Kevin Bunch 360

By Kevin Bunch

Arriving in New York City was overwhelming. Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” plays in the ambient sound of John F. Kennedy airport. “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do. Now your in New York.”

The subway system in the Big Apple reminds me of veins pumping blood cells to every limb and organ of this living, breathing metropolitan creature. Each person is so unique in their dress and actions, and they each add the necessary elements that make New York so iconic. Taking the A train from JFK to Manhattan is eye opening. A mariachi band jumps on at one stop, plays their bit, and jumps off at the next. Before I can fully understand what is happening the moment has passed. This city lives in moments. If you blink, you miss out on a train performance, a street crossing light  or a business merger. It’s no wonder this city never sleeps. The people never seem to.

There is no limit to how much you can accomplish in a day in New York City. With everything just a hop skip and a subway transfer away, why would you not take advantage? On day one I start in East Harlem where I am staying, walk through Central Park, visit Columbia University and tour the upper west side, explore Greenwich Village, shop 5th Avenue, marvel at cathedrals on Madison, get up close and personal with Gramercy and East Village, sit in remembrance at Ground Zero in the financial district,  and rest in awe under the lights of Time Square. In all, about 40 miles of the city covered in eighteen hours. I wake up five hours later feeling like I missed out on something. The city’s sleep-deprived mentality begins to rub off on me.

I have a long week ahead, and the business journalism conference I came for hasn’t even begun.