I was in NYC and New Jersey over the 2024 Labor Day weekend for our annual Ardovino cousins reunion and some sightseeing. The reunion was great, highlighted by both a cannoli tasting and individual cakes for all of us who had an age 65 or 75 birthday in 2024—I turned 75 in March. It was an almost perfect day for the event, hosted by my cousin Jo and her husband Tony. The cannolis, my favorite dessert, were great and the cake was a wonderful surprise. Seeing my cousins was a real treat.

While not planned in advance, we decided to take in a Yankee game on Saturday, the day before the reunion. I always like being in the Bronx, especially at the stadium. I have wonderful memories of my first MLB games, taken to Yankee Stadium I by my uncles Tom and Vinnie and my grandfather George. We didn’t live far from the stadium, just a short drive from our home on 173^rd Street (Yankee Stadium is on 161^st Street). Regarding Saturday’s game, the Yanks fell behind early. In the bottom of the eighth, a three-run double closed the gap to 6 to 5. Sadly, the Yankees would score no more, going out with a whimper in the bottom of the ninth.

At the end of the game we walked north from the stadium for a long way, enjoying the street scenes and music. I have been asked if we felt unsafe, after all it’s the Bronx. My answer is no. I don’t feel afraid there, thus we walked with confidence engaging in conversation, greeting people, and smiling. It was great. Eventually we turned east to the Grand Concourse and eventually called upon Uber to take us to dinner with some cousins.

We’ve been to NYC many times since the completion of the World Trade Center (WTC) and the memorials around it. For reasons that I can’t fully explain, I have avoided a trip to this part of Manhattan. Perhaps the scenes from that day or the stories that I have heard since, some from my cousins, have kept me away. Anyway, it was time to go and at Janet’s urging we decided to take the 45-second elevator ride to the observation deck of the WTC. Only there, or any other place with some altitude, can you get the full monty of NYC, its tall buildings, bridges, rivers, parks, and islands.

Then there is the WTC, the building. Wow. I’ve seen many pictures from dozens of angles. Being there, shooting some snaps, and watching the reflection of clouds and adjacent buildings across from the WTC and from all directions made our experience almost perfect. We had a partly cloudy day, not too many clouds, which gave us the opportunity to see the building from all angles with muted and direct light. When I look back on the photos I took and study them carefully, it is almost as if I am looking at multiple buildings.