The phrase “larger than life” is cliche.  But it is also an apt description for New York City.  (I prefer “Toronto on steroids” as a description, but the first one works just as well.)

I arrived in Manhattan on Friday night at about a quarter to seven after a week of sessions at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Philadelphia (another amazing city, but that’s for a later blog post.)

After getting off the train (yes, I traveled like the locals… using commuter rail) I proceeded to look confused and started to make my way back up toward the surface.  As I emerged from Penn Station, I looked up and realized I had seen this sight many times before, notably most recently in the teenage awww-fest “Nick and Norah’s Infinte Playlist.”  If you are exposed to pop culture of any significance, you’ll find yourself flowing between the sensation of “giddy” to “familiar” on a trip to NYC.

I marched down the street as if I knew where I was going… en route to my hotel, Hotel Metro.

This is a great little gem in a fantastic location.  Just east of 6th Avenue and Broadway on West 35th Street, Hotel Metro is an elegant and rather inexpensive option for travelers who don’t plan on spending much time in their hotel room, but want something a little more than budget when they are there.  In many ways, it is quite similar to the incredible Hotel Victoria in Toronto, which also features smaller but nicely appointed rooms, complete with a marble bathroom, freshly laid carpet, and a nice, big TV.  (My rate was around USD$200 a night… a steal in midtown.)

After checking in and dropping my bags, it was time to explore!  And explore I did.

Like a fly gravitating toward a porch light, I too found myself compelled to see the spectacle that is Times Square at night.  Times Square is everything you expect it to be… big, bright, flashy, noisy, crowded, and striking.  In a way, it’s a great commentary on the state media and marketing in our modern age — when every sign is flashing brightly and trying to get your attention, nothing is striking or particularily stands out.  There are duelling Jumbotrons competing for your attention, chasing lights which attempt to chase you through the doors of the businesses they are erected for, and loud, carnival barker-like individuals who want you to choose them if you choose to part with your money.

But for as loud as Times Square is, it is fantastic.  An absolute treat.

After exploring Time Square, I made the treck two blocks east to 6th Avenue and quite possibly the most famous address in New York City — 30 Rock.

While 30 Rock is well known for being home to NBC, it is also home to a jaw-dropping view of the city at its Top of the Rock observation deck.  For $20, you get a ride up to the 67th floor, where you can mount two additional escalators to go as high as 69 stories above the big apple.  The view is spectacular.  NYC looks like it stretches for miles, and miles, and miles (and it does.)  Very impressive!

After spending about an hour up in the air, I rode back down to the ground level, and went off to find food.  But before I did, I decided to stroll down the West 49th Street side of 30 Rock… to find a lineup of people stretching nearly a block waiting to get standby tickets for Saturday’s dress rehearsal and live performance of the season premiere of Saturday Night Live.  (More on this line in my Day 2 posting!)  Needless to say, there were some real troopers who REALLY wanted to see Studio 8H in person.

I made my way back to the hotel and ended up grabbing a hamburger on the way back to the hotel (as most of the restaurants near the hotel had closed up shop for the night.)

It hadn’t been even 24 hours in NYC when I made the decision… I will be coming back.  It’s not a question of if… but rather – when.