Susan and John Ruff, Fantasy Authors

On a recent trip to New York City, we started from Battery Park and cruised out to see the Statue of Liberty. Even before I looked at a map, I knew that the Bronx was “up” and the Battery was “down.” How did I know? Because of a song.

Few places are as well-represented in U.S. culture as New York City. Even on your first visit, you see familiar names everywhere: Broadway, Times Square, Central Park, Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Empire State Building . . . the list could go on and on. To walk the streets or ride the subway is to see a constant parade of names and places from music, movies, theater, literature, and history.

All those cultural references make New York City seem larger-than-life to me, almost mythical. Each time I visit the city, I feel as if I have entered a legendary realm full of stories. It’s a place where superheroes fly and gangsters feud, where a giant ape threatened aircraft and Santa went on trial, and where countless other characters from movies and books roam the avenues and alleys. For a fantasy author (or really any type of author), it is a dream come true. Even the street names are famous: 34th Street, 42nd Street, Bleeker Street, 5th Avenue, Wall Street. Is there a part of New York City that is not mentioned in a song or movie?

In my travels, I’ve only discovered one other city in the world which carries that same “legendary” feel for me: London, England.

The first time John and I went to London back in the 1990’s, it seemed like every time I turned around, a name appeared that I recognized from history, literature, theater, movies, or songs. I walked across Abbey Road, drove by 221 Baker Street, saw the Tower of London and Big Ben, and visited St. Paul’s Cathedral (though I did not feed the birds there). Each station sign along the Underground and every turn of the road brought another familiar location.

Partly because of that larger-than-life experience, I have always enjoyed each visit to London, no matter how short. Even a one-night stopover in London is a fun experience.

If you’ve never visited either New York City or London, I highly recommend both of them. But bring your sense of wonder with you — you’ll be walking through the lands of legends.

-Susan 7/5/2004