The Bear comes to New York City

Yesterday morning I discovered a voice-mail on my cell from my brother-in-law, The Bear. It began with our favorite Beastie Boys anthem, "No Sleep 'till Brooklyn" and after he yelled that out we heard, "What are you doing for dinner tonight? Call me!"

Having visitors in New York is a nice thing. Obviously, it is a good bit nicer when The Bear's employer is picking up the cab fare and the hotel at Times Square.

All this brings me to the point of this entry. Times Squre. It is the heart of our city yet it is not a place that many locals go to voluntarily. Crowded with people who generally look up, rather than where they are going, it generally takes a Broadway show to entice a New Yorker to its bright lights. I've never had a friend say, "Oh, there is this great cafe at Times Square, why don't you meet me there at 7 p.m. on Friday night." -- (7 p.m. is when the theater rush begins.)

In our effort to blend in as true city folk, my wife and I avoid Times Square like the plague, deride it in conversations with aquaintances and, when forced to go there, hurry past with our eyes glued to the ground.

The Bear's arrival threw that all off, though. He was staying at the Marriott, a hotel so grand that there is has a Broadway show running in the theater on the ground floor. This being his first trip to the city, my wife took him to his hotel and I met them their after rehearsal for a late dinner.

Besides the great pleasure we took in seeing the Bear outside of his natural environments, his visit also gave us a chance to actually see and take in a small portion of Times Square and the Theater District. It was great to just take a moment or two to stop and let him absorb the massive scale of the place and to see the Picasso-smear of lights and colors. The place is vibrant and even on a Tuesay night, it is chock full of interesting people to look at. People who, like The Bear, seemed stunned by the excitement of it all.

Having visitors in the city is a great way for us to be reminded of what a cool place we are living in. It also gives us a chance to do things that we would not normally do, simply because we live here. So, come on and visit us! We have a pull-out in the living room and we are dying to take the "Sex in the City" Bus Tour, the Circle Line Boat Ride around Manhattan, and grab a cocktail at the Rainbow Room (Straight up AND on the Rocks). More importantly, we want to do it with you!