Well, my friends, look at us. We made it to the finish line, standing right here in the shadow of the magnificent Plaza Hotel. I hope your feet are not staging a full blown protest just yet, but if they are, you have definitely earned the right to complain. Just do it like a true New Yorker, loudly and with a slice of pizza in your hand.
Take a deep breath and look around. Think about everywhere we have wandered together across Midtown East. We started out hiding from the roaring city noise behind a waterfall at Paley Park. We brushed shoulders with the ghosts of modern art, stared up at the gorgeous stonework of Saint Thomas Church and Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, and maybe snooped a little too closely at the historic walls of Ten West Fifty-Sixth Street. We soaked up the sheer luxury of the Saint Regis and Seven Forty-Five Fifth Avenue. We stood by the splashing waters of the Pulitzer Fountain at Grand Army Plaza, craned our necks so far back I am surprised we did not fall over looking at the pencil thin tower of Four Hundred Thirty-Two Park Avenue, and now, here we are at the grandest dame of them all.
You know, a buddy of mine drives a cab, and he always says that in this city, you do not just walk on the sidewalks, you walk on history. Every piece of concrete, every spinning revolving door, every stone gargoyle staring down at you has a story. And for our entire journey today, you became part of that story. You did not just look at New York, you felt it. You listened to its chaotic, noisy, absolutely wonderful heartbeat.
There is a special kind of magic that happens when you finally stop rushing from point A to point B and decide to just look up. I am feeling a little nostalgic already, to be honest. It is always hard saying goodbye to good company. It has been an absolute blast showing you my personal slice of the Big Apple. Whether you are heading off to grab a pretzel from a street cart for three dollars, catching a cab back to your room, or heading out to J-F-K airport, I want you to carry a little piece of this magnificent skyline with you.
Thank you for wandering with me, for putting up with my banter, and for letting me be your guide through this beautiful concrete jungle. This is Andy, signing off. Keep exploring, stay curious, and hey, do not be a stranger. Catch you later.
