Fall in New York: Diplomats & cannolis

Reading today that the United Nations General Assembly meets this week in New York brought me back a few years ago to a visit to Manhattan. A friend and I had tacked on a few days in the city after a trip to the Hudson Valley. Woodstock and all.

We got our first hint of what a big deal the UN meeting was when we tried to find a ride into the city from the airport. The New York Times this morning noted that the presence of dozens of heads of state clogs up “a long strip of Manhattan’s East Side to traffic.” Indeed.

Later, as we walked the streets, we saw dignitaries out in force, surrounded by security details. Lots of dark suits, dark glasses and ear pieces. I talked with one man in black and found out his mother was from Mississippi, near Jackson.

Our timing otherwise couldn’t have been better. It was also the week for the annual Feast of San Gennaro in the heart of Little Italy. Hello.