Sightseeing is an activity that involves visiting different places. We don't usually sightsee unless we are on vacation or have the day off from work. I think most people find Tai Chi to be interesting. It is an exercise and martial art practiced daily in parks in big cities around the country. It can be a great addition to one's life. So why not find out more?
For six months, I worked a 12-hour night shift in Manhattan (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) for Quad Graphics,
an American printing company. During this time, I photo retouched images used in popular magazines such as LIFE, Fitness, Field and Stream, Family Circle, Child, and many others. After work, I would drive downtown to Columbus Park in Chinatown, where I would practice the Yang 24 Tai Chi form before my hour-long commute home to Long Island. Six months later, I began working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. My daily practice in Chinatown came to an end. I now live and work on Long Island, and it has been many years since I've had the opportunity to practice Tai Chi in Chinatown, NYC.
Recently a reporter from MARIE CLAIRE magazine (Brazil) contacted me. The reporter was working on an article about things to do while in New York City. She read on my Inspiring stories page on Tai Chi daily's website, where I mentioned practicing Tai Chi in New York City's Columbus park. The reporter was hoping for information for those who might be interested in watching Tai Chi or taking an early morning lesson.
FIND TAI CHI IN NEW YORK CITY. HERE'S HOW
I documented my experience so anyone interested in finding Tai Chi in New York City could do so.
I woke up this morning at 5:30. Ate breakfast, got dressed, and drove to Manhattan. On this sunny day, traffic moved well on the Long Island Expressway. I ran into heavy traffic on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. This delay caused me to arrive in Chinatown, NYC (via Manhattan Bridge) at about 7:30 am. I drove down Canal Street and made a left turn on Mott Street. There was plenty of metered parking available for $3.50 per hour. Although the meter is supposed to take credit cards, a message appeared that my credit card was unreadable. I scraped together $1.25 in quarters, which meant I had about twenty minutes to take pictures. Hurriedly, I parked near the end of Mott Street and walked up Mosco Street to the entrance of Columbus Park, NYC.
I remembered watching many skilled groups practicing Tai Chi and weapons. This morning I was disappointed that I did not see any familiar faces. Perhaps my late arrival was the reason. The majority of people get there to practice by 7 a.m. or earlier. When I arrived in New York City, it was 7:50 a.m., so most people had probably left to go to work. Even so, there were still quite a few people practicing Tai Chi, though not as many as I recalled. Scattered throughout the park were a few groups of ladies doing some exercises, two others doing Tai Chi Fan forms. There were also Chi Kung practitioners and people practicing Tai Chi Sword. I did not see many practicing the Tai Chi Yang 24 form, Tai Chi Chen style, or any other empty-hand Tai Chi form, probably because of my late arrival.
Everyone seemed very friendly, and most did not mind if I photographed them. One lady waved to me that she didn't want her photo taken.
If you are ever sightseeing in New York City, early morning Chinatown Tai Chi is a worthwhile experience. I hope you can get a feel for this early morning ritual and one day make the trip to New York City and experience it in person.