New York State of Mind: There's No Place Like Home
by Jamie Feingold
When I meet people who say that they have never been to NYC, I find it quite hard to contain my disbelief.
"WHAT??!! What do you mean you have never been to NYC??" is usually the type of reaction they get out of me. It's like I just found out that they are not from Planet Earth. I just cannot fathom that there are people in this world that have never been to the best city in this world.
Well, when I made my very first trip to L.A. a few weeks ago, I was on the receiving end of those similar statements of disbelief. People just couldn't believe that I had never been to L.A. before -- according to them, I look and act "SOOO L.A." -- whatever the hell that is supposed to mean -- I actually do not think that is a compliment, yet I digress. But when I lived in NYC, why would I go to L.A? I already had the best restaurants, the trendiest lounges, the celeb sightings -- so there was no reason to fly all the way to the west coast. I already had all of that on the little island we call Manhattan.
But now that I am living in Hawaii, I sometimes feel that I am lacking a social life and that I am missing out on "the scene", so I figured a trip to L.A. would cure my twitching for a little bit (at least until my New York getaway in October). Plus, L.A. is only a 5 hour flight from Honolulu, as opposed to that dreadful 10 hour flight to NYC, so it just made more sense. Fine, I admit it; it was a good "excuse" to take a mini-vacation to L.A with my sister.
As soon as I stepped off the plane into LAX, I felt it. There is something in the air in L.A. that you can't quite place your finger on. It's just so "fabulous" and that is the best, all-encompassing word I can come up with. It's like there is this buzz in the air and you just know you are somewhere "fabulous". Oh, and the people are just absolutely gorgeous to top it all off.
For the next four days, I experienced the best L.A. has to offer. I squeezed more into 4 days than most people could accomplish in a week. I hit Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. I shopped on Melrose and Rodeo. I dined at The Ivy and Dolce. I partied at Sky Bar and The Viceroy. I had celebs dining next to me at every meal. And through it all, I thought to myself, "Wow, I could definitely live here". Then I hit some awful traffic and I started reconsidering my declaration. Then I went to yet another amazing restaurant and declared my statement once again.
On the way back to Hawaii, I was thinking how 4 days in L.A. was just not enough. I needed more time to shop and to party and to mix and mingle with the rich and famous. But then something hit me -- it wasn't that I was sad to be leaving L.A., I was sad because I realized that I really missed New York City (and when I left L.A., I had to say good bye to my sister yet again). L.A. was just a temporary substitute for something bigger and better that I knew existed back on the "mainland". Yes, L.A. is fabulous and I can absolutely see how people want to live there, but I just know that if I am meant to be anywhere, it is in New York. There's no place like home. And even a "fabulous" vacation to L.A. will not persuade me to change my mind.
Sure, there are other great cities in the United States. And there are fabulous bars, clubs and restaurants in every major metropolitan area, but nothing holds a candle to the one and only NYC -- and no matter how much I love another place and no matter how much fun I have while I am there visiting -- it will never compare to the love I have for the best city in this world.
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