Anyone live in Manhattan? Can't imagine never driving anywhere in town!

[fraggle551]

I'm guessing that these are folks who don't fly much? Or ever get to Queens for any other reason?

These people were from MA, NH, VT, etc. But still...how do people not understand the concept of bridges?

 

[eliza61]

One of my favorite scenes.

 

[Imzadi]

Incredible pictures, LisaViolet! Did you take these on a trip here? You definitely captured the feeling and personality of this place. They aren't generic "postcard" type pictures. You captured nuances that are indescribable, until you see them.

(Using your fabulous pictures as examples: )
This first pic, it is probably the side of a 24 hr., Korean deli. It is NOT a florist. They've actually taken over for many of the older, lower end, Spanish owned, bodegas that someone else posted pictures of. (BTW, I'm not being racist in pointing out the ethnicites. It's like taking clothes to the Chinese laundry. They each have different personalities to their places. Part of the unique charm of NYC. These aren't generic 7-11 convenience stores.)

This is a row of brownstones in a residential neighborhood. I would kill to live in a place like that. My friend in college had a 1 bedroom brownstone apartment with a fireplace for $750. This was over 25 years ago when rents were dirt cheap. The rent must be about $2500 month now.

As Monkey68 described:

Just because you visit the touristy areas of a city doesn't mean you have seen the pulse of the city, you haven't seen where people live, the day to day things that they do when they live in a city. There's no point to have a supermarket in Times Square, because nobody actually lives on Times Square. They may live within walking distance, and when you walk towards those areas, you will see grocery stores, libraries, drug stores, parks.

True. I live near Times Square, not at Times Square. I actually avoid the touristy areas as much as possible as the tourists mill about and just clutter up the sidewalks. I actually don't shop there as it is way overpriced and the lines are long, again because of tourists. There is a Sephora hidden in the picture below, yet I go to the Sephora across town as it is quieter.

The previous picture was a residential area with no stores between the buildings. (Only two people on the sidewalk. ) Here is Times Square with NO apartment buildings between the stores, and sidewalks you can't walk through, and the street traffic noise is incredible.

This is how easy it is to get a cab in Manhattan. No need to have your own car. If you get an SUV taxi, like the one in the top left corner, you can stuff plenty of stuff inside for just the price of the taxi ride, (no extra delivery/ baggage /or item charges.)

 

[MM27]

One of my favorite scenes.

The Naked Cowboy
He's great.

 

[Imzadi]

These people were from MA, NH, VT, etc. But still...how do people not understand the concept of bridges?

Tourists don't understand the concept of elevators! Don't get me started. Push ONE button to summon an elevator: Up OR Down. Hint: Push in the direction you want to travel in.

 

[fraggle551]

Tourists don't understand the concept of elevators! Don't get me started. Push ONE button to summon an elevator: Up OR Down. Hint: Push in the direction you want to travel in.

That one I truly do not understand. I have never encountered that. Is it really that hard? Ay yi yi. I hate when the tourists stop in the middle of the busiest sidewalk, maps out, cameras pointing upward, etc. Just move to the side please! You can be lost and gawk all you'd like, just not in the flow of traffic!

 

[Aisling]

You think I should tell them about alternate side of the street parking yet?

NO! LOL

YOU ARE DISSING FROM YOUR CAR?!!!????

Yes! LOL

 

[lisaviolet]

Incredible pictures, LisaViolet! Did you take these on a trip here? You definitely captured the feeling and personality of this place. They aren't generic "postcard" type pictures. You captured nuances that are indescribable, until you see them.
]

Thank you. Very sweet of you. I was reading this thread for days and thought - you just have no idea how magical it is. Truly.

Yes I was there in August and LOVED it. I do love the details of cities and neighbourhoods. When asked what I wanted to see by a local - I said neighbourhoods and Central Park. I think he was shocked I didn't say Statue of Liberty and TS.

I can still tell you that the man holding up the window is on a building at 49th and Lexington. I couldn't get a good shot the first time in the area and I made sure I went back around. I adore architecture. NYC is like a dream to take in.

The flowers were around the South Street Seaport. As was this amazing Indian restaurant that I can't wait to go back to. For visitors - I pricelined "name your own price" and got an amazing deal at Club Quarters right at the Wall Street subway station. A lot of reviewers complained about the area not being the best for tourists. But I loved it. CQs rooms are very small but I had no issues at all. I would return in an instant.

 

[Hidden_Mickey]

I live a 45 minute train ride from GCT and you can't get a closet here for $1200 either! I have heard of alternate side parking but I don't even want to know the details!

 

[gm]

I remember last year when we stayed at the W hotel on 51st and Lexington that I had got thru priceline bid and we got a nice high floor room. Outside our window we could see a building right across from us with balconies and looked so neat because they were manhattanites living there and you could see their exercise bikes on their balconies and you could literally see them inside their homes cooking etc. I thought ahh what a beautiful life right in the middle of the worlds greatest city.

Same thing happened this summer. We got Embassy suites World Trade center thru priceline and our windows were facing the gorgeous building where there were families living. I could actually see the babys room, kitchen, livings rooms. it was so beautiful to see these people living about their lives right at the hudson river area with battery park outside your building. I would see them coming to shop at the Duane reade with their dogs in tow in the world financial center shop. What a life!!!!!!

I am sure these lucky people knew that there were peeping tourists looking with awe at their beautiful homes in those buildings going about their everyday business like feeding their kids, cleaning their kitchens. I also saw a high school called Stumpeky??? (i dunno it was a long word but the whole building was a high school)

I bet those buildings next to battery park across from Embassy suites cost an arm and a leg. lol

I am going back for Thanksgiving and am staying at Le Parker Meridian and I had a question for anyone who lives in that area. Is it close by the parade area that we can walk to?

Thanks

 

[allison443]

Oh you lucky lucky people!!!!

Well here it is in all its beauty.



[Such a spectucular place!!!!

Those photos are fantastic! You are so talented!

I love the way you took photos of the pizza, the sneakers, the taxis...you really have an eye for capturing the essence of the city!

Thanks for posting!

 

[monkey68]

I am sure these lucky people knew that there were peeping tourists looking with awe at their beautiful homes in those buildings going about their everyday business like feeding their kids, cleaning their kitchens. I also saw a high school called Stumpeky??? (i dunno it was a long word but the whole building was a high school)

If you were down by the WTC, you probably saw Stuyvesant. It's one of the most competitive schools to get into in NYC. I'm not sure if it's exactly considered a public school, it's free for the students to go, but you have to get over a certain score on an exam to get in. There are 3 high schools in NYC which require this exam, Stuyvesant requires the highest score. Brooklyn Tech is the second highest, and Bronx Science is the lowest (but still a high score). I took the test when I was in 8th grade, missed Stuyvesant by a few questions, and I couldn't go. Got into the other 2 schools, but decided not to go to them either.

 

[eliza61]

I live a 45 minute train ride from GCT and you can't get a closet here for $1200 either! I have heard of alternate side parking but I don't even want to know the details!

Oh you lucky lucky people!!!!

Well here it is in all its beauty.

Such a spectucular place!!!!

Lisa,
Thanks for the pixs. I actually grew up (and my dad and brother) still live in one of those brownstones. They are huge!! We had 3 floors, which easily had to give us about 3800 sq feet of living space. My grandparents lived with us. Unfortunatley many of them have been chopped up into apartments. I grew up in Harlem, which for you non NYC'ers is waaay uptown.
Any visitors to NYC please,please,please take a bus tour of Harlem. It is absolutely stupendous and tons of history. From the places where Duke ellington played to the World famous Apollo to Columbia University. I can't even begin to tell you about the restaurants.

Ok, alternate side of the street parking is how the city officals get their entertainment from us drivers. Basically, it's a hold over from the days when the city use to 'sweep" the streets. So, let's say when you go to bed your car is parked on the left side of the street. When you wake up in the morning you listen to the news and find out that "alternate side of the street rules are in effect". You then make a mad rush in whatever state of dress you are in, out of your building to get in your car and move it to the other side of the street.
Of course, every one else on your block is trying to do the same thing. so what you see if you look out your window at 6:00 am is a lot of half naked NY'ers frantically trying to start their cars, drive around the corner or do some other pretzel driving manuever to park their car on the "proper" side of the street.
If you don't move your car, you get a whopping ticket or worse, you get towed.

 

[Robmom]

Oh Aisling, I can't believe you!!!

NO! LOL




Yes! LOL

 

[kacaju]

When I was in New York recently, i saw that truck called Fresh Direct and always wondered what it was for. Also It is so neat that local stores deliver for a small fee. I bought a small tv and small mini fridge for ds who goes to college there and we stopped in at the Kmart somewhere in Soho/greenich village and I was going to have my ds carry it back to the subway since it was not to big and easy to carry but saw signs everywhere that they deliver in within Manhattan for $10 next day. I did that and they were there the next day when ds was moving in to the dorm.

I than realized that it is common there that even Kmart delivers for a small fee to residents of Manhattan and I think that is so cool.

Did you ever make it out to Iselin/Edison NJ area for the indian food you were looking for?

 

[gm]

Did you ever make it out to Iselin/Edison NJ area for the indian food you were looking for?

Hi, No we did not. We went as far as Jersey City Journal Square indian area which was pretty big and we really did not get time to go further into Jersey even though I had the directions in my hand. We saw the Indian area in Journal square which was plenty big and than took the path back to our hotel and had plans to go the next day but other plans came up since we only had a few days, we passed.

I am going November during thanksgiving so I plan to take the directions with me and go to that area maybe on Thanksgiving day when everything else is closed.

 

[trip]

This is a row of brownstones in a residential neighborhood. I would kill to live in a place like that. My friend in college had a 1 bedroom brownstone apartment with a fireplace for $750. This was over 25 years ago when rents were dirt cheap. The rent must be about $2500 month now.

25 years ago $750 was expensive!

That one I truly do not understand. I have never encountered that. Is it really that hard? Ay yi yi. I hate when the tourists stop in the middle of the busiest sidewalk, maps out, cameras pointing upward, etc. Just move to the side please! You can be lost and gawk all you'd like, just not in the flow of traffic!

I'm sure it is a pain but NYC wouldn't like it if the tourists stayed away. I've lived in a seasonal tourist area and was always happy when it was over. I guess the NYC tourist season is year round. So you never get a break.

 

[monkey68]

Lisa,
Thanks for the pixs. I actually grew up (and my dad and brother) still live in one of those brownstones. They are huge!! We had 3 floors, which easily had to give us about 3800 sq feet of living space. My grandparents lived with us. Unfortunatley many of them have been chopped up into apartments. I grew up in Harlem, which for you non NYC'ers is waaay uptown.
Any visitors to NYC please,please,please take a bus tour of Harlem. It is absolutely stupendous and tons of history. From the places where Duke ellington played to the World famous Apollo to Columbia University. I can't even begin to tell you about the restaurants.

Ok, alternate side of the street parking is how the city officals get their entertainment from us drivers. Basically, it's a hold over from the days when the city use to 'sweep" the streets. So, let's say when you go to bed your car is parked on the left side of the street. When you wake up in the morning you listen to the news and find out that "alternate side of the street rules are in effect". You then make a mad rush in whatever state of dress you are in, out of your building to get in your car and move it to the other side of the street.
Of course, every one else on your block is trying to do the same thing. so what you see if you look out your window at 6:00 am is a lot of half naked NY'ers frantically trying to start their cars, drive around the corner or do some other pretzel driving manuever to park their car on the "proper" side of the street.
If you don't move your car, you get a whopping ticket or worse, you get towed.

You forgot the other half of alternate street parking. If you are unlucky enough to not have secured a spot on the good side of the street the night before, you will see lots of cars double parked on the good side. Now, what makes you even unluckier is if you were parked on the good side, but leave in the middle of alternate street parking times, your car is stuck. You are trapped with all the cars that are double parked.

Oh, and you can't forget... if alternate street rules are in effect until 9:30, at 9 am, you will see all the cars vie for spots on the other side of the street which will be the good side the next day. I always hated it when I would be home in the summer, I would have to go outside early in the morning in my PJ's and sit in the car until 9:30 so that I would have a parking spot for the next day. During the school year, I left before the times kicked in, so it didn't matter much.

 

[a1tinkfans]

25 years ago $750 was expensive!




I'm sure it is a pain but NYC wouldn't like it if the tourists stayed away. I've lived in a seasonal tourist area and was always happy when it was over. I guess the NYC tourist season is year round. So you never get a break.

Its why many of the NYC people move out...To Brooklyn,........ Park Slope is
BEAUTIFUL and rather family oriented...brownstones etc...lots of shops and such....now renting...well .......a one bedroom, bath, kitchen (aka a closet, literally) and a LR/DR combo area with walk out yard area that was about 10 by 15' was 2400/mos. Sis recently left after 2 years (she was in NYC for over 10yrs) she is now in
INDIANA........talk about a change....and allegedly LOVES it...miss her so much!!!
Amazing life she leads, an "artsy" type, world traveler who is quite socially conscious....................anyhoo, thanks for chance to "brag" about my "little" sis, again....I really miss her.........

 

[Aisling]

Its why many of the NYC people move out...To Brooklyn,........

It's why many of the Manhattan people move to Brooklyn...Brooklyn is part of NYC.

NYC = Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, AKA "the 5 Boroughs of NYC".


And I agree about Brooklyn. I LOVE Brooklyn.