Before I get into the nitty gritty on anywhere else, I have to talk about my new home city, a charming little village known to some as New York, New York. I can guarantee I will come back and address this place over & over, because I am always finding more things to do and say.
First, stereotypes about New York I have found to be untrue:
- There are R.O.U.S.'s (Rodents of Unusual Size, reference anyone?) on the subways.
No, no. Based on what everyone says, I'm sitting here expecting to be sharing my seat on the train with some mutant rats. I take the subway almost every day, and I have never seen a rat. Apparently they are down in the tracks, but I've searched, because I wanted to see one of these formidable beasts, and have yet to ever see one.
- People are squished into the subway like sardines.
I have also not really encountered this scenario, despite my frequent use of the public transit at varied hours. If anything, during my busiest subway rides, I've been significantly less cramped than I was at times on the lightrail in Central Phoenix.
- New York is outrageously expensive.
I mean, it's expensive.. But not terrible considering it is the debatably the cultural and economic hub of the planet. If you're out in Manhattan, one cocktail will easily be $12-14, but I think that could be said of a lot of major cities. Real estate there is ridiculous, but you aren't exactly going to find a steal if you move to downtown Seattle either. And if you work in Manhattan, chances are good that you make enough money to afford rent. I live in Brooklyn, and while you do need to hunt around for the deals, it's definitely cheaper than the big island. I do not pay $1,300 for a closet; I pay around $700 for my own room in a huge place with amazing roommates.
- New York gets humid and miserable during the summer.
Just kidding, this is totally true. I need to invest in a fan. But hey, I lived through Phoenix's summer with little AC and a poor insulated apartment, so I know I'll prevail.
- New Yorkers are cold and rude.
In a way, yes, but almost delightfully so. I deal with thousands of people each day at work, so I can appreciate wanting to walk down the street or sit on the subway without having to smile at everyone or make any small talk. But seriously, if you ever appear confused or someone sees you looking at a map, they will absolutely approach you and say, "Where are you trying to go?" I refer to this as being aggressively helpful. I see it every single day. Public transit in New York is really confusing, so people are always helping the lost sheep (I am frequently a member of that flock).
I also feel that the less friendly overall demeanor is compensated for with the ability to be speak frankly. I've had to deal with so many idiots in my life, I can really appreciate the upfront approach that isn't tiptoeing around niceties.
That is really the worst of it as far as being being "cold and rude," in my opinion. You have to be more aggressive than normal in this city, but it forces you to be more mature and self-reliant. And seriously, there are so many people here, you're still going to encounter every kind of walk of life there is on this world.
Now, quirks I have discovered about New York while living here:
- Every grocery store is about half of what I need.
I'm used to the West Coast, where you go to the store, it is huge, and has everything there. Here, I go to the Jewish supermarket because they have better produce and cheese, but they don't have booze or the variety of other products I need. So I go to another grocery and they have the food I need, but they don't have hair and cleaning products. Third store has cleaning products and booze, but no other groceries. It makes more sense for me to just take the train to the Target at the Atlantic Terminal and have a one stop shop. Sorry local businesses!
- Everyone spends so much time looking at cars to see if they can J-walk, they don't notice when the light is actually green for them to cross legally.
I am totally guilty of this. But J-walking is a way of life for New Yorkers, so we all get accustomed to watching for cars rather than looking at the actual traffic lights. It makes me chuckle.
