Our visit to NYC

[Luci45]

Sorry this is so long - please just skim to my questions if you will please answer!

I posted earlier that Lucas and I went on a mission to Staten Island to help with hurricane recovery. (1900 miles in all) We had a very rewarding trip, but had to take a 1/2 day off for a 5 day trip per UMCOR (United Methodist Commitee on Releif) and the insurance rules. We chose to take the SI Train to the SI Ferry, then the subway up to the south edge of Central Park, then walk down to Rockefeller Center and Times Square and then find our way back to our host church on SI. It was about dusk 12/12/12 - a Wednesday - when we reached Central Park. By the way, the escalators were still out of service due to water damage, so I think we climbed more than 1212 steps, too.

We felt confident, even though we were far out of our comfort zone - away from having control of our own transportation is a big deal to us. We are not afraid to ask questions, and found New Yorkers very helpful and interested in our situation, as we knew you all would. One young man thought we are farmers and was really quite fascinated by corn farming in Illinois, which we do know a lot about.

Shock! You guys really do stand up happily on the trains! I thought that was some myth. Oh, my. How uncomfortable.

It was wall to wall people during our entire journey in Manhatten. Once we got separated and I yelled at Lucas, "I can't reach you!" (He was about 11 feet away and about 12 people!) People kind of cleared the way for us then - awwww.

Questions:

Is it always that crowded in that area? or was it just the Christmas season and 12/12/12?

Are people always that helpful, or did we just look like yokels and get pity points?

Is it "IN" Staten Island and Manhatten, or "ON" SI and Manhatten?


Whatever, I loved our visit and found the universal rule in social interaction tp be true: Usually, if we are nice, polite and gentle, the people around us will be, too. Yes, we took precautions and didn't do anything stupid to attrack the .2 % rotten people, but it worked.

Anyway, we loved our work. The people whose homes we worked on were great - I think I spent more time getting hugs than I spent actually working. That's OK, the rest of the team powersprayed and demolded more than anyone could expect.

I don't expect many responses, but thank you.

[hobish]

Is it always that crowded in that area? or was it just the Christmas season and 12/12/12?The kind of crowding you describe sounds extra.

Are people always that helpful, or did we just look like yokels and get pity points?People are pretty much always that helpful, especially if you are nice to them. It's an unexpected pleasure to me every time. 

Is it "IN" Staten Island and Manhatten, or "ON" SI and Manhatten?I have no idea.

[cicero]

I've visited NYC a few times as an adult (i was actually born on Long Island but we moved away from the area when i was 10).

Is it always that crowded in that area? or was it just the Christmas season and 12/12/12?It's been my experience that Times square, central park, rockefeller center and the subways in those areas are crowded (especially rush hour times).

Are people always that helpful, or did we just look like yokels and get pity points?NYers are very nice and helpful. I don't know why they get such a bad rap. the only time i see people getting understandably impatient is during rush hour when you (visitor) stand in front of the ticket machine and dont' know what to do. and even then, the most you'll hear is a "tsk" or if you start questioning a barista about the coffee choices in $tarbucks 

Is it "IN" Staten Island and Manhatten, or "ON" SI and Manhatten?I have no idea.

[Thipu1]

First of all, we New Yorkers want to thank you and all the other relief volunteers for your generosity and wonderful work.

Times Square and the southern part of Central Park are always crowded. During the Holiday season, most of midtown will be almost literally 'haunch to paunch'. 

On the whole, New Yorkers try to be a friendly and helpful bunch.  After all, most of us came from someplace else and appreciate the problems newcomers face in our city. My guess is that you didn't radiate 'rube'. 

We would say that we were 'in Manhattan' and 'on Staten Island' but it doesn't really matter. Because the only part of NYC that's on the mainland is the Bronx, you're almost always on one island
or another.    Here in Brooklyn, we often say we're going to 'the city' instead of going 'into Manhattan'.

Yes, there are subway strategies.  Don't know if you noticed but seasoned riders have learned the art
 of the 'Subway fold' for their newspapers.  The paper is folded so that only a column or two is visible at any given time.  Another coveted skill is the ability to hold on to a pole with one hand and read a
paperback with the other.  The trick is to use your pinky and thumb to turn the pages.

The circumstances of your visit were unfortunate but we're glad you enjoyed NYC and hope you will visit us again. 

[bopper]

Oh yes it gets crazy crowded in NYC around Christmas!

[siamesecat2965]

First of all, we New Yorkers want to thank you and all the other relief volunteers for your generosity and wonderful work.

Times Square and the southern part of Central Park are always crowded. During the Holiday season, most of midtown will be almost literally 'haunch to paunch'. 

   

HA - I love this! I live in NJ, about an hour train ride from NYC and spend my birthday there with my cousins. We went to the Guggenheim, and in that area, it was not at all crowded, but then went to see the tree in Rock Center and it defintiely WAS haunch to paunch, as was Times Square, etc. But it was fun.

The worst crush, however, was in Penn Station, as soon as they announced the track for our train. It was literally wall to wall people, moving in a mass. I've experienced this many times but this was the worst. we also lost my one cousin, but thankfully, she has enough sense to get on the train, and text us. she said worst case, she knew where to get off, and would have met us then.

I've decided I need to go back more often; therre's so much to do and see, and having lived so close all my life, I just never do.

[happygrrl]

I've only had the joy of visiting NYC once, and it was the best trip ever. Ever. (Until my next trip )

We went in early December, and spent most of our time in mid Manhatten, and it was pretty crowded, but that's part of what made it so fun. Canal Street was butt to hip also.

And I thought the NY'ers were very nice--loved our cabbies too! Just a great place-

[WillyNilly]

Is it always that crowded in that area? or was it just the Christmas season and 12/12/12?

I'm guessing from location and mention of escalator you went to the Columbus Circle subway stop... about dusk - so just as people are getting off work.  And at a mall. And 5 different train lines.  Yeah, that was pretty normal crowds.  As for on the sidewalks, it was probably a bit extra due to the holiday, especially at Rock-Center, but Times Square is always really really crowded.

Are people always that helpful, or did we just look like yokels and get pity points?

Geeze our reputation is that bad?  NYer's love tourists, and we're regular human beings too.  We're nice to folks because we want to live in a pleasant city and pleasant cities are made up of pleasant inhabitants.  And quite honestly its just too crowded and fast paced to bother with being rude.  Its just easier usually to be nice.  Even if it means stopping what we're doing, and slowing down, its a nice 2 minute pause.

Is it "IN" Staten Island and Manhatten, or "ON" SI and Manhatten?

Well its Manhattan  , but you can be in it or on it and be fine
... I think its mostly "on Staten Island" and "in Manhattan" though, because no one really thinks of Manhattan as an island although we all know it is, but we do think of having to travel or be there (wether its us from outer boroughs, or people in Manhattan giving directions to someone).

[Luci45]

Are people always that helpful, or did we just look like yokels and get pity points?[/i]

Geeze our reputation is that bad?  NYer's love tourists, and we're regular human beings too.

I'm sorry, but yes, just as people from small towns are thought to be stupid and worse than unsophisticated.

I didn't like a single character on Seinfeld. I found them self-centered and joyless. I really wasn't that crazy for Mad About You, either.

It's weird that I took those characters as typical, and yet I was surprised to see passengers standing up on the trains, especially since we have threads on here about that very thing. Duh.

Thank you for the answers, everyone. I'm sure some other eHellions have enjoyed your insight.

I do wish we had more time, but the few hours in a limited area were wonderful and duty called. We wanted the experiences more than anything else. In fact, we didn't buy anything but train passes and dinner. By the way, the transportation system was wonderful, and very, very inexpensive.

I was never fearful of anything except maybe getting lost Crime is seemingly another misunderstood reputation. With that many people, there is bound to be a few miscreants. We picked up a bus map on the SI Ferry, and even though we never took the bus, we used that as our road map. Worked great, along with guidance from the agents and citizens and a cop.

And, traffic really was at a standstill. Even the mayor couldn't get through with lights and sirens blazing. We ate on the second story of an Asian deli and looked out over 42nd Street, which really was a parking lot at that point.

[QueenofAllThings]

Well, as a former NYer, I had plenty to say - but WillyNilly beat me to it.  So I'll park my 'pod' right here.

[katycoo]

yet I was surprised to see passengers standing up on the trains, especially since we have threads on here about that very thing. Duh.

I'm so confused by this.  Why is this suprising?  What else are you supposed to do where all the seats are full?  Or is it that your home city is so compariatively small that the trains seats are never full, even in peak hour?

[Luci45]

yet I was surprised to see passengers standing up on the trains, especially since we have threads on here about that very thing. Duh.

I'm so confused by this.  Why is this suprising?  What else are you supposed to do where all the seats are full?  Or is it that your home city is so compariatively small that the trains seats are never full, even in peak hour?

Exactly. I had never been on a full train or bus except for a trip in San Francisco during a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) strike - well, until the recent NYC trip. I used to take the bus from my town to St. Louis for shopping frequently in the '50s and '60s. Never was the bus full. I took the bus or train from college to home regularly. Never crowded. I always drove when we lived in Aurora IL (pop over 100,000 at the time), only taking the train to Chicago once. We don't have a transit system where we live now - pop 7000. Just an AMTRAK station, that I've not needed to use, and the senior citizens vans that I don't need, yet.

[WillyNilly]

I was never fearful of anything except maybe getting lost Crime is seemingly another misunderstood reputation. With that many people, there is bound to be a few miscreants. We picked up a bus map on the SI Ferry, and even though we never took the bus, we used that as our road map. Worked great, along with guidance from the agents and citizens and a cop.

Crime is very low in NYC.  Especially stranger on stranger crime.  Its a huge misconception about NYC.  In fact we don't even make it onto the "100 most dangerous cities" list. Sure with as many people as we have, it happens, but its not common.  Probably the most broken laws in NYC are traffic violations (by pedestrians and drivers).


I'm glad you had a good time Luci.  Please do come back and see more of our city sometime! Its an awesome city truly with something for everyone, from free events to uber-posh events, every kind of music and dancing and concert, large or small, sports (2 baseball teams, the US Open, hockey, basketball, bocce ball, etc) to TV tapings and museums, shopping - discount & designer, every kind of cuisine, forests and wetlands, skyscrapers, history and cutting edge new stuff - you name it its in NYC (except football and mountains, off the top of my head those are the only two things we don't have within the city limits).

[Thipu1]

Just one small correction.  NYC actually has 4 baseball teams.  Brooklyn and Staten Island have good minor league teams.  The only borough now without a baseball team is Manhattan. 

[Luci45]

Well, Letchworth State Park is our favorite state park - we never miss it when we head east. We had just never been to any real metropolitan cities in New York. Hope to visit again some day.

(Zion is our favorite national park.)