New York
Ha, ha! What London turned down, the Bagel accepted with alacrity, namely the poor little Greek boy. And it took ten minutes max after disembarking to go through customs and collect my luggage. Kennedy had fewer people than a gay wedding in Saudi, and then some.
Mind you, the Upper East Side, where I live, is also as quiet as a grave, the only sound being the occasional ambulance with its siren on racing for a tea break. Central Park, now devoid of tourists, has never looked better, weeping willows with recently sprouted leaves, birds singing the length of an empty Park Avenue, long green lawns stretching out northwards, cherry blossom galore — it makes one feel swell to be alive. All last week, up before sunrise and training in the park, I thought back to the years when sunrise meant only a struggle to get home. I don’t regret a thing, but still, it’s strange but nice to feel good early in the morning. And notice nature at her best, without pests (people) getting in the way.
Uncharacteristically, the golden geese are fleeing south in April, and by that I mean the fat cats are fleeing to Florida and other points south, leaving the muggers, the homeless, the gang members and Taki behind. Tax-heavy high-cost Bagel may be a magnet for criminals but it’s a turn-off for banks and investment houses that are drawn to low-tax states like Florida and Texas. Here are the facts: crime and disorder are way up, homicides have spiked to 46.7 per cent and shootings 97 per cent. It is the largest increase in at least 60 years. New bail laws turning every criminal suspect loose have emptied the jails. Homelessness has hit a level unseen since the Great Depression.
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