New York City, the concrete Jungle where dreams come true, where people are always in a rush, a melting pot of cultures and food, a city with a Gigantic beautiful park in the center, a city with constant energy flowing through it, a city of extreme weather, but above all a city where LIFE never stops happening……..
And for starters, let me also clarify, NYC is not just the borough of Manhattan, but consists of 4 more (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx). It is strange that people always assume NYC to be Manhattan, with all the high risers and people running all around. Well, it is much more than that. My experience with great city is limited at best, but I still am in love with this great city. Let me share a few things about my memorable experience with the city of NEW YORK!!!!!
In Summer 2011, I graduated from a University in Los Angeles and got a job in NYC. For a Californian, the thought of leaving the sunny weather, going to a city with temperatures running below 0 itself gave me chills. On the other hand, my own impression of the city, all the high-risers, the glitz and glory of the city made me feel excited about this opportunity. With little apprehension and a lot of excitement I set sail. Now let me clarify now itself, I lived in Newport (not NYC :( ). Many of my friends call me a hypocrite about liking the city and not staying in the city, well I agree I made a mistake, but nevertheless I still call myself a New Yorker from heart \m/.
For most of the blog, I will tell my experience in Manhattan which I “tried” to explore the most. Well, the very first experience after stepping foot in the city was that you need to run with the pace of the city. NYC is a city with extreme energy, people running from one place to other 24x7. You will not find any subway or street empty, even in the darkness of the nights or coldness of winters. Subways are like the veins, carrying people from one place to other, FASTER than I believe chauffeured cars. Let me tell you, you definitely DO NOT want to drive in the city. Although its one of the most structured cities in the world, the constant hurry in which people live has made the pedestrians really impatient to the traffic signals it seems, J Walking is everywhere :D. Subway system is like a web, not only spread all across the city, but also like a web, super strong. This 100 year old system is a masterpiece of Engineering. In a few trains during rush hours, you will find New Yorkers packed like chickens in a cage. You will see people standing in various Yoga poses to get a place. Also, on the stations, you will find people playing the most random instruments you will “EVER” see in your life, but the music they create will make Emmy winners run for their money. I have seen the most awkward shaped instruments ever in my life. I remember each day to be an experience in the train, people reading books, listening to music, reading newspapers etc. The morning rush drove me crazy initially as you can imagine, a laid back Californian suddenly asked to run like a rat. Well, after I got a hang of it, it was hard to give away.
As NYC is a melting pot of cultures, thus obviously you can find every possible cuisine in the city. Also, you will find food for $5 or $500 to fill your stomach. The best advice I have is to try New York’s street food. You will have the best Chicken over rice or Kathi roll or Arthichoke pizza of your life. You will find awesome food everywhere. I remember my reservations of trying out chicken from a cart, but once I tried, it was like an addiction. I still miss that chicken over rice. At each corner, you will see a cart with something great to offer. I have sweet memories of trying out food of all kinds (not shapes though). The moment you step out of your office building, you will have a gazillion choices of awesome food to try out. In fact, this used to drive me nuts, what to EAT. Freaking dilemma of choices (https://medium.com/@ankitm111/the-dilemma-of-choices-a1f2fb7b8e5e#.1bkl6gyqb).
But above all, I loved the people of NYC. Keeping aside the infrastructure, the food and all other awesomeness that the city had to offer, by far the people are the best. Even though they are always in a rush, if you need help, you will definitely find a helping hand. People do go out of their way to help someone in need. The other great trait of the people in NYC is their energy. At 5 AM, if you catch a train, you won’t find people sleeping all around, but ready to head to work. Being the lazy guy I am, I needed a push every morning, and the energy I saw in people gave me that adrenaline rush and jolted me out of my sleep. I have seen people of all ages, young and old, emanating the same energy. That energy is as addictive as a drug and hits you instantly. And also, its not always work, New Yorkers know how to live life and enjoy very well. I have seen that Thursday nights and Friday nights in NYC were always crazy. All the bars and pubs are filled with people, restaurants working hard to keep up and subways running all packed.
Last but not the least, NYC is also famous for its art and culture. There are numerous museums you will love to see, not only museum of Arts, but history, finance etc. I have been to most of them, almost like hopping museums and am amazed at the amount of art collection. Also numerous stage performances, most famous of all, the Broadway shows, Operas, Music festivals, all happen here. I still remember, having 0 knowledge in art, I thought of broadways and musicals as something I will never like. Just for the sake of it, I once went to see one and absolutely loved it. These people performing in these places are REALLY VERY VERY TALENTED. I wrote it all in caps to emphasize the point. I have never been to, but heard a lot that Brooklyn and Queens have small music and film festivals which are equally amazing.
Well, I can keep going, on and on and on and on, but instead of me writing it all out, I will highly advice you to go there and experience it for yourself. And if you do plan to visit, make sure you spend more time seeing the nitty gritty details of the city, and do not just visit the well known places only. You will love it much more once you get to feel and live the city life. (But DO visit the Empire State building, its the Best of the best :) ). You should plan a trip that cover the well known places in a couple of days, but then after that you should explore the city, and I am pretty certain the city has a lot to offer to each and every one of us. And then, do blog about it and share it in comments. I would love to hear your stories and relive the awesomeness of the city………