Summer in New York City

I’m not going to say anything about New York City that might not already have been said. But I’ll tell you this, it’d rather be called the Big Onion. Sooo many layers! I spent a little less than two weeks there, peeling away. New York City is not a destination, it is an experience. The place has spunk, and an extremely interesting personality. I now understand why so much art, culture and whatnot is associated with it.

As a Bombay girl, I felt the city open its arms wide to hug me. I hugged right back, but towards the end of my stay I was definitely ready to break away and come home. Nonetheless, I can’t wait to go back! A big thank you and tight virtual hug to my bestie, Shivu, for making this happen. 

In the second post of this series, I’ve listed nine things that fascinated, excited and intrigued me about NYC. Here they are:     

Someone very neurotic planned it

I might have laughed when I realised how easy it is to navigate Manhattan. Seriously, get this: if where you need to go is 55^th street and 5^th avenue, it’s logically going to come after 54^th street and before 56^th street, and right in between 6^th and 7^th avenue! It’s insanely easy to figure out. Just make sure you’re walking along the streets, and the avenues cut across in front of you. Also, Google Maps always helps.

Subways are a blessing

Underground trains for the win! Imagine the kind of space the city saves thanks to its elaborate train network, which is—that’s right—below the streets! It blows my mind every time I think of it. No wonder it has so many parks. Most big sub stations give out free physical maps, or you could find an appropriate app for the phone. Once you’ve figured exactly where you are, rest assured to find a train that’ll get you to where you need to be within five-ten minutes walking distance. (Psst: I got onto a sub at 4 in the morning to get on a 6-am flight. Coupled with the AirTrain, it took me a little over an hour to be dropped outside my terminal from Midtown Manhattan—in $7.5.)

Crowds are my friends

The crowds in the city didn’t let me miss Bombay. There are people everywhere, at all times—ALL THE TIME—which is great. Ditto for the trains; these get pretty packed during peak hours, and there’s always that one person trying to get the door not to shut on them. So you’re basically stuck underground, going through tunnels, with a huge group of people. My favourite part? Perfume! Most people generally smell gooood.

The people are lovely

I was always fed the misconception how cold and aloof everyone is, and how one is one’s only resource in a city like New York. But not that old lady in Central Park who basked in the morning sun with me while telling me about her bygone cycling days or that Mexican chef who refused to let me eat anything but the local favourite, much cheaper than my initial order.

Mad crowds, Times Square, and me.

Safe to say, the people are very helpful and courteous. I’d blatantly walk up to randoms and ask for directions, or to be clicked, and they always obliged. Always! Even if a few were travellers like me, I’m sure I harrowed a neat number of locals too. Also, I made friends with the girl I bought chocolates from at the airport—native Indian but born and bred in New York—and we’re going to go around Punjab the next time she’s here!

Fashion forward

New Yorkers love to dress up. The first thing I noticed about the women was their individualistic styles, and then, their shoe bites. All of them have shoe bites! No compromise is made in the pursuit of looking awesome, and boy, do they get it right.  

They love their tattoos

A lot. Statistically too, Americans collectively spend somewhere in the billions on getting inked.

Food paradise

Food plays a vital role while getting to know a city. So for a food lover like me, NYC and I are besties. Apart from the quantities being huge—they’re really generous with everything—there’s no kind of food I didn’t find here. My most fond memories include eating chicken over rice at the Halal Guys’s cart outside MoMA—a generous helping of orange-coloured rice on a bed of lettuce with a lots of the most well-done Arabic-style grilled chicken on top—and devouring burgers—a succulent Angus beef patty (or two) between soft buns accompanied by the works—and cheese (so much cheeeeeeese) fries at Shake Shack. Must. Control. Drool. Flood.

(L-R) Cioccolato Extranoir (extra-dark chocolate) and Vaniglia (vanilla) gelato at Grom, a lot of dessert at Café Lalo, way too much amazing Chinese food in Chinatown, and ham, cheese and omelette croissant with hot chocolate at Bouchon Bakery. 

Central Park!...and all the other gazillion parks

This is the one, and only, reason I am envious of New Yorkers. This is why I want to pack my bags and move to New York City. Central Park is a country in itself; the most beautiful, welcoming, well-manicured country in the world. I spent two Sundays cycling for two hours each, in between lying on the lawns and striking conversations with randoms, here. You can’t possibly get enough of it on a bright sunny day. People with their picnic baskets, people singing to each other on the green, people running faster than I could cycle, it’s like the movies. I want to make a movie called Life in Perfect in Central Park. It really is! Apart from this one, I tried and tested the lawns of at least five (of the 1,700) other parks.

(L-R) Posing with the Arc de Triomphe-inspired arch at Washington Square Park, cycling in Central Park, and chilling at Bryant Park.

Broadway

The Broadway culture is fascinating, it puts all the plays and symphonies I’ve watched locally in the backseat. I booked my tickets for Wicked and The Lion King back in April to get seats in June/July. And the 1710- and 1933-seat auditoriums were packed. Full capacity! For any theatre and live-performance lover, it goes without saying how important, even crucial, it is to catch a musical when in the city.

Broadway bliss.

I’m a fierce advocate of exploring new places alone or with one other person, tops. I’d make no exception for New York City. Summers are rather lively here when you can truly experience the city and its tempers at their best. 

Just Elvis going home...