Go to New York and calm down

Hmm, three days, well, three and a half, actually, but man, that’s not so much, New York, New York! There goes a New York minute right there, and another one, let’s see, yes, yes, I’ll buy a subway pass right now and zip down to Chelsea to Starbucks that’s always fun and then through the Village to SoHo ...

Yes, it’s just a shopping mall these days but so what I want to see the art for sale on the street maybe I can actually afford something and then a take-out sandwich at Dean & DeLuca why not, I’ll be right there ...

Wait, have to get over to the Meatpacking District maybe do that right after coffee is there anything to see yet with the High Line project, there must be by now ... have to check out that wine store in Chelsea Market again that malbec was fantastic and geez I forgot to nail it down is Roberto coming to Manhattan tonight or am I going to Jersey City is it for dinner or just kicking around, the PATH still runs all night, right?

Hold on, hold on.

What is this place? It’s genius with no moving parts, except for water in a 25-foot waterfall. Greenacre Park, since 1971, 51st Street in Midtown Manhattan. How did I not know?

The waterfall’s white noise – no, it’s music, white music – washes away thoughts, or at least thinking, and this park makes me its own. From the high walls, an embrace. City sounds fade beyond the gate. Where water falls, spirits rise. I share privacy and dappled light with others
beneath the trees.

No hurry, I’ll be on the S line soon enough, shuttling over to Times Square to head downtown … Times Square-42d Street, change here for the 1, 2, 3, 7, the N, Q, R, and the W – Stand clear the closing doors.

In a bit. Right now I’m in Greenacre Park, not thinking.

John P. Harrington, Globe staff