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The Big Apple
Apr. 7th, 2024 09:14 amI've been in New York City for the last five days. Leaving for upstate in the morning.
We have seen: the Empire State Building, a show on Broadway, Times Square, Grand Central Station, the Public Library, the Twin Towers Memorial, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Natural History Museum, Washington Square Park, Prospect Park, and far too many subway stations to count.
Random observings:
- New Yorkers have ghastly traffic manners (both foot and road – the cars start beeping at the slightest provocation, and I have been sworn at twice for accidentally stepping in front of someone) but the loveliest subway manners. Every time I walk onto a train with my kids people are immediately leaping to their feet to offer us seats. (In Melbourne, they'd be trying to ignore me in the hopes that they could sit, even if I looked actively disabled.)
- America's reputation for Mexican food is justified! It's delicious. (America's reputation for hamburgers is, so far, leaving me sadly disappointed.)
- Spanish is EVERYWHERE. I am no longer surprised at the number of English-speaking Americans who seem to absorb Spanish by osmosis.
- Black people here have the most exquisitely fascinating hairstyles I have ever seen. I keep wanting to compliment them, and then deciding they might think I'm racist, or something.
- All your shop doors are, to my Australian eyes, installed backwards. I'm used to pushing my way into shops, and pulling my way out. Here, all the doors swing out into the street.
- Security at tourist attractions is incredibly tight. I keep getting asked to do bag x-rays, and metal detectors, and who knows what else. At the Statue of Liberty, the metal detector picked up the buttons on my jeans (and everyone else's jeans – they were wanding every second person). In Australia, the most I've ever been asked for is a basic bag check.
- TV has not lied to me about the demographics of different professions. So far, hospitality has been 80% hispanic with the occasional black person, security has been 80% black with the occasional hispanic person, and subway employees have been split, 50-50. Nowhere there have I seen a single white person.
- If I were living in New York, I would prefer Brooklyn to Manhattan. Far more my speed. (My hotel is in Brooklyn.)
- My favourite things to see were the Public Library, and Washington Square Park. Both are free. Highly recommend them, especially if you visit the park on a weekend.
We have seen: the Empire State Building, a show on Broadway, Times Square, Grand Central Station, the Public Library, the Twin Towers Memorial, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Natural History Museum, Washington Square Park, Prospect Park, and far too many subway stations to count.
Random observings:
- New Yorkers have ghastly traffic manners (both foot and road – the cars start beeping at the slightest provocation, and I have been sworn at twice for accidentally stepping in front of someone) but the loveliest subway manners. Every time I walk onto a train with my kids people are immediately leaping to their feet to offer us seats. (In Melbourne, they'd be trying to ignore me in the hopes that they could sit, even if I looked actively disabled.)
- America's reputation for Mexican food is justified! It's delicious. (America's reputation for hamburgers is, so far, leaving me sadly disappointed.)
- Spanish is EVERYWHERE. I am no longer surprised at the number of English-speaking Americans who seem to absorb Spanish by osmosis.
- Black people here have the most exquisitely fascinating hairstyles I have ever seen. I keep wanting to compliment them, and then deciding they might think I'm racist, or something.
- All your shop doors are, to my Australian eyes, installed backwards. I'm used to pushing my way into shops, and pulling my way out. Here, all the doors swing out into the street.
- Security at tourist attractions is incredibly tight. I keep getting asked to do bag x-rays, and metal detectors, and who knows what else. At the Statue of Liberty, the metal detector picked up the buttons on my jeans (and everyone else's jeans – they were wanding every second person). In Australia, the most I've ever been asked for is a basic bag check.
- TV has not lied to me about the demographics of different professions. So far, hospitality has been 80% hispanic with the occasional black person, security has been 80% black with the occasional hispanic person, and subway employees have been split, 50-50. Nowhere there have I seen a single white person.
- If I were living in New York, I would prefer Brooklyn to Manhattan. Far more my speed. (My hotel is in Brooklyn.)
- My favourite things to see were the Public Library, and Washington Square Park. Both are free. Highly recommend them, especially if you visit the park on a weekend.