The Big Apple

[deird1]

I'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.

Comments

[lyr]

To be fair, I have never had a decent burger anywhere up north. I have no idea why that is. I missed burgers a lot when I lived in Michigan.

[deird1]

What Michigan food would you recommend? I’ll be there next week.

[lyr]

The Middle Eastern cuisines were well represented. If you're in Ann Arbor, the Korean was pretty good, too. But absolutely do not attempt any Latinx cuisines in the north outside of the largest cities.

[beroli]

New Yorkers have a saying: No one drives in New York. There's too much traffic.

Dissecting the joke, it's a way to sound humorously absurd rather than snobby while attempting to convey:

"No one who understands New York drives. The streets are choked with idiots, tourists, and idiot tourists."

[deird1]

Honestly, the subway system is so extensive I don’t know why anyone would drive!

[elisi]

You certainly packed a lot in! Thank you for sharing, it's very interesting to get a different viewpoint. ^_^

[deird1]

Glad you find it interesting!

[conuly]

- 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.

This is by law, for fire safety reasons.

[deird1]

Interesting!

[conuly]

To be honest, I'm actually slightly alarmed that your doors go the other way. What if there's a crush?

[deird1]

I’ve only really encountered one shop crowded enough for proper crush potential (chocolate shop the week before Easter). They had a staff member standing at the door letting one person in for each person out.

[out_there]

We stayed in Manhattan but had a tour that took us over to Brooklyn. I have to say, Brooklyn had a really nice vibe to it so I could imagine living there. (Manhattan is wonderful as a tourist but too big and busy to live in day to day.)

Says she who finds Melbourne too big and busy to live in, and happily stays in her "regional city".

[deird1]

Agreed! Brooklyn is slower paced, wider spread, and far more comfortable.

[kazzy_cee]

I adore New York - all your comments are what go through my head when I’m there. The doors are strange aren’t they.