked, Mom, Jordan and I explored the city. We saw Grease (with our mother's hands over our eyes half the time), How to Succeed in Business... with Broderick, and Victor Victoria with Julie Andrews (man I had a huge crush on her!).

We wandered all over the city - fighting about the subway (Mom was terrified of it - I didn't want to walk the 45 blocks from the Waldorf to the American Museum of Natural History.

I had always been a theatre geek... but that trip cemented my love of all things Broadway.

[Gmerchant123]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 2:35pm

March 14,2012:Every year my middle school would take a trip to new York city sponsored by my wonderful theater teacher, when I finally go to be in the 8th grade my parents let me go alone with all my friends and my theatre teacher I live in Texas so we took a plane up to NYC, the moment when we arrived it was as if I had reached heaven, we got on our tour bus and headed to lunch, we ate at Joe's pub, then we went back to are hotel and etc. Then next day we saw the statue of liberty and Ellis island and china town, later that night we caught a performance of godspell, not my favorite show but it was my first Broadway show so I was happy, later that night the whole group of one hundred walked to times square, this is where I just about had a heart attack, I could not stop staring at all of the Broadway billboards. The next day was my absolute favorite part of the whole trip, me and my theatre teacher met up with my theatre teachers former student, who is now a producer in new York, he got me backstage to Sister Act on Broadway, I stood on the stage looked around and was in awe of what I was seeing, after that my director got us third row seats to see Jesus Christ Superstar, still to this day it was the best show I have ever seen, that day was the day where I became "married" to theatre!

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 2:42pm

I went almost 5 years ago. I remember being so disappointed when we stopped in The Village because I thought all of New York looked like Times Square. Then we actually got to Times Square, because we were staying at The Double Tree. Somehow I didn't see outside the cab windows and I exited the cab with my back to Times Square and I was looking toward 5th avenue still disappointed. I finally turned around, and I was amazed! There was Times Square and it took my breath away. Total tourist moment, I know. Then I explored the city and fell in love. I'll never forget the first time that I saw Times Square though.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 2:52pm

My first time, I was very little. It was the early 1970s. We lived close enough to the city to make it an easy commute, but my father hated coming to the city and would only come when friends or relatives begged to go.

All I can remember from the first trip was seeing the Statue of Liberty. I remember the boat ride over and I remember climbing to the crown. Another thing that stuck with me was the gift shop. They had all different sizes of Statues for sale and some were huge. We must have done other things that day, but I really don't remember much.

The next time I went, my parents took us to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We drove in at something like 6:00 am. My mother was so excited because that year John Davidson was in the parade (mid-70s) and she loved him.

The first trip I remember major details about was when I was a teenager and my parents finally broke down and took me to a Broadway show. We went to see "Shenandoah" when it was playing at the Mark Hellinger. I thought that all Broadway theaters were this beautiful. It only seemed right that the magic of theater should take place in such splendor. We then walked over to 5th Avenue to a restaurant called the Auto Pub where all the tables were in the shapes of cars. (No theme restaurants are not new).

My first trip alone was in the mid-80s and I stayed at the Milford Plaza because someone told me it was cheap but clean. They forgot to say "small". I walked all over the city. I just wanted to take it all in and experience everything.

[BamaEd]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 3:19pm

I love this topic because I remember it vividly. I had moved to Baltimore in January 2009 and took the train up to NYC for my first visit for a Friday-Sunday jaunt. Went up there by myself. Stepped out of Penn Station and my jaw dropped because I was finally in NYC, saw MSG and a great view. Stayed at a nice little inexpensive hotel on the Upper West Side. Friend from back home was in a showcase of short new original musicals, so I went to see her that Friday night, I think in Greenwich Village. On Saturday, I was looking for a place to eat breakfast. It was a beautiful late March morning. Not too hot or cold. Started walking and realized I was smack dab in the middle of Central Park, so I kept walking through the park, looking, taking pictures, passing Tavern on the Green, John Lennon memorial, etc. Looking at the time, I kept walking and headed towards Times Square so I could see my matinee of Wicked (with Nicole Parker as Elphaba). My hotel was on 87th and I walked to Times Square, is that a long way? Felt long, but didn't. Walked around TS, saw tourist-y stuff because I'm a hick from Alabama :) Saw Wicked (loved it, fun). Then walked around some after, and wanted to see another show. After much research & discussion, I decided on Rock of Ages, which was in previews. TKTS only had obstructed view tickets, so I went to the box office and bought 3 row, center orchestra. I had the best time. It wasn't deep and not traditional Broadway, but it was perfect for me. Went and got a piece of Junior's cheesecake after. Seeing Time Square at night overwhelmed me just from the hustle and bustle and crowd and lights and everything I'd seen on TV before. The next morning, I went to a bakery near the hotel, took a cab to Penn Station, back on the train to Maryland. 3 short days, but I still have vivid memories.

[jackieoh]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 3:38pm

I had slept through many car rides as a child where my parents would drive through, too afraid to actually park and get out (my sister and I were very young and my parents were very naive).

I had always loved the theatre and my dad would take me to see all of the big national tours that came through Boston (my first being LES MISERABLES at age eight). When I became aware of the theatre scene in New York City, I begged my parents to go, but the trip they took in the 1980s with friends from work made them believe that New York was an unsafe place and they didn't want to risk it.

When I was 15 years old, my best friend and his mother called me one evening and said "Do you want to go to New York with us this week?" I tearfully begged my mother to let me go with them. She dropped me off at their house two days later with $300 for show tickets and that was that.

The valet took the car at the Roosevelt and I was smitten with the really dreadful view from the window of our hotel room. I was in New York! When we walked outside it was already getting dark, the snow was coming down hard and sticking. I remember stepping into Times Square for the first time and being completely overwhelmed by the largeness of it all. (That feeling of absolute magic is something I feel that I take for granted having now lived there, trying to avoid TS at all costs.) We saw a couple of shows through TKTS and did all of the fun tourist-y stuff. Whenever I see pictures of New York in the snow, I am instantly transported back to those snowy few days in the city. They were magical and I am so grateful.

Updated On: 6/22/13 at 03:38 PM

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 3:44pm

I had never actually been to the city until I was 18 when I moved there for college. I stayed for about a decade an a half. Although I loved it at first, my feelings about the last seven or eight years in Manhattan can best be summed up by the following article from The Onion:

8.4 Million New Yorkers Suddenly Realize New York City A Horrible Place To Live Updated On: 6/22/13 at 03:44 PM

[jackieoh]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 3:51pm

Mike, thanks for sharing that article. I moved when I was 18 and didn't live there for nearly as long as you did before I realized that I didn't actually want to be there. New York was over-glorified when I was in high school and I hated the feeling of being completely useless and broke in a place that I didn't really understand or even like that much.

There are days when I miss it though.

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 4:05pm

Yeah, the City definitely has a way of making you feel completely irrelevant to humanity unless you're making bank on Wall St. or something. I was actually making enough to live pretty well anywhere else in the country, but was sleeping in a glorified rat cage for most of my time there. I moved to D.C. and haven't looked back since. It's a great place to visit, but the daily grind robbed me of a piece of my soul I will never get back. :P

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 4:24pm

I had gone with my parents a bunch of times to see the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. I don't think I thought too much of it. Other times for class trips, we got dropped off and picked up right where we were going so I didn't get to see too much. But, in 2007, I finally went over by myself around Christmas. I had planned everything I wanted to see that day and I loved it. Since then, I try to go at least once a month, maybe more. But, I have tried to do all sorts of different things, so I know the city pretty well now.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 4:39pm

The first time I went was probably 2002 or 2003, and I was mortified after 9/11, afraid that something like that would happen again when I was in the city. (Mind you I was 6 or 7 at this point.)

I don't remember much but I do recall going on the 3-hour boat tour around the perimeter of the city, visiting a family friend (who just recently passed) on the lower east side, and having breakfast at veselka. I fell in love with New York and I just saw my 30th Broadway show last month.

[temms]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 5:09pm

Y'all are so young! And I don't think of myself as "old" yet.

But for me, it was sophomore year of college, late Winter 1994. I saw the Friday night "Kiss of the Spider Woman" with Chita at the Broadhurst, then across the street for the Saturday matinee of "Tommy" with the OBC.

I immediately felt at home and have never felt more comfortable in any city (I grew up near Chicago.) 6 years later I'd move to the East Village, and I've been a New Yorker ever since.

Updated On: 6/22/13 at 05:09 PM

[all that jazz]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 5:35pm

OMG, Chita in Spiderwoman!! How amazing it must have been to have seen that as your first show!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 6/22/13 at 5:54pm

I was in the city many times as a young child to visit my Great Grandfather, but I never really experienced any of the city, it was car to apartment (which I believe was in Chelsea. The first time I came into the city where I actually got to experience the city itself was a trip to the Museum of Natural History with my 5th Grade science class. Way back in the mid 60s'
Of course I participated in the coming of age ritual of giggling over that bare breasted bronze bust of the African Woman outside the Africa exhibit and helped rubbing the bright shine to her breasts that have remained gleaming since time began.

Updated On: 6/22/13 at 05:54 PM