New York Beckons
New York city is fantastic - well that is stating the obvious, isn't it? But then when one lives in a staid midwestern town (called Oconomowoc), One is allowed a truism here and a truism there.
Paavana and I visited NYC fulfilling a 2 year wish. I did not realize how much I missed being a city slicker till I visited New York. Living in the quiet and expansive midwest had cast a strange charm on me. I love the broad open spaces, uncongested downtowns (relatively speaking) and the ease of getting between places. But visiting New York changed it all atleast during the period when were there. It made me realise what I was missing - cosmopolitan populace, public transport, culture and more important of all restaurants that really know what being a vegetarian is all about. No, I am not taking about salads, which seems to be the de-facto vegetarian food in many parts of middle America. Remove the Pepperoni from the pizza and there you have a vegetarian pizza, they Say!
We landed in Laguardia on May27th. I was concerned about not having rented a CAR and more importantly worried about having to deal with cabbies. It was also intestestng to see cabbies from the subcontinent - having been used to only SW professionals, engineers and other professionals. Whatever doubts (rather negative stereotypes) I had about cabbies were removed by Victor. When we ended up 50 cents short of the cab fare, Victor was magnanimous and just said, " There is always a next time". Victor is a naturalized American born in Punjab (in the Indian side).
I am not going to bore you with the many places we visited, the things we did or the food we ate. However, here are some nuggets of, shall we say practical tips for the first time NYC tourist?
Paavana and I visited NYC fulfilling a 2 year wish. I did not realize how much I missed being a city slicker till I visited New York. Living in the quiet and expansive midwest had cast a strange charm on me. I love the broad open spaces, uncongested downtowns (relatively speaking) and the ease of getting between places. But visiting New York changed it all atleast during the period when were there. It made me realise what I was missing - cosmopolitan populace, public transport, culture and more important of all restaurants that really know what being a vegetarian is all about. No, I am not taking about salads, which seems to be the de-facto vegetarian food in many parts of middle America. Remove the Pepperoni from the pizza and there you have a vegetarian pizza, they Say!
We landed in Laguardia on May27th. I was concerned about not having rented a CAR and more importantly worried about having to deal with cabbies. It was also intestestng to see cabbies from the subcontinent - having been used to only SW professionals, engineers and other professionals. Whatever doubts (rather negative stereotypes) I had about cabbies were removed by Victor. When we ended up 50 cents short of the cab fare, Victor was magnanimous and just said, " There is always a next time". Victor is a naturalized American born in Punjab (in the Indian side).
I am not going to bore you with the many places we visited, the things we did or the food we ate. However, here are some nuggets of, shall we say practical tips for the first time NYC tourist?
- If you want to visit & spend time in Manhattan, then stay in Manhattan. Midtown, upper East side and upper West side have nice and affordable hotels
- Do not rent a Car; Don't even think about it.
- Master the subway; Ok, OK, learn the subway basics. More than anything, this will stand you in good stead. Get the metrocard.
- Develop a poker face while travelling in the subway. Most Manhattanites do. :-)
- Invest in a nice pair of walking shoes. This along with the metrocard will ensure a great trip.
posted by brihaspati | 6/01/2005 08:20:00 pm
1 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Post a Comment
<< Home