Things I've Learned About New York

I've spent quite a bit of time in New York City during the past year (ah, the joys of a long distance relationship), including my most recent visit this past weekend. While I grew up on the East Coast, I never really spent any time in New York until I moved West. As a young adult, the city always seemed too enormous to tackle, but growing up and experiencing more of life makes the world feel more manageable somehow. Now my visits to The Big Apple feel almost intimate, like a peaceful weekend spent with an old friend.

While plenty of travel guides exist to tell you what to see, where to eat, where to stay and how to get around, there are unique things you learn about New York from spending time there that can't be found in books. Here are a few of my favorites:

• You can tell the difference between tourists and New Yorkers by the way they cross the street. Tourists wait to see if the cars will stop an the New Yorkers walk when they want.

• If the Herald Square Macy's doesn't sell it, you probably don't need it.

• If you travel over or under water, you'll be paying a toll.

• If you're driving into the city, you can't beat the view from the Midtown Tunnel.

• Car mounted GPS is pretty useless in the city. If you can even manage to get it to connect, it won't be able to keep up with you unless you're stopped dead in traffic. It also doesn't know when you're on an elevated section of Park Avenue and can't turn left onto East 41st Street without killing a bunch of people including yourself. 

• The nicest, most helpful New Yorkers are the ones that ride the subway.

• A hotel room with this view never gets old.

 

Photo courtesy of Paul Gheduzzi

• Even with gale force winds and snow blowing sideways, there is no better place to see New York than the top of the Empire State Building. 

• There actually MIGHT be such a thing as too much hot fudge...

 

The Serendipity Soda Shop Sundae

You're ready to take a bite of The Big Apple now, aren't you? I'm ready to go back any time.