A room with no view
You know by now that my work brings me around the world from time to time. This weekend I am in Rahway New Jersey, of all places. For those of you who don’t want to bother to look it up, I would say, indeed don’t bother. I had not looked it up either when I asked the travel agency to book me in a local hotel.
The hotel was anyway conveniently located just next to the train station with a direct line to Newark airport, so I thought it a good arrangement.
I started to have my doubts about my destination when onthe train from Newark International Airport going south. Quite an off urban wasteland at a first glance but I could see Manhattan skyline at a distance, very odd and quite a contrast.
I get off the train at a scary little station but I can already see the hotel and it seems alright. Very reassuring!
The reception desk is located in a quite trendy and modern lobby, when I get into the room I am surprised to see the shades drawn, a bit odd. I open them to inspect my view, as I always do and I realize that I am three meters away from a parking lot and I can easily say hi to people in their cars. I put the shades back in the position where I have found them. Now I understand.
I ponder what to do, it is only 5PM but I am tired because of the party last night (I am coming from a company event in Florida where we partied till early in the morning to close the week) but it is early to go to dinner.
I put on the tv while I am polling Trip Advisor for a good restaurant. Nice, The Hunger Games is on according to the overview, I select the channel full of anticipation but, what the heck, the movie is in Spanish. Maybe Trump should put that wall up after all, I tell myself.
Not to run risks, I select the number one advised restaurant in Rahway, on the Main Street, just a few minutes walk away from the hotel.
Only a few minutes walk but definitely not a pleasant one, through a dejectedly poor, dirty and ugly Main Street. It is still light but I am wondering how scary this is going to be in the dark when I walk back. I almost turn back, I don’t need dinner after all.
The restaurant is lively, family place and it is Saturday night. The waiter is a very obliging kid but the food is as miserable as the place. I tip him an exorbitant 25% hoping that this will help him get out of this dump.
I walk out of the restaurant and I am positively scared, a couple of rugged old guys say hi to me and I almost start running.
Safe, back in my hotel room I try to brush off the evening looking forward to my day out in Manhattan tomorrow.
Stay tuned, more urban adventures to come!
The hotel was anyway conveniently located just next to the train station with a direct line to Newark airport, so I thought it a good arrangement.
I started to have my doubts about my destination when onthe train from Newark International Airport going south. Quite an off urban wasteland at a first glance but I could see Manhattan skyline at a distance, very odd and quite a contrast.
I get off the train at a scary little station but I can already see the hotel and it seems alright. Very reassuring!
The reception desk is located in a quite trendy and modern lobby, when I get into the room I am surprised to see the shades drawn, a bit odd. I open them to inspect my view, as I always do and I realize that I am three meters away from a parking lot and I can easily say hi to people in their cars. I put the shades back in the position where I have found them. Now I understand.
I ponder what to do, it is only 5PM but I am tired because of the party last night (I am coming from a company event in Florida where we partied till early in the morning to close the week) but it is early to go to dinner.
I put on the tv while I am polling Trip Advisor for a good restaurant. Nice, The Hunger Games is on according to the overview, I select the channel full of anticipation but, what the heck, the movie is in Spanish. Maybe Trump should put that wall up after all, I tell myself.
Not to run risks, I select the number one advised restaurant in Rahway, on the Main Street, just a few minutes walk away from the hotel.
Only a few minutes walk but definitely not a pleasant one, through a dejectedly poor, dirty and ugly Main Street. It is still light but I am wondering how scary this is going to be in the dark when I walk back. I almost turn back, I don’t need dinner after all.
The restaurant is lively, family place and it is Saturday night. The waiter is a very obliging kid but the food is as miserable as the place. I tip him an exorbitant 25% hoping that this will help him get out of this dump.
I walk out of the restaurant and I am positively scared, a couple of rugged old guys say hi to me and I almost start running.
Safe, back in my hotel room I try to brush off the evening looking forward to my day out in Manhattan tomorrow.
Stay tuned, more urban adventures to come!
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