A week-long celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s arrival in the New World ended in New York City yesterday. The New York Times reports that the event “riveted” the nation (I thought the only riveting was due to health care debates), the US government spent years in planning for the occasion (this government always spends years and money in casually planning for everything), and residents “flocked” to the various events in “droves” (things seemed just as crowded and frantic as ever)…but I’m hopelessly cynical.
Nevertheless, NY400 is serious business in the Netherlands, some 3,650 miles away from NYC. In that waterlogged but beautiful land of around 17 million good people, the government has organized and foot a $10 million bill for this celebration.
The Dutch media dispatched about 50 reporters to New York, with a major television station running nightly half-hour updates on the proceedings during prime time. And thousands of Dutch citizens crossed the Atlantic to take part, including Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, who declared New York the greatest city in the world.
Alas, the excitement came and I went and was barely noticed by most New Yorkers, jaded as they are by various forms of excitement, both joyous and disastrous, happening all year round. Even though the NY400 Festival received a good amount of hoopla via NYC & Company (NYC’s tourist organization), pictures of stately sails on the Hudson and other waterways, various music events and attractions set to occur in venues ranging from Battery Park to Governors’ Island to Snug Harbor in Staten Island, failed to capture the imagination of most New Yorkers.
Some, like Angela Vona, 66, of Manhattan, who took in a great deal of NY400 activities enjoyed the whole thing. “It was really an extraordinary week. I talk about this to all my friends and they don’t care. However, Ralph Montuoro, 67,of Queens said,“It’s just another event. We didn’t even know about it.”
So ended another riveting event in New York, to be replaced with yet another riveting event when an appropriate time and auspicious profit-motivation arise.
And even if some Dutch were disappointed by the level of interest, most went out of their way to say they understood. “New Yorkers have a lot going on here,” said Vivi van Leeuwen, 34, of Breda. “New York is the capital of the world, and the Dutch are proud of their history here and don’t mind sharing that pride.”
Thank you, Vivi. I’ll drink to that!!!
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