From the feature Cover artilce in March 2004 Blaze Of Glory by Mimi Valdes It's funny how New Yorkers rarely get to enjoy their beloved city. The tourists are the ones who take advantage of all the attractions—they participate in activities most natives never bother to experience. Well today, one die-hard New Yorker renowned singer, Alicia Keys, is about to live a little. It's early September. The 22-year old Keys (who turned 23 on January 25) has spent the past week putting the finishing touches on her sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. However, all the pressing deadlines are the last things on her mind. As she drives her burgundy Cadillac Escalade up Manhattan's West Side Highway, her anticipation grows. She's about to meet her mom at the 79th Street Boat Basin for a three-hour cruise around Manhattan in a chartered boat. It's exactly the kind of chill time Keys needs right now... After parking and signing an autograph for the guard, Keys links up with her mom and heads to the dock. "This is gonna be so dope," she says climbing onto the boat. "I've never done anything like this."... As the sun sets, the boat sails off along the Hudson River toward the Statue of Liberty. Keys has her phone tightly pressed against her ear. She's finishing up a few calls to some fans who won a Web site promotion. Those who posted the most interesting questions got five minutes of phone time with Keys. They were notified in advance of the date and four-hour window in which they could expect a call from her. After the last of five calls is completed, Keys relaxes with a glass of white wine. The Manhattan skyline glides past, and she settles down to enjoy the view.