Central Park

If you aren’t from New York, mentions of Central Park probably trigger imagery of trees and maybe even fields. Being within the large park proves that it in fact houses a lot more.

Last weekend, Alex and I walked over to the park, which luckily for us is only about four streets west of our apartment. Our goal was to walk throughout and then visit the zoo. What we found was so much more.

First of all, just about every 30 yards, you will find someone expressing their musical talent to try to earn a quick buck. We encountered everything from a fiddler, a guitarist, and violinist, to a man with a cart full of toys that was spinning a plate on a stick while balancing it on his chin. These aren’t the only characters you will find. You will also pass bike tours discussing the history of the park and kiosks set up of people selling artwork, t-shirts, magnets or cold drinks and street meat. Not to mention the randoms such as the lady on stilts dressed in full Statue of Liberty garb or the man walking around dressed like Elmo.

Since this is such a big tourist attraction in the city, it is no wonder that the park can’t simply be a park. There is also the zoo that has everything from penguins to ants (still not sure about that one), and an amusement park with rides comparable to the local fair. Also, in the park close to The Dakota where John Lennon lived and was assassinated, is a memorial dedicated to him. Now don’t get me wrong, disregarding the few restaurants and the tourist sites that aren’t really park-esque features, there are very scenic parts of the park, also. There are several ponds, the Great Lawn, many baseball diamonds, and a path for bikers and joggers to get in their daily workout.

One feature of the park that is great in some instances and frustrating in others is that there are hardly any roads linking the Upper East Side to the Upper West Side of Manhattan that go across the park, and no subway lines take this route, either. This means that if I want to get from East 65^th Street to West 65^th Street via the subway, I need to go south then transfer to a line that goes west, and finally go north. Although this can be a stressful travelling route when the easiest way would be to cut straight across the park, the quiet getaway that the park is from the bustling city makes me understand why the system is set up as it is.

Central Park is beautiful and very calming in comparison to the heavy traffic of cars and people in the city.

It’s a nice place to get away especially during a Summer day.

The subway

Getting used to the subway system has been an interesting experience during my time in the city, to say the least. There are some trends I have noticed on these lines that any first-timer in NYC venturing out onto one of these may want to know.

First of all, people in New York are always in a hurry. This means that even though the escalators taking you up and down to reach the subway platform are going at a steady pace, it is not steady enough for the majority. When stepping onto one of these, always remain on the right. Just as in traffic, staying on the right side will ensure that you will not be bothered by the fast-moving traffic on the left. Remaining on the right side is proper subway escalator etiquette so those who want to walk the escalator as it is moving can do so.

Secondly, do not be alarmed if you hear a strange song being sang or played on a unique instrument while waiting for the subway. Many artists looking to make a quick buck share their musical talents on the subway platforms. I have had the pleasure to hear everything from a fairly good rendition of Drake’s “Find Your Love” to an improvised song about chicken. Yes, a guy literally sang, “I am looking for money to get some chicken. Fried chicken, chicken nuggets, chicken sandwich,” and he went on and on. Sometimes these characters even make it into the subway to ask for spare change while belting out a Spanish tune. I am yet to see this work out well for the beggers.

Thirdly, make sure you bring something to occupy yourself that is not texting, talking on the phone, or browsing the Internet. Once you descend to the subway area, you will not have any service. AT&T, Verizon or whoever, you will have zero bars below ground. Because of this, I suggest bringing a book or an iPod to pass the time, as the ten minutes of isolation from the cell-phone world can seem almost unbearable.

The nice thing about the subway as opposed to the bus system is that it goes very quickly and can get you to your destination fast. Yes, the cars are air-conditioned, although the platforms are not. Also, be sure to invest in a map of the different lines to ensure that you are getting on the right train going the right direction.

When you know how to go, you’re one step closer to being a pro.

Not what I am used to

Last weekend marked a few firsts for me in my big city adventure. It was the first time I went out on the town, and the first time I attempted to cook a meal that required a recipe in NYC.

When we ventured out to enjoy the city’s nightlife, we decided to check out the Murray Hill location, because this is where a few New Yorkers informed us would be bustling with folks our age. Although our neighborhood is only about 30 blocks north of this area, we noticed an immediate demographic change when we hopped off the bus. The streets were lit well and many yuppies were dressed up ready to party. We met up with one of Alex’s coworkers there before heading to the bar, Arlo and Esme.

When we arrived at the bar, the bouncer notified us that it would be a two-hour wait to get inside. I believe he did this to every group to deter overcrowding in the bar. Anyways, we stepped aside to wait, and within five minutes he came over and told us it would be ok for us to come inside. I immediately understood his reasoning when going inside, as the bar was overflowing with people. The cover was only $5, and the old-fashioned aesthetic of the place was neat because it looked like a century-old house turned bar. The prices of drinks were not that neat. I am used to the Indiana college town specials like 15 cent pints, so you can imagine my surprise when I was charged $20 for two vodka tonics. Next time, more pre-drinking will ensue before heading out.

Making pasta salad seems like an easy task, but not when every grocery is local and therefore does not sell the ingredients you are used to. The first ingredient I needed was Zesty Italian dressing. Not there. They had Robust Italian and regular Italian, but no Zesty. Fail number one. The second ingredient was salad seasoning. I am used to the spices being located in alphabetical order in the spice aisle. This grocery store arranges their spices around the store next to items they believe you will need them with. So, after a long search I found the seasoning by the vegetables and of course it wasn’t the type I usually use. When making the salad lacking the two main ingredients, it definitely did not taste the same. I will need to get used to the brands and types of foods these groceries sell before my next cooking attempt.

Learning the style may take a while.

The first week

I’m starting to get used to the big transition, although some things are still a bit tough to adapt to. Take for example what I like to call “ultra-cooking.” We have a gas stove, and if you aren’t used to this, be prepared to speed things up. For example, with an electric stove, you may find yourself waiting for the skillet to heat up in order to fry some eggs. Not here. You better have those eggs ready to crack in one hand and the spatula ready to flip in the other because a gas stove takes no time to go from zero to really darn hot. Although this is a very different way of cooking, it puts a speedy twist on making dinner.

Another change I encountered was laundry. Today marked the one-week anniversary of living in New York City and my first time doing laundry since my arrival. Since most apartments (at least in our price range) do not have a washer and dryer in the building, there are laundromats on every block. Luckily ours just happens to be directly across the street. While hauling your clothes around in a bag is not ideal, Alex and I kept our Midwestern flair by using our Indiana University sack. Go Hoosiers!

Anytime you want to stock up on groceries, be prepared to make two pit stops. The first at the grocery store where you can get bread, milk and all the necessities, and the second at the corner produce stand to get your fruit and vegetables. This may seem odd, but those corner stands not only house hot dogs and soft drink vendors, many are devoted only to produce. This is the best place to buy produce, also. Bananas are typically five for $1, and lemons are three for $1.

While walking home from downtown along Fashion Avenue yesterday I also found a unique feature of the city. Many stores that display the cutest most fashionable outfits in the windows are not open to the public. This is because these stores are for wholesale only. Let me tell you how much of a tease that can be! These window displays show 10 or more mannequins dressed to the nines and you can’t buy a thing. No worries, because I found the downtown Macy’s on my walk to the subway home as well, and that is definitely open to the public!

One week in my new place and still a lot to embrace!

The people

While touring some of the must-see tourist locations in New York, I got a pretty good feel for the wide variety of people that really do live on this small island. Little Italy and Chinatown get their name for the primary population living in those neighborhoods. The areas also accommodate the population as if they were actually Chinese or Italian cities stuck right in the middle of New York City. Each store in Chinatown displays Chinese writing for prices and products. Even the Chase bank sign has Chinese writing for the locals to read.

The markets and restaurants are also native to the population of these areas. There are fish markets selling raw fish and clothing stores selling kimonos. Little Italy also houses Italian restaurants and bakeries with gelato and every variety of traditional Italian cooking you can imagine. This will definitely be the area I go to when I’m looking to splurge on real pizza!

Not only are the people diverse, but they are plenty! I learned this when attending the Macy’s fireworks show on the Hudson River. Thousands of people flocked to the event to catch a glimpse of the over-the-top fireworks for Independence Day, and I got a true feeling as to how only around 2 percent of all apartments in New York City are unoccupied at any given time. I kept my patience, and aside from a little subway mix up, it took Alex and me only about an hour to get home from the event.

A big misconception is that people in the city are rude and pushy. While I’m sure the city gives way to people of all types, those whom I have come into contact with have been very nice and more than willing to help a Midwesterner. Aside from the one girl that rode by the crowd of firework-watchers on her bike yelling “F*** everyone”, (I hope she was drunk), I have really met some genuinely nice people. For example the nice man in the building next door could have scoffed at our attempt to rid our apartment of our moving trash in one bin, disregarding the New York state law that requires recycling, but instead he helped us separate our trash and explained thoroughly the process to us.

Learning every day to know the way of a big city girl.

Finally here

And here I am, plopped down right in the middle of the concrete jungle in my quaint apartment on 65^thStreet. Alex and I moved in yesterday and hustled to get all of our things in place in order to make our apartment seem more like home. His must-have bicycle currently resides in front of our “fireplace,” but other than that decorating faux pas, our place is really shaping up!

If anyone needs advice for moving to the city that never sleeps, this is the place to find it. Coming straight from a first-timer that has lived in the city a total of 48 hours, here are the must-dos/don’ts and the best advice I can offer when moving to Manhattan.

First things first- do not attempt to move your stuff. Yes, this may seem odd, but having Alex’s company professionally move all of our items out here in order to simply catch to flight to meet the movers in time to unpack was a blessing. Why? Because, this isn’t just a move where you shimmy your truck right up into the driveway and unload. This is Manhattan. Busy streets bustling with people and traffic, not to mention a way of life that moves so fast that even Usain Bolt couldn’t keep up. So, save up the bucks and have someone else do the dirty work. I promise, it will be worth it.

Second of all, you might want to measure the space between your couch and your entertainment center before purchasing a 55” inch flat screen. Yes, when you are moving in with Mr. Technologically Advanced it may be hard to settle for anything less than the best, but keep in mind that space is limited. Perhaps a smaller TV would work for the initial move and that could be moved to the bedroom to make way for Papa TV in the living room when you move into a bigger space. Our 55” works well, luckily, and I think we will be the go-to friends when our neighbors want to see the newest movie out on Netflix.

Last but not least, do not forget the wine opener. After two long days of unpacking and decorating you will be more than ready to settle down with a nice glass of cabernet sauvignon. Do not resort to using a drill and pliers like Alex and I had to do. Bring your opener, hit up the local liquor store and enjoy your first calm night as a New Yorker.

I have embraced the city wholly with my first experiences and loved every minute of it. I can only hope I will grow to love it even more.

Different space, different place.