Thursday, April 27, 2006

High Noon

It’s a joy to be in Bryant Park at high noon. Debonair and foreign gentlemen toss gleaming silver weights on the Bocce court; over faded gray pebbles at the west end. Before the crushing lunch rush, you can sit under the shade of trees and shadow of Tom Colicchio’s gourmet sandwich stand, ensconced at a painted table and chair, the smooth finish warm against the backs of knees and elbows, sipping ginger beer, turned towards the splash of the fountain and long of the meadowed lawn. A space to breathe; encircled by towers of steel, brick and mortar of banks and shops, and snaking lines of yellow cabs.

Slowly, as the crowds peter in, slim suits morph into separates as jackets are removed, then laid as impromptu picnic blankets, paper bags crunch open, napkins assemble and the seal of designer water bottles crack. The power lunch turns lazy under the sky, loafers and heels kicked off, freeing feet, now tickled by the cool blades. They face the heaving animals of the merry-go-round, the marble lip of the stairs, slipping colors and crawling clouds.

On the south side, flowering plants for sale are vibrant and rich, and priced for the vibrant and rich. On the north, the young and free attempt to continue their path to the library, veering off to lay their bags on sod for catnaps. Once on the field, stillness begins, the shine of light against closed eyelids feels heavy, and it seems as though anyone at all can capture the tranquility of the Far East right here in Midtown West.

An hour under the sun as reward for eight under cheap florescence. For a weekday, it’s not a bad trade at all.

10 comments:

Adam Phillabaum said...

Wow! The one time I was in Manhattan, I stayed in the Bryant Park Hotel. Bryant Park is amazing... I spent 2 glorious sunny New York days soaking in the sun and the atmosphere of a different world.

K said...

Adam, you're back! Sounds like a nice weekend you spent here...

Anonymous said...

K, your writing is wonderful. You remind me so much of my favorite author, Madeleine L'Engle. She's much like you, having been a resident of New York her entire life; and she is truly both literary and luminary... I highly recommend that you get to know each other. And thanks, again, for a sparkling read. Aren't metaphors marvelous?

J, North of You

Cheetarah1980 said...

"flowering plants for sale are vibrant and rich, and priced for the vibrant and rich."

Now that line is brilliant!

P.S. I'll take you to 40/40, but you've gotta take me to one of the fabulous parties you're always writing about. Even trade.

ThursdayNext said...

I am looking forward to Monday night movies in Bryant Park this summer.

"the marble lip of the stairs..."
lovely.

deborahoak said...

you are some writer! I love your blog... your writing is scrumptious..I'll be in NYC this next weekend and your writing prepares me. thank you!!!!

reverendtimothy said...

Why oh why isn't it ever the other way around?

I'd prefer to be working on a laptop for 8 hours in the fresh air, and then spend an hour indoors for my lunchbreak.

*sigh*

Grant said...

Hrmm. After reading this post, I want to spend a day walking through some of the parks in NYC just to watch the world turn around me. Perhaps I should take a day off and do this sometime.

You know what, I think I will. Hope to see you there!

Just Some Guy 2 said...

Vibrant and rich...for the vibrant and rich! It's classic and I love it!

K said...

North of you--I've never heard that comparison, but I'm truly honored-and I always love a good metaphor
cheetarah--deal
thursdaynext--though I've worked next to the park for now two summers, I've never made it to the movies there--I will have to do it this year!
deborah oak--thanks for the visit, did you have a good trip here?
reverend--truer words were never spoken. we need to set up ethernet ports by the fountains...
grant--did you find anything unexpected?
just some guy--ha--thanks about the line--have you ever seen those prices??