On a Saturday morning around 3:30 a.m. I left for the Orlando airport armed with only a small purse and an energy drink. Early last month I stumbled upon a flight to New York City for the price of a grocery trip and couldn’t resist booking it; the allure of a bodega breakfast and baseball was just too powerful.
After arriving at LaGuardia at 7:30 a.m. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and hopped on a bus to the nearest train station that would take me to Manhattan. When I got off the subway near the south entrance of Central Park the station was completely silent. An eerie experience in a city that was apparently still sleeping.
Emerging into the daylight I made my way to Broad Nosh Bagels just a few blocks away to grab a French toast bagel with cream cheese. The sun was shining between the skyscrapers, aiding in creating a perfect spring day that many bikers and runners were out to enjoy. I took my bagel back through Central Park and meandered through the winding trails; enjoying the fresh air and sounds of early-risers playing pickleball and baseball and soccer across sprawling fields.
In the mid-morning I began walking towards Time Square to experience “Hot Dog in the City,” a 65-foot-long frank that shoots confetti every day at noon. It was everything I dreamed it would be.
Unfortunately I missed the confetti canon so I could get back to Queens for a Mets game, but it was well worth the pit stop. A good friend who lives in the city tipped me off to take the Long Island Railroad out of Manhattan and it was a game changer. It only made one stop between Citi Field and Grand Central Station and it was an incredibly comfortable ride experience. The highlight though was a British man sitting near me explaining baseball to his friends who were attending their first game. His excitement was palpable and his whole crew had freshly purchased orange and blue Mets merch.
After getting off the train I walked down a Scooby Doo-esque old school wooden boardwalk, full of janky planks, to the field. Citi Field was pleasant and easy to navigate. I picked up a lobster roll (for reasons unknown) and we got to our seats in the upper deck under the much-needed shade of an awning. The game went into extra innings and the Mets managed to collapse in an almost impressive fashion. I’ve come to realize sports are a lot more fun when you have no horse in the race.
We left in a crowd of many frustrated fans and make our way to Flushing Meadows, just across the street, to enjoy the rest of the evening before my return flight. The park was full of families with grills celebrating birthdays or anniversaries or the nice weather. Many soccer games were going on and the air was filled with the smell of meat and corn on the grill. Speakers were on full blast playing cheerful music and kids laughed and ran around as parents relaxed in lawn chairs and on picnic blankets.