How I learned to "Like" The Big Apple

Freedom Tower, One World Trade Centre

Part II of our series: Is New York The Greatest City?

Just a few weeks ago, my wife and I attended an LG Kitchen event on the 112 floor of 1 World Trade Center. When we boarded the elevator, we had no idea that it will take us from 60 seconds to reach the observatory floor. Wow-wee! What a ride that was!

You may recall that on my last post I asked is NYC the greatest city? That question is still the subject of this post. Is the battle now joined? Some may be thinking that I am knocking New Yorkers, but in reality, I am simply giving my perception of this city that I now call home.

Is New York City the greatest city on earth? Don't take it too personal folks.

Let's go over New York resident author Andrew Price's article: 25 Truths That Only Real New Yorkers Understand. Let the debate begin!

Times Magazine cover of the Twin Towers after the September 11 attack

The sound of silence: A very rare sight of Kennedy Airport after the 9/11 Terrorist Attack

Road Block Lower Manhattan

Reason number 19. “9/11. Everyone remembers where they were on that fateful day.” Andrew Price

Everyone remembers that fateful day. I was in London at the time, watching it live from my computer, and simply thought my eyes were deceiving me. When I flew into New York seven weeks later, Kennedy Airport was unbelievably quite - and almost empty. You can only imagine the stringent
security checks some of us had to go through that day. Visiting downtown Manhattan, seeing the police and army patrolling the streets was a sight to behold. No! I will not forget 9/11. 

Smart phones: The New Normal

Driving and Texting: A dangerous and reckless thing to do while driving. 

One can compare it to drinking and driving

Reason number 18. “New Yorkers are the multitasking masters. On any average day you will find someone with headphones listening to music, texting, holding a cup of iced coffee while stepping onto the correct subway without looking up once.” Andrew Price

Ha! Some New York drivers are doing the same, texting and driving. This is a very foolish behavior, and it is becoming more and more common to hear reports on drivers being distracted behind the wheel. I’ve seen drivers pass on a red traffic lights, running into pedestrians while turning on a busy junction as frustrated pedestrians leaped up and start kicking their cars. New Yorkers can be brilliantly irritating.

Work in Progress: Scene from a typical weekend on the subway as commuters are forced to change their travel plans because of major service changes

Weekends are ripe for maintenance work, that means you have to brace yourself for train delays, and massive agitation from your fellow commuters

A commuter waiting on his train at the station. Can you say "He's Fed Up" ten times?!

Reason number 17. “Partying on the weekend is for the tourists. True New Yorkers are caught hitting the town on weeknights.” Andrew Price

True! Travel on the subway on any given weekend, and you will find the subway packed with tourists. The funny thing (not) is, the MTA closes down large section of the subway system to carry out maintenance work, creating so much chaos that even seasoned New Yorkers are incapable of handling. I once asked an MTA staffer what I needed to do to get to point b, and you know what his response was "why are you asking me this for?" Are you nuts? Only in New York, folks.

Springtime at the Shake Shack on 86th Street

Reason 16. “You know, hands down, Shake Shack is better than In-And-Out.” Andrew Price

One day I was sitting in Shake Shack on East 86th Street, and the city's mayor, Bill de Blasio made a pit stop to have his his burger - while all is heavies hovered around. I guess Shake Shack had his vote. Is it the best burger joint in town? You must be the judge that.

Real Live New York Cab Drivers

Reason 15. “When getting into a taxi, only the out-of-towners will be seen fastening their seat belts. Never a New Yorker. Despite the fact that your driver is probably over-tired, underpaid and prone to speeding - you wouldn't dare put one on.” Andrew Price

True! Rarely would a driver tell you to buckle-up, would you buckle yourself  in a cab with a these cabbies? (If you were to do an advertising ad for a new beefcake calendar, these drivers would be the new definition to beefcake - not!). There’s no way this Brit would buy their calendar - to be sure. On several occasions, I’ve hailed a cab and told the driver my destination. The responses have been “I'm not going that way” or “it’s my break” - words to that effect, as they drive off leaving me bemused. Like they say 'It's nothing personal'  Ah, I bet! I guess I’m just pointing out the aberration from the ordinary taxi experiences.

Tales From The Underground

Rush hour on the E train. Come on, I can think of better things to do with my time. 

Take a guess ...

Running errands in midtown Manhattan, especially on a Friday afternoon during rush hour is not exactly my idea of fun, it is more a battle of wills between millions of New Yorkers on the E train commuting on a daily basis.

When riding the MTA, I usually fantasize about my favorite 
Caribbean Island on Harbour Island, Bahamas


An upscale hotel at Harbour Island, Bahamas

The sun shines amid the crowded street of New York City

While pushing my way into a crowded train someone pushed me, and I nearly fell on this woman in front of me. Fortunately for me, she only smiled and I said a few words (a few clean Anglo-Saxon words, of course). “Where are you from”?, I replied, and she then asked “I’ve just spent 3 days in London with my daughter and I’m on my way home to California with my friends 'the hubby was left at home.” We then spent a few minutes talking about how she enjoyed London and the people there. Once again, I thought, I have better things to do. However, I did enjoy our little conversation. When I left the underground, I thought, you know, among the chaos of the metro system, there can be little bits of experiences that encourage pleasantries, which in turns can save the day, and bring a smile back to our faces. I must say Diane brought a little bit of sunshine into my afternoon that day.

Has New York become Nazi, USA?

New York City never ceases to amaze me. Not only does it constantly keep you on your toes, many times the city carries an acute sense of dismay. Case in point: Back in November 24, 2015, I was confronted with a strange sight while riding the shuttle from Grand Central to Times Squares. To my horror, the shuttle cars were emblazoned with the Iron Cross associated with Nazi Germany, plus a modified Rising Sun emblem of Imperial Japan - even the benches were plastered with it. Whoever thought we would ever see part of the MTA covered in fascist iconography? Certainly not I. What a wake-up call!

Poster of The Man In The High Castle: An Amazon Original Film

The MTA shuttle cars in Times Square covered with Nazi related propaganda

 Appalling: Is this Times Square, or Nazi, Germany?
Imagine the controversy, and the rampant conversations among New Yorkers traveling that day as they witnessed a series of heavy promotions from Amazon which depicts a Nazi, and Imperial Japan winning World War II from The Man In The High Castle. The vivid imagery illustrated an Axis Powers-ruling America. The advertisements were plastered all over subway stations, in and out of subway cars. The whole thing was simply awful. 

Wake up call!

Bill de Basio, New York City's mayor, fortunately acted swiftly by ordering the posters to be removed from all of the city’s subways, in all locations. The fact that this even took place in a large city? Well, only in New York.

I lived about 5 minutes away form this spot in Putney, England.

The whole incident was so powerful, and it took my mind back to my childhood. Growing up in London, I was often told by my mother not to play in or around the "bombed-out-houses" in the neighborhood, with good reason, mind you. Those houses, in most cases had unexploded devises inside them, and as you know, children do stupid things. I can recall that even after several warnings from our parents, we still went out, and played our war games in and around those very same buildings!

 Children in London playing in and around a bombed-out-house, circa 1940s

"What shall we do now that we have no place to play?"
One and half million Londoners were bombed out of their homes between September 1940 and May 1941. It was only in the late 1950s before most of these homes were rebuilt. The memories of the after effects of Nazi, Germany is not something we should glorify, and exploit, even for artistic purposes.

Only in New York

The naked cowboy: One crazy New Yorker

A few years ago I was posting on my Facebook page (which is now defunct) a series of posts entitled: Only in New York.  The posts brought to mind all the crazy things I observed in and around New York City. No doubt other cities have their own crazy moments, don't you agree?

I recalled vividly this pet shop a few blocks from where I live which placed a sign on their door that read: NO PETS ALLOWED! It's no surprise that the shop quickly went out of business shortly afterward.

This is not the store I mentioned in my previous paragraph, with the NO PETS ALLOWED

which warranted a speedy closure.

Have you ever had this experience? I was in a coffee shop ordering a black coffee, when the woman behind the counter asked:  "Any milk or cream in your coffee, sir?" "No", I politely replied, "I just want black coffee, thank you". She turned around and handed me a coffee with milk. Seriously, you can't make this up, even if you wanted to (the scenario reminded me of the Bill Murray film Lost in Translation).

This is what a black coffee with no cream looks like. Thank you very much.

No Milk In My Coffee. Ever.

Okay! Let's get on with the post. Last week, while commuting in the subway, it seemed like at every subway station that I connected with, there was a guy or gal handing out free copies of AM NEW YORK, which boast of being the No. 1 free paper in New York…its a good way of keeping up with the local news. 

AM New York, 2013

Breaking News from 'Alexandria' "I looked down at my feet while I was on the subway platform, only to discover a giant rat* was next to me! Love living in NYC, so glamorous."

* Most rats can reach 18" in length, I find them scary and eerie. Yes, they give me the creeps.

"I'm a 20/day smoker" So what?

Simple but Brilliant Signs

This is news after my own heart. It's easy to lose our bearings when we exit the subway, right? (I've posted about this very subject a few years back). I am constantly having to wonder where I'm facing; is that north, south, east, or west? It drives me nuts. Ryan Murphy, a student at one of New York School of Design has taken action to help us out. Ryan designed a simple but brilliant sign. That's right, an easy to understand sign on the subway steps. Well done Ryan! I would love to shake your hand if ever we meet.