NEW YORK, NEW YORK

I've been home for a week from a 6-day vacation in NYC with Hub.  We had a blast!  I am so grateful for a life that affords me opportunities to travel to places I love.  As you know, I don't travel a lot by some standards, so when I do I always hope I'll have a great time and see and do cool things.  This trip filled the bill.

I already know I love New York.  What's not to love?  There is so much to see and do -- one couple on the elevator of the place we stayed was heading out one morning to what they said was the "dog museum".  They seemed pretty excited and ready to go outside! (The American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog -- I looked it up.)

We headed out each day with destinations in mind too.  We bought a three site City Pass so before we even got there we knew we'd see the 911 Museum/Memorial, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island.  We also got tickets to a play: Come From Away.  We had a dinner date planned with NYC friends.  Other than that, our days were ours to create spontaneously.

We walked the High Line trail, came across Bella Abzug Park, found and explored the new "Vessel" at Hudson Yards, ate yummy pizza at Julianna's in DUMBO, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, explored The Heights (Brooklyn), strolled through Central Park, picnicked in Bryant Park, and in Washington Square in Greenwich Village, gawked in Times Square, road the subway everywhere, and walked miles and miles and miles making our Fitbit step counter very happy.

Here are some things I noticed (along with some tips) with the caveat that I am describing a Manhattan experience:

1.  It's OK to talk to yourself or sing at the top of your lungs on city streets.  Many do.

2.  Or maybe it just seems like people are talking to themselves given the frequency of people talking on their cell phones via wireless ear buds that make it appear they are just walking along having a nice self-referential conversation.

3.  Cell phones were, of course, ubiquitous and at first I found this annoying, but I did occasional unscientific studies where I glanced around at the first 10 random people I saw and only about 40% were looking at screens.  That's still a lot and who knows what they were doing?  We used ours for navigating at times and that seems to be a purposeful rather than mindless usage.

4. Subway stations are gross and dirty.  Don't touch anything.  It's also very very hot down under.  Try not to think how far underground you are.  There are levels of underground!

5. Subway cars are surprising bright and clean and safe.  (Well...a story will follow later in this post.)

6. Subway workers, when you can find one, are surly.

7. People (locals and tourists) walking around NYC are very fit.  It must be all that walking.

8. Many Italians visit NYC.

9. Cops are super friendly.  So are the locals.  We were offered assistance many times and observed many instances of people helping people out.  It was heartening.

10.  Sirens never stop.  Ever.  Day or night.  Same with honking horns.  This horn honking seemed to have absolutely no bearing on traffic moving any faster.

11.  Be careful crossing the street, although on the Don't Walk sign you have far longer than you might think, so don't just stand there either.  Always watch for turning cars; don't assume they will stop.

12.  Bicyclists are ruthless.  They ride a jillion miles per hour with a whistle between their teeth and will blow it relentlessly loudly to alert you to MOVE cuz they ain't gonna slow down.  Annoying.

13.  Do not, for God's sake, block the sidewalk!  Millions of people live in and visit NYC and we all are trying to get somewhere.  When you walk 3-4 abreast with a sauntering gait, you create a roadblock.  There is a flow to walking in NYC similar to driving on the freeway.  Keep right and let those walking faster pass.  (One of my favorite city things is to walk fast and weave in and out of the pedestrian traffic.  I feel like Fast and Furious -- on foot!)

14.  Our taxi into Midtown from JFK was over $80.00 and took over an hour to go 16 miles on a Sunday afternoon!  We investigated:  The Long Island Railroad (LIRR) leaves Penn Station about every 15 minutes to Jamaica Queens near JFK.  It was $8.00/each.  Then you transfer to the AirTran ($5.00/each) and it stops right at your JFK terminal.  It took us 45 minutes, avoiding Friday rush hour traffic.  A cab would have cost waaaaayyyy more (hotel said likely $100) and 1-1/2 to 2 hours sitting in traffic.  You're welcome.

Any downside?  Well, we did ride the subway from Midtown to Lower Manhattan one morning and a woman got on carrying all her worldly possessions.  She was obviously mentally ill and in full profanity-laden rant for about 10 minutes.  It was uncomfortable, but you know, city life.  Then she unzipped her jeans, pulled them down, squatted in the aisle and peed.  Hmmm...not cool.  Everyone around her found other seats on either end of the subway car.  One couple we'd talked to briefly said they were from Kansas; they sat very close together and held hands looking startled.  Hub leaned over and said to them, "Well, you're not in Kansas anymore."  HaHa

To his credit, a young man who was likely very familiar with the variety of humanity riding the subways in his city, said, "Well, when ya gotta go ya gotta go.  Let's sing!"  And he started singing "Stand By Me" like a rock star.  Everyone in the car sang along.  As he exited with cap extended before him he collected a nice amount of change and waved goodbye.

New York! New York!

At least that's the view from here. ©