New York City

New York is my favorite city in the whole world. I love that I can do anything I want at just about any given time, and if I can't do it quite at that moment, I know it's only hours away until I can do it. I'm elated to be living back in my birthplace, although I enjoyed the California weather for 5+ years, I am not California material at this point in my life. It's a gorgeous place to visit but I am a New Yorker at heart and I will always have a yearning in my soul if I am not here. Having been gone so long I revel in the little things that people don't always see. I love riding the 7 train above ground in the morning and looking out at Manhattan, seeing the skyline from my subway stop, riding past Silvercup Studios (where many of my favorite shows are filmed - 30 Rock, Ugly Betty & Gossip Girl) and dreaming that I worked there instead of my eventual stop at Grand Central Station. But I adore walking through the crowds of people every morning knowing how amazing this place is and that it is all mine. I will even admit to finding amusement in the people on the subway ranting and raving and making no sense, which I just experienced on my ride home, in addition to a blind older gentleman playing a violin as we passed underground from Manhattan to Queens, where else can you get all that entertainment in 20 minutes for $2?

I had planned to do this post when I first came back to the city, then when I first moved back to the city, but now I feel that I am finally again PART of the city it's a perfect time for this post. So here is my ode to NY with a Jersey track thrown in for good measure (I grew up mostly in Jersey).

Jeff Buckley "Back in N.Y.C." (Genesis Cover)
Jonatha Brooke "Bleecker Street" (Simon & Garfunkel Cover)
R.E.M. "First We Take Manhattan" (Jennifer Warnes Cover)
Scrabbel "Chicago New York" (The Aislers Set Cover)
Ted Leo "Union City Blue" (Blondie Cover)
They Might Be Giants "New York City" (Cub Cover)
Ryan Adams "Brooklyn" (Jesse Malin Cover)
Cat Power "Hard Times In New York Town" (Bob Dylan Cover)
X "Positively 4th Street" (Bob Dylan Cover)

And here's an early Christmas present...
Stars "Fairytale of New York" (Pogues Cover)