“I‘m just so much in love with a girl” his thick new jersey accent implored like something in a movie, “do you know what I mean, I’m just so in love with a girl.” This crumpled middleaged man, was imploring me for some unknown feedback to his public outburst of unrequited love, frazzled I wished him luck.

New Jersey ws our home for the next week. A short bus ride from Manhattan, and half the price. It was a glorious sunny day and we were walking along the Jersey shoreline towards liberty park and a glimpse of the statue of liberty.

We walked passed industry and rundown townhouses on the brink of gentrification, new york glistened on the horizon only a river away, it was a wonder that the developers of new jersey hadn’t been taking advantage of that view.

The wind picked up and threatened to hurl me skywards, a kite in flight. A state away, this was Manhattan at its best, a skyline twinned in the rippling river.

10 miles and a ferry ride later the Lady was still not in sight. I wandered, Manhattan dwindled then her back came into sight, she and I looked out into the cloud streaked horizon. She looked lonely there, but from my derriere vantage point I couldn’t see the hoards of tourists that no doubt were swarming at her base. I was quite happy on the wind swept park, where the bobbing daffodils outnumbered man 1:20.

“Almost blown inside out we took the ferry towards lower Manhattan. The buildings glowered jewel like in the setting sun and shadows crept.

We were tired but felt the pressure of the city to cram in another experience. We entered the bar, devoid of chairs and crammed with hipsters. The walls were decorated with portraits of zebras their black and white faces starring from brightly painted walls. It was free Wednesday at the improv comedy club and when the call went out we filed into the theatre.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but it turns out you can’t really define improv, except perhaps as high energy chaos with veins of wit. The first group had the prompt murder and managed to hobble together a story that actually had a narrative involving Mennonites, slick nyc cops, prostitutes, diamonds and a Mongolia boy. It was random, but surprisingly funny and the room roared when an actor was particularly quick witted.

The second group, with the inspiration ‘moon landing’ weren’t able to tie their vignettes together, but were carried by a Krameresque figure who owned the room with a mincing mighty boost style delivery that dwarfed his peers.

It was fun fluff, all the more so for its zero pricetag in a city where everything is expensive. Another night of creeping up apartment stairs in the midnight dark, tomorrow we needed a rest day. We couldn’t keep up with new york!