What Peter Jennings, David Halberstam And Myron Cohen Have In Common. Really.

We were at Newark International Airport, impatiently waiting our turn in the long line to step onto the down escalator to get to our gate. The airport was crowded because it was holiday time, and even though I knew it would be crowded I still felt agitated.

I was holding my son's little hand with my left hand and schlepping my carry-on luggage with my right. I prayed I wouldn't lose my balance by making a misstep. I tried to focus.

Then I looked up to check the line and noticed the man standing directly in front of me. He looked very familiar, like an old friend. I inspected him more closely as he chatted with the person next to him. It suddenly hit me who he was.

Peter Jennings, the highly respected (and very handsome) anchor from ABC's World News Tonight. I stared and felt like a school girl.

We were taking a tour of Manhattan with some friends who'd come in from Wisconsin. The Christmas tree was lit up in all it's beautiful glory, and Rockefeller Center was wrapped up tightly in a bow. Walking toward the skating rink was almost impossible. The crowds were thick and barely moving, so we put our "New York" on and began weaving around pedestrians like a prize fighter dancing toward the ring.

In other words, it was a typical day in New York City.

As we walked down the steps toward the skating rink I glanced up and quickly noticed a familiar face. It was David Halberstam, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and historian. Once again I felt like a school girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw-xb3vAU90

What is it about famous people that makes me feel weak at the knees? My dad always taught me that everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time. Are their legs different than mine because of their accomplishments? I am no psychologist so I won't try to analyze it. But I will say that maybe it's because I'm in awe of people who have made a difference in their corner of the world. Intelligence, generosity, kindness and creativity all make me weak at the knees.

Speaking of weak at the knees, I remember vacationing in Florida with my family to visit my grandmother. We brought her back to our hotel after dinner, and as we walked through the lobby I noticed she suddenly stopped walking. She was frozen in place. We asked her what was wrong because we'd never seen her face look like that before.

Myron Cohen, the Borscht Belt comedian who delivered yarns in a thick Yiddish accent and was beloved by the Jewish community, had just walked by. I guess at that moment my grandmother also felt like a school girl.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgZiGD_QYss

I think if I were born at another point in time I'd feel weak if I saw Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, and I'd certainly feel that way about Emily Dickinson. I'd be like Owen Wilson in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" - in awe of great talent.

Weak at the knees? I guess it means we're grateful for their talent. Yep. I'll go with that one.

In The Movie Of My Life Manhattan Would Be A Central Character

I've never been comfortable calling myself a Jersey Girl. I don't know why. Or maybe I do. But it's what I am. And aside from the four years I spent away at college in Boston, I've lived here all of my life.

My heart desperately wants to move south, to move somewhere warm, but for now this is my home.

One of the biggest perks to being here is living close to Manhattan. I've been to others cities around the world, falling deeply in love with the city of Paris. But Manhattan, ah, Manhattan. After crossing the George Washington Bridge or driving through the Lincoln Tunnel, there's an unexplainable pulse that's suddenly palpable, a certain energy I've never felt anywhere else.

Times Square

I often think about the opening scene in Woody Allen's movie "Manhattan. Shot in black and white, the cinematography skillfully captures the essence of Manhattan. Forget about the dialogue. It's watching the city, a third character in the film, set to the music of my favorite composer, George Gershwin, that Allen showcases against the steely rhythms of "Rhapsody in Blue." It's a visually brilliant introduction to a city we both love.

The traffic can be maddening. The sidewalks are crowded. The taxi drivers are crazy. The streets are filled with colorful characters. The prices are expensive. But..

You never know what you'll see when you walk around Manhattan. A woman dressed up as a character in the play "Chicago" or a bunch of fictional characters.

There's a magic to the city unlike anywhere else. The museums, restaurants, theaters, galleries, shopping, parks, music halls, walking paths - they are all squeezed into 33 square miles for our ongoing pleasure.

Broadway shows, or as they used to call it, "The legitimate theater"

Lincoln Center. Central Park. The Village and Soho. The Plaza and Pierre Hotels. Broadway. The Flatiron and Empire State Buildings. Wall Street. South Street Seaport. Times Square.Chinatown and Little Italy. Harlem. Fifth Avenue. Rockefeller Center. Hell's Kitchen. Grand Central. Museum Mile. Tiffany's, Bergdorf's Goodman's, Henri Bendel and Bloomingdales. Zabar's. The United Nations.

The list is endless.

The fun and charm of New York City

The six years I worked in the city was exciting. It was the 1980's and companies were spending extra money to keep their employees happy. When I worked for a large real estate mogul they'd send us home by limousine if we worked late (which was often) and, since I lived in New Jersey, that car ride must have been an expensive one.

Sometimes they'd offer us free tickets to Broadway shows (one time our intermission was spent with Liza Minelli and Sammy Davis, Jr. in the lobby!) Or free passes to nightclubs like The Red Parrot and Limelight.

John Lennon tribute, Central Park and fun at Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum

But my favorite part of being in Manhattan was seeing it through the eyes of our son. At five months old we strapped him into a baby backpack carrier and showed him the vivid colors of the artwork at The Guggenheim Museum. Since then we've enjoyed exposing him to the culture and vibrance of the city he now loves.

It's difficult for me to pinpoint the number one reason why I'm so crazy about New York City. What I do know is that its always taught me a lot about life, and when the time comes to move away I will miss it. Because, like the movie, Manhattan has become a character in my life. It's a dear old friend.

What's your favorite city?

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