Hey, What's it really like living in New York City?

first went to NYC in '62 - school trip; it was the greatest city in the world! ("Whiskey a GO Go!!! WOW)
next went in mid ' '70's; it was amazing how much there was that i hadn't allready seen - is Mc Sorley's still there, sawdust on the floor, and all? But it was looking a mite 'dowdier'.
Next late 80's; just had to get back - a real dissappointment - all the good restaurants were closed (that i knew from before, of course), even the art at MOMA, and Gugenheim was less than i remembered. (Boy was i in a BOX!!)
haven't been since - and now i'm starting to get that ache, down at the bottom of my bad memory...............

IF, and that's a big IF, I was going slightly batty and decided to walk from the ferry to the Museum of Natural History, (those of you with maps, start at the southern tip and run your finger straight up Broadway to 59th Street then a slight vector onto Central Park West at 79th), I could make it in about a hour, unless my fachitis kicked in.

But that's trucking it.

Wandering, which is the best way to walk in the city, looking around at the stuff, the people, the buildings, the hawkers and gawkers and weirdos and gimps, shoot- you might never get north of Canal all day.

Best you get on the 1/9 subway to 59th Street, then transfer to a C and get off at the 81st exit. The entrance is in the station, but I like to go outside and walk up the big stairs past Teddy Roosevelt and the naked guys.

Joe

I'm not sure what you mean by out in the sticks, but this is the kind of idea which leads the people of the rest of the country to roll their eyes at the parochialism of New Yorkers and Angelenos. The rural portion of the country is well hooked-up to the electronic world, and has been moving right along since the days of radio.

The other day, i was driving through a residential portion of a small town near by, and found it utterly hilarious to see a boy walking awkwardly down the street in his baggy jeans, wearing about three t-shirts, each one strategically longer than the other, so that one could see the tails of them . . . i'm sure he was doing his best to mimic hip-hop styles he had seen on the teevees. That same town has a large Amish population, and one of the local Amish businesses to which we resort has homely messages of faith professionally imprinted at the top of each computer-generated invoice, my fav is: "Be not weary of well-doing." I did once stop at a gas station there, and inquire after an ATM, which resulted in directions to about four different places, and arguments among the boys there about which ones would charge me a fee, as i was "not from around here." The wireless world impinges as well, and has distinct advantages for those who live far from the hurried crowd, and they have not been behind hand in taking advantage.

As i was born in Nuevo York, but was raised in the country, i've often been amused by the silly stereotypes which are perpetrated in both locales about life in the respective opposite locale . . .



My Sweetiepie and i experienced the same sort of abundance at "Der Dutchman" in Plain City, Ohio, the local Amish cultural center. I'd rather they just gave us less food, and a less damaging check for the meal. Now i'm hungry as well . . . and it's time to go to work . . . sigh . . .

yo!

(bookmarkin' for anudda time...)

On good Friday we went over to the tourist town of Intercourse to have a late lunch (morel seeking is a food intensive effort). There were many Jerseyites and New Yorkers who added a common ion of intensity and random motion like a water drop on a hot coal stove.The normal speed of that town , in the "OFF" season is driven by the calendar, not a clock. So these people all attacked the town in a purposeful , almost businesslike intesnity. We were sitting on a bench reading an auction flyer and I dont know how many people would pass us with urgent discussions about what they had to "do" next.
Whenever I get to NY, Im always being passed or given dirty looks for being a "speed bump" in somebody's vector. 2 years ago we went up to NY as a family to
look for some knitting machine stuff for Mrs F. we walked from ur hotel down on 30th st to a bunch of antique and art shops up near the park, and it took us half a day. We walked slowly and ducked into stores , and were goofing on things we found funny ( in retrospect we must have appeared like a bunch of Pani from Sarajevo) I just bought a pair of CHUCK TAYLORS (the only sneaker that doesnt make you look like youre working on a new version of Lost In SPace).
Id walk and all of a sudden some kid would stop and ask if those sneakers I was wearing were Chuck Taylors. I would say that , no, indeed, they were mine.

Good come back, Boss, and i sure was wasted upon the inquisitors . . .

We use an Amish metal fabricators--a very high quality product, with bargain basement prices. And, of course, right away does not mean to the Amish what it means to us. Once, they finished the job we had in about 10 days (unholy speed!). I went over to pick them up, and, knowing the folks there, knew there was no point in being in a hurry. I spoke to an older gentleman with the chin-and-jaw-line beard, in a blue chambray shirt and blue work pants, with steel-toed boots. He told me expected someboy would find the fork lift, and they'd bring my order over. We then discussed the turn of the season (early spring), the likely prospects for farmers that year, and beauty of the fields as he walked to work during the sunrise each day. After about ten minutes of chatting, another older gentleman came over, and joined our conversation, and we reviewed once more the agricultural prosepects for the year. These were busy men, though, and that probably constituted their morning "coffee break." I waited a little while longer, and another older gentleman came over, and the entire weather/farming/lovely spring morning recurred, and he then explained that one of the "youngsters" (i.e., under 40) was trying to figure out the new propane powered fork lift. So we sauntered over, and began loading the aluminum boxes into my jeep by hand, and having a lively conversation all the while. It only took about an hour to get my order and load it. That was incredible speed. While i was in the office talking to the ladies in their lace caps, the "youngster" came in to see if anyone knew what had happened to the pallet load of aluminum boxes. I told him we had already loaded them, and replied that that was a good thing, as he was still looking for someone who knew how to start the propane powered fork lift. No hurry, and little wasted time, either.

Personally, having lived for a long time in the South, this sort of thing not only does not bother me, it soothes me in a sense. Your experience of the New Yorkers and the folks from New Joisy mirrors my own experience of them in southern tourtist towns.

When I first arrived in Manhattan I took to walking everywhere and riding the trains as needed. One day I absentmindedly walked on 5th Avenue, right when everybody in the stores got off work. Being a clumsy country boy, my attempt to navigate the flow of traffic failed. I quickly fell out of step with the entire crowd of hundreds of New Yorkers, all of whom seemed to be calling me a jerk with their eyes. Then some began calling me unpleasant names. Un-nerved, I slipped up against a building to catch my bearings. Seeing I was near a subway entrance, I made a mad dash for it. I didn't get off the train until I'd gained the comparitive calm of Brooklyn.

Yes, yes, I know the outback is equipped for the modern age, at least as well as some sections of the Lower East Side. I just wanted to see if I could get a rise out of the sticks comment and did.

Regarding walking in NYC:
You can be standing in the middle of the Great Lawn of Central Park and someone will bump you, just a little, as they pass by. Stopping on a sidewalk can engender comments of a variety of heat levels. Walk with a sense of purpose even if you haven't a clue of your direction.

New York City Rule No. 1 :
Anyone standing still's in somebody else's way.

Which ought to be the final line of some wag's limerick...........
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Tomorrow:
How Chinese delivery men on bicycles manage to cruise the sidewalks without smacking into anyone.


and (bonus)
How bad can a human being smell?

(I met a Mole person today.)


Joe



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set, I love the hours spent down at the feed mill discussing with the Amish sages, the best ways to dispatch barn rats. (Hint, most involve high velocity particles of lead)


Joe, once I got near some bum in Philly . He was setting up residence on a grate and was covered with blankies. He came up to me for some cash , Ive seen a lot of **** in m y time but this guy gagged me so badly , I had tears in my eyes.

I await your analysis in applied physics concerning bicycles and randomized target avoidance. I know the military is working on something like this but without the bicycles

As a visitor to NY - I absolutely loved NYC

As a visitor to NY - I absolutely loved NYC