New York City like a Local
Mar 27th, 2008, 10:50 AM
#2
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It's all in the attitude. As someonw who was born in NYC and lived here all my life, I would suggest the following:
Act like you have done it before
Be preapred to have something funny to say about anything
Jaywalk
Do not put mayonnaise on pastrami
Learn how to use the subway
If you are in Manhhatan pretend the rest of NY does not exist except for parts of Brooklyn
Be as Italian as you want to be.
Do not eat at Tavern on the Green, Ellen's, or Carmine;s.
Learn what a real bagel tastes like
Act like you have done it before
Be preapred to have something funny to say about anything
Jaywalk
Do not put mayonnaise on pastrami
Learn how to use the subway
If you are in Manhhatan pretend the rest of NY does not exist except for parts of Brooklyn
Be as Italian as you want to be.
Do not eat at Tavern on the Green, Ellen's, or Carmine;s.
Learn what a real bagel tastes like
Mar 27th, 2008, 12:21 PM
#3
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What an interesting concept. When you go to Paris do you avoid the Eiffel Tower, the Arch di Triomphe, stay out of the Louvre, shun Versailles, and avoid the left bank so you are living like a local? Avoiding the "tourist" draws that make New York unique would be a big mistake in my book, unless you've done them all before.
Mar 27th, 2008, 12:37 PM
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But apparently don't jaywalk to get into an open taxi, even though you still would have beat other people to it. I was in Manhattan last week with friends and 2 of us jaywalked to get into a cab. As we went to get in, other people started screaming that they had the cab first as they walked in the cross-walk. Funny thing is the cabbie told them he wouldn't go to Penn Station anyways and they were still yelling...
I really enjoyed the Natural History Museum and Top of the Rock.
I really enjoyed the Natural History Museum and Top of the Rock.
Mar 27th, 2008, 02:12 PM
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Maria Luisa, I assume you mean that you want to see some tourist sites (of course!) but not be stuck eating in bad restaurants that have "special" tourist menus (bad, expensive food) and that you also want to see the way real people live, no?
So, one suggestion is to stay in a neighborhood where most of the people on the street will be locals, but you can still easily
get to places like museums, Empire State Building, etc. If you are someplace like the Upper West Side, you can shop in neighborhood food markets, small local stores,eat at restaurants that are not as fancy --and also not as expensive. You will see mothers and children walking the street, going to cafes -and people working at stores and small businesses
If you have enough time, you can get to neighborhood that are a little farther away, spend some time in a local park and have a picnic--things I like to do when I'm in Europe too!
Another idea is to go to museums during quieter times.
So, one suggestion is to stay in a neighborhood where most of the people on the street will be locals, but you can still easily
get to places like museums, Empire State Building, etc. If you are someplace like the Upper West Side, you can shop in neighborhood food markets, small local stores,eat at restaurants that are not as fancy --and also not as expensive. You will see mothers and children walking the street, going to cafes -and people working at stores and small businesses
If you have enough time, you can get to neighborhood that are a little farther away, spend some time in a local park and have a picnic--things I like to do when I'm in Europe too!
Another idea is to go to museums during quieter times.
Mar 27th, 2008, 04:40 PM
#10
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You can live like a New Yorker and still see all the tourist things.
But a couple of additions:
Avoid Times Square unless you're going to the theater
Don't eat in any chain restaurant
Never look up at the highrises - esp from the middle of the sidewalk
Walk briskly wherever there's room
Don't make eye contact with anyone else on the bus or subway - unless you mean it
Agree to cross the street whenever there's room - do NOT wait for the green
Always answer a question with another question
And staying in a residential neighborhood is a great idea - the upper west side probably has the best choice of moderate/semi-budget hotels of any of them
(For reference watch Seinfeld episodes. They're exaggerated - but only a little.)
But a couple of additions:
Avoid Times Square unless you're going to the theater
Don't eat in any chain restaurant
Never look up at the highrises - esp from the middle of the sidewalk
Walk briskly wherever there's room
Don't make eye contact with anyone else on the bus or subway - unless you mean it
Agree to cross the street whenever there's room - do NOT wait for the green
Always answer a question with another question
And staying in a residential neighborhood is a great idea - the upper west side probably has the best choice of moderate/semi-budget hotels of any of them
(For reference watch Seinfeld episodes. They're exaggerated - but only a little.)
Mar 28th, 2008, 09:30 AM
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On celebrities:
They're fair game in their professional lives (stage door or movie permiere or shooting in the street) but in their private lives you should not approach them. (They live in NYC so they can BE anonymous.)
Speak to them only if unavoidable.
I nearly killed Alec Baldwin once on Central Park West - but luckily my brakes are good. He said sorry (for having jumped out of a cab right in front of me) - I said no problem.
They're fair game in their professional lives (stage door or movie permiere or shooting in the street) but in their private lives you should not approach them. (They live in NYC so they can BE anonymous.)
Speak to them only if unavoidable.
I nearly killed Alec Baldwin once on Central Park West - but luckily my brakes are good. He said sorry (for having jumped out of a cab right in front of me) - I said no problem.
Mar 28th, 2008, 09:34 AM
#14
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Do not put mayonnaise on pastrami
And do not put pastrami on white bread!
Agree with everything else, except I would absolutely not "avoid" Times Square if I were a first-time tourist. I think Times Square is an incredible experience (at least once) (and yes, I grew up in New York, although I don't live there now).
And do not put pastrami on white bread!
Agree with everything else, except I would absolutely not "avoid" Times Square if I were a first-time tourist. I think Times Square is an incredible experience (at least once) (and yes, I grew up in New York, although I don't live there now).
Mar 29th, 2008, 12:44 PM
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I agree with dmlove on her advice to go ahead and do Times Square. I grew up in Queens, but now live in the Midwest......but when I return to NYC, I enjoy the crowds/energy/noise,etc. that Times Square offers. Yes, it's kinda Disney-esque, but it's also kinda fun, so I wouldn't totally say "avoid Times Square". It has it's own appeal. And then after you've had your fill of T.Sq....go do the rest of the city!
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