My first impressions of New York City were less than favorable. It was a city where we walked around boring museums for hours. It was a city that made my parents scream at each other.

Mother: “LOOK OUT FOR THAT TAXI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON”T SWITCH LANES!”

Father: “YOU HAVE TO DRIVE AGRESSIVELY IN THIS CITY OR YOU’LL NEVER GET ANY WHERE.”

Me: My parents hate each other and we are all going to die in a car crash.

Yes, my first dozen visits to New York City were as a young child. My family would drive through the city and visit the MET or the MOMA. Most children do not appreciate museums. I was no exception. My association was a paradox of boredom and stress.

This all changed right before middle school graduation. It’s standard practise to have some sort of eighth grade trip at this time. I was among 30 people from my eighth grade class to go to Washington DC, Gettysburg, and New York City. Coming from San Francisco, it was a big deal.

Everything we did on this trip was a cliché: a trip to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, shopping at the Mid Manhattan Mall, a Broadway show (it was the beginning of my theater snobbery: I was disappointed we saw “Beauty and the Beast” when we could have seen Bernadette Peters in “Annie Get Your Gun”), eating at Dallas BBQ, a picture in Times Square:

On our last night in NYC we went to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. The city was lit by a glorious sunset with the Twin Towers prominent to the south, the bridges to the east. On an island twinkling with bright lights, I felt the magic New York City possesses. Its energy has a magnetism that either attracts you so you never want to leave or repulses you so you have no need to return.

The observation deck Empire State has a reputation as the site for grand romantic gestures. In the gift shop I bought an “I♥ NY” shirt. The grand start of my love affair with this irresistible city.

That was over ten years ago. Over three years ago I moved here and started this blog. Over the weekend I bought my domain name. HTTP://NEWYORKCLICHE.COM is now all mine! Hand in hand with the new domain name, I created a Facebook page. You can like me on Facebook now! http://www.facebook.com/NewYorkCliche

I ♥ everything I’ve written here. I ♥ all you readers who’ve stuck with me, even through droughts. I ♥ all you new readers, what ever brought you here.

In celebration, I am doing my very first give-away ever! It’s a blog cliché!

Can you guess what I am giving away? An “I ♥ NY” shirt! To be purchased in the center of Manhattan, in whatever size you would like, and sent directly to your home (or where ever you want me to send it)!

To enter leave a comment saying one thing you ♥ about New York. (If you can’t think of anything, you can alway say this blog!) Extra entry if you like me on Facebook!

Deadline is this Friday, October 14th. The winner will be selected at random on Monday October 16th!