Talk about mixed emotions. I'm a native New Yorker, born in a hospital in Manhattan. I grew up in Brooklyn until my family migrated westward to Staten Island. Even after I moved to the Garden State, I travelled for many years to my uncle's dental office in Queens. The Yankees, my favorite sports team, plays in the Bronx (although I did find myself rooting for the Mets in the 2015 World Series). I think that covers all the NYC bases - or boroughs, at least. I never expected to see professional teams in Brooklyn, but perhaps when we saw the circus in Coney Island a few years ago, that was a sign of things to come. Now the Nets and Islanders call Brooklyn their home. I'm still trying to figure out why the Jets and Giants are considered New York teams. The last time I looked at a map, Routes 3, 17, and the New Jersey Turnpike were located in, well, New Jersey. Come to think of it, Newark Liberty is the closest airport to lower Manhattan, but no one has proposed (yet) renaming it New York Liberty - then again there is a professional basketball team by that name. At least they do play in the Big Apple. 

Perhaps the best thing is for New York and New Jersey to take pride in the best that each other has to offer. We were thrilled to discover the High Line on Manhattan's West Side. From near the food options at Chelsea Market to the train yards near Penn Station, this abandoned elevated freight railroad line has become an elevated park instead, now attracting millions of visitors annually. Over the train yards, office, retail, and residential space is springing up rapidly. A new subway station opened near the Javits Center, further opening up the West Side. A brand new transportation hub is in its finishing stages near the new World Trade Center. Elsewhere in the Big Apple, skyscrapers are soaring to new heights. Within the last decade, five buildings over 1,000 feet in height have opened, with seven more at various stages of construction. 

In the Garden State, you have the long-time homes of two of the world's greatest scientists, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. NJPAC in Newark plays host to many of the world's greatest performers in a concert hall rivaling the best.  New Jersey has among the most diverse populations anywhere, allowing for an incredible selection of cultural and culinary choices. Even looking at New York is more impressive if done from the New Jersey side. From the panoramic Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange, you can see from northern Manhattan out to the Rockaways in Queens. From Liberty State Park, you will feel like you can reach out your hand and be in the Big Apple. Along the Palisades,, you will feel like you are in another place, yet only minutes from New York. And let's not forget that New Jersey is the closest state to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

This past weekend, admission to the National Parks was free. Sometimes we forget sites that are close to home. A lifelong resident of New York and New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty is an easy drive to the ferry at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. In West Orange, New Jersey there is an incredible museum that we rediscovered. The last time I was there was as a kid. The same for my wife. For our daughters, it was their first visit. It was the laboratory of Thomas Alva Edison.

As we took a few photos via the iPhone, I couldn't help but think of how we got to where we are today. Undoubtedly, the ability to take photographs, shoot video, and record and play back music owe a great deal of thanks to the incredible mind of Edison. Park rangers at the museum demoed a phonograph and a talking doll, both of which were invented by Edison. I asked our daughters to think about the inventions on display at the museum. In 2015, people have iPhones and iPads and now the Apple Watch, as well as Android and other competitive products. But it was Edison's mind that saw the possibilities of recorded sound, as well as still and moving pictures. It was wonderful to watch the girls connect the dots. One of the interesting things in the museum was that Edison had a tremendous amount of library space. There was plenty of room for him to collaborate with other scientists and to allow them to read through countless journals. The iPhone allows you to take photos, record and play back (and purchase) music and movies, and so much more. It would have been fascinating to see Edison and Steve Jobs brainstorm.

The road from West Orange, New Jersey to Silicon Valley is paved with brilliant ideas from the past and the present. Of course, you can get on Interstate 280 in West Orange and merge with I-80 in Parsippany, NJ, then generally keep on I-80 until you reach San Francisco, a short drive to Silicon Valley, but that's about 3,000 miles. Or perhaps you can get on an airplane powered by an engine manufactured by General Electric, a company founded by Edison in the year 1878 as the Edison Electric Light Company. GE, according to its website, would be created in 1892 when Edison's company merged with the Thomson-Houston company. Half a century later, in 1942, GE would introduce the world's first jet engine, shortly after the US entered World War II. 

If you live in or are visiting New Jersey or New York City, Edison's laboratory should be added to your "must-see" list. Also, just a few minutes away in West Orange is a beautiful 9/11 memorial and one of the most panoramic views of New York City from atop Eagle Rock Reservation.

[updated 2/11/17]
Normally on my blogs, I like to write about things that will inform others. It can be an interesting research study, some new technology or social media release, or even a current event. Today, I am sharing a frightening event that happened this past week, in the hope that if it helps even one person or family, it will be worth it. Three days after trick-or-treating and one day before Election Day, our 8 1/2-year-old daughter suffered multiple seizures and her heart stopped beating for several seconds before coming out of the episodes. Seconds seemed like forever. Her school acted very quickly to get her to the hospital, Morristown Medical Center in northern New Jersey. While at the hospital, she had many more episodes. She was transferred in the wee hours of the morning from Morristown to New York Presbyterian across the Hudson River near the George Washington Bridge. To see her head roll back and eyes give a strange appearance, then also see the monitor register "0" for the heartbeat, is simply crushing. To hear a Code Blue called for your daughter and see all available medical personnel rushing to her is beyond words. To hear your daughter say out loud that she thinks she is dying while the doctors are doing an emergency procedure is heartbreaking.

The good news is that a week later, she has been moved out of intensive care. The surprising diagnosis was that Lyme disease in rare cases can impact the cardiac and nervous systems. The normal symptoms are external; our daughter's symptoms were internal. Miraculously, the cardiologist we normally take her to at Morristown for a congenital heart defect has done research on the relation of Lyme disease to the heart. In the tests the cardiology teams ordered, she tested positive for Lyme Carditis. A temporary pacemaker was inserted at New York Presbyterian by a co-author of that same research; the pacemaker helped regulate her heart after those rough first two days. We were puzzled when the doctors asked if we go camping (which we don't), but we do have many deer in northwest New Jersey, and the occasional black bear. One other thing that did help, however, was Fluffy, a huge stuffed teddy bear given to our daughter by a nurse on the Morristown team. That little gesture during the toughest moments has meant so much during the recovery.

1/17/16 update - Just about a year after the emergency, my daughter is in excellent health. Joined by my wife and our other daughter, we participated in the Heart Walk run by the American Heart Association. I was asked to say a few words about my daughter's story before the start of the event. Joining us on stage was Fluffy - one little gesture during an emergency that continues to mean so much today.

2/11/17 update - Tomorrow we will join with other families at Morristown's annual Valentine's Day party and educational day. It's a chance for families to learn more about congenital heart disease and meet the wonderful Morristown team. We recently learned that a child whose sister is a patient at Morristown had donated Fluffy. We are excited to pay it forward by donating another teddy bear to help another child recover. In fact, it would be wonderful if every child going to the hospital in an ambulance and every child admitted to the hospital was comforted by a small toy or stuffed animal. The Denville EMS team gave our daughter a small toy to hold when she was rushed to Morristown - again, a little gesture that has meant so much to our family. Happy Valentine's Day to all who played a role in saving our daughter's life!