Originally posted: Friday, 17 April 2009
Hello again all, hope you are all well and good. New York - it's a big city, and it had a lot to live up to when I first arrived. In many cases it has, but others not so much. That is not to say that it hasn't been an awesome experience; certainly there are so many things going on here that it is difficult to be bored for any length of time.
Firstly, the scale of the place is mind boggling. Manhattan is a big place, the buildings are monumental, and there are so many little communities to experience that it's hard to believe. I have tried to do as many 'touristy' things as
possible during the day, and then trying to find local niche bars and restaurants during the night to find out what the locals are like. You also hear a lot of accents and languages here, more than anywhere else I've been.
The locals can be quite accommodating once you break through the inital period, but they like to hear about what others think of their city, and are just as curious about yours, but of course, they've met Australians before, so knowing them is no novelty.
I have had many favourite experiences since being here, such as going to an
NBA game, and visiting the Empire State Building, both childhood dreams. But something I have enjoyed the most has been sitting in a place like City Hall Park, or Madison Square, and admiring the scale and ornamentation of the skyscrapers surrounding you.
Not only is it inspiring, but it has a certain aura that gives you a sense of the opulence and decadence that must have existed when New York was in its hey-day of the mid 19th century to the late 1920's. As such, it is not surprising that many local papers refer to the city as gotham, and i'm not sure, but it would not surpriuse me if the notion of a 'super-hero' was born here at that time "Leap tal
l buildings in a single bound, faster than speeding bullet, able to stop a speeding locomotive..." You get the feeling that this place has been, and in some senses still is, the centre of the (Western) universe.
The food is also interesting in that there are fast food joints EVERYWHERE. And the beer is either expensive (US$5 at most bars, US$9 at Madison Square Garden), or inexplicably cheap (US$1.25 at convenience stores). And tipping is another experience that takes some getting used to.
The downside has been the expense, and the curtness of some of the people. Nontheless, a good time. I'm off to see two Baseball games in the next 2 days, and then heading up to Toronto. I met some people who live there, and apparently the job market is better there, and it is less expensive.
Hello again all, hope you are all well and good. New York - it's a big city, and it had a lot to live up to when I first arrived. In many cases it has, but others not so much. That is not to say that it hasn't been an awesome experience; certainly there are so many things going on here that it is difficult to be bored for any length of time.
Firstly, the scale of the place is mind boggling. Manhattan is a big place, the buildings are monumental, and there are so many little communities to experience that it's hard to believe. I have tried to do as many 'touristy' things as
possible during the day, and then trying to find local niche bars and restaurants during the night to find out what the locals are like. You also hear a lot of accents and languages here, more than anywhere else I've been.The locals can be quite accommodating once you break through the inital period, but they like to hear about what others think of their city, and are just as curious about yours, but of course, they've met Australians before, so knowing them is no novelty.
I have had many favourite experiences since being here, such as going to an
NBA game, and visiting the Empire State Building, both childhood dreams. But something I have enjoyed the most has been sitting in a place like City Hall Park, or Madison Square, and admiring the scale and ornamentation of the skyscrapers surrounding you.Not only is it inspiring, but it has a certain aura that gives you a sense of the opulence and decadence that must have existed when New York was in its hey-day of the mid 19th century to the late 1920's. As such, it is not surprising that many local papers refer to the city as gotham, and i'm not sure, but it would not surpriuse me if the notion of a 'super-hero' was born here at that time "Leap tal
l buildings in a single bound, faster than speeding bullet, able to stop a speeding locomotive..." You get the feeling that this place has been, and in some senses still is, the centre of the (Western) universe.The food is also interesting in that there are fast food joints EVERYWHERE. And the beer is either expensive (US$5 at most bars, US$9 at Madison Square Garden), or inexplicably cheap (US$1.25 at convenience stores). And tipping is another experience that takes some getting used to.
The downside has been the expense, and the curtness of some of the people. Nontheless, a good time. I'm off to see two Baseball games in the next 2 days, and then heading up to Toronto. I met some people who live there, and apparently the job market is better there, and it is less expensive.
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