You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'New York City' tag.
Living in a crowded city like area like New York, space is a luxury. From roommates, to crowded subways, to crowded elevators, one can easily lose their personal space. But people here have developed a talent that allows them to create their own flexible personal bubble.
Space is all in the mind. No matter how close in proximity you are to people you don’t know, if your mind is somewhere, then, voila! you are in your own bubble. Headphone and books make you oblivious to your surroundings. Staring at nothing also keeps you occupied in that long subway ride when you forget your headphones. But there is always that jerk that bursts everybody’s personal bubble. The trick is to tell that jerk to ef off (which I don’t do), give the jerk a withering stare (which never gets results), get away from the jerk (this I do, if the jerk is insufferable) or let go and go back to your personal bubble.
Ahh.. only in NYC can one be so close to another person yet so far away.
Some important things I learned when walking in the streets of NYC. In no particular order.
ONE. You can jaywalk. It’s ok. Even with a cop right in front of you. But jaywalk at your own risk because
TWO. Cabs will run you down. Yes. This surprised me because I lived in Manila where cab rivers are also pretty aggressive. In NYC, cabs don’t stop because you are crossing the street, especially if you are jaywalking.
THREE Look carefully at both sides before crossing the street even if it’s a one-way street. Sometimes, bicycles or rollerbladers can appear out of the blue in the wrong direction of a one way street. This is especially true in some neighborhoods.
FOUR Yeah, and walk fast, especially during rush hours. Please! I wanna catch my train.
Happy walking New Yorkers!
I own a lot of black clothes… a lot. My wardrobe is composed mainly of neutral colors – white, brown, black and gray. Now, living in NYC, black IS my favorite color. One, it looks sharp and elegant. Two, it is slimming. And three, dirt and stains don’t show.
Back when I was living in Manila, I had nice shoes with heels. I had small handbags. And I have those cute multicolored blouses. But here in NYC, I now have good comfortable shoes, big bags and lots of black clothes. Here I walk a lot, so having good shoes is a must. And also here, I bring an umbrella and a book for reading during the subway ride, so I need a big sturdy bag. And also, I am always in a hurry so I like black clothes because black is a color that is not difficult to match. Also you can dress up black clothes anyway you want – for office, for any after-work party, for a walk in the park, for anything.
I notice how New Yorkers prefer good quality brands too. They will spend money on something that is durable. They wouldn’t blink about spending more than a hundred bucks for a good sturdy Longchamp shopping bag or a few hundred bucks for a pair of Hunter rain boots or a few more hundred bucks for a good warm jacket.
New Yorkers love black
NYC is one of the most fashionable cities in the world. But aside from the hip and trendy to elegant fashion styles, convenience is a big consideration for the average New Yorker. And it is very understandable with the daily commute, endless rush of people and the weather, one better has to gear up in the jungles of Manhattan.
Trip 5: January 2009
I just spent Christmas in the Philippines then a few weeks after, I flew back. Yes, I did.
I am now subletting in Park Slope. This is a lovely neighborhood in Brooklyn. I chose this because my son will visit me this April and this area is very conducive for kids.
I have had a handful of adventures so far. Super. But I feel I am not ready to share these yet. This I can say, NYC is an exciting but tough city. Maybe in time, I’ll share some of the adventures and misadventures. 
Trip 4: November 2008
I did not have a specific reason why I went to NYC that time. I just missed it so much. Everytime I watch CSI NY or any TV show or movie shot in NYC, I felt a tugging in my heart.
Also I felt really lethargic in Manila. To tell you the truth, it is only my son that gave me energy. I didn’t even go out or see much of my friends.
So I went back.
1. I subletted in Williamsburg. It is a cool place in Brooklyn, very near Manhattan. There are lots of restaurants, artsy places and people. I’m off the Bedford L Stop.
This is Parallel Parking, NYC style. Bumper to Bumper. Pic taken in Williamsburg
2. My two roommates were guys. This was a first for me. But it was cool. They are cool people.
3. I met other interesting people as well – an engineer, a start-up founder and a guy who loves salsa.
4. I had another salsa class conducted by a Google engineer. He loves salsa and teaches it for free in his free time. He’s a good teacher too. I met very interesting people in that class from all continents of the world. I love the diversity of NYC!
5. I became more familiar with the East and West Village, and the Upper East side.
6. Oh and since Trip 3, I don’t bring a subway map with me anymore. I just hop on a train and look at the maps in the station in case I get lost. Important things to remember are in which avenues the subway lines are, where you can get from the east side to the west side, and what stations have the most transfers.
9. I saw my first Broadway show, Chicago with my HS friend and her friends. It was good!
10. My City Moment:
As I was walking from the east side to the west side and I stopped in the middle of Columbus circle, looked up and just marveled at the skyscapers, then looked around and marveled at all the cars and people. Inside the Circle, the sounds of the city toned down a bit. They say it is because of the way Columbus Circle is designed. Nonetheless, you just can feel the hectic pace of the city.
Trip 3: June-July 2008
It was after a conference in Michigan that I dropped by NYC again and not only that, extended my trip for a month! I didn’t stay with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn because they had a falling out.
1. I discovered SUBLETTING! And I discovered truly how expensive space is in NYC. I and my friend Alyssa, who flew in for LA and stayed in NYC for a week subletted a place in the Upper West Side. She stayed for a week. I stayed in the UWS for a month.
2. I had American girls as roommates. The first one was a native New Yorker. She teaches in a Bronx Elementary school. The other one is a law school student from Indiana. We hung out and went to a wine place, a dive bar and some restaurants.
3. I played tourist guide to Alyssa, although I am a tourist myself. We went to the basics- 42nd, Central Park, Rockefeller,Statue of Liberty. And we watched Sex and the City when it was showing .. in New York City!!!
4. Again, of course, we went clubbing. I met some few interesting people. I am slowly getting to learn the rules here when it comes to dating in NYC — there are NO RULES. You make your own!
5. I supposed to go skydiving but the weather conditions prevented it. Twas a shame.
6. I subletted another place in Fort Greene in Brooklyn after my sublet in the UWS expired. I discovered good good varied restaurants in Brooklyn.
7. We went to Hershey Farm in Pensylvannia with my HS friends.
8. I celebrated my birthday with the guy from Trip 2. It was very nice. 
9. For some reason, I felt I had money during the trip. I grew tired of the subway and took cabs. NYC cabs have a small TV and can accept credit card payments. Isn’t that cool?? Then after I tallied all the cab receipts, I vowed to take the subway if possible. NYC is an expensive city, that’s all that I can say.
The TV with the info channel and a credit card swiper. Love it!
10. My City Moment:
Walking in Battery Park after our Statue of Liberty Trip and then going past by City Hall and heading to Wall St.
TRIP 2: (November 2005)
This is when starts to get interesting. That year was full of drama for me relationship wise. So I decided to go back to my favorite place to “unwind and find myself”.
1. I still stayed with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn. They moved further up to Avenue U. They are a nice Filipino family and they cook good Filipino food.
2. I tried the NJ Transit. I spent Thanksgiving with my HS friends in Jersey. One flew from Seattle. The other drove from Virginia.
3. I explored Central Park with my HS friends. It was fun!
4. I geared up for autumn with the signature “all-black” New York look.
5. I went clubbing with my HS friends 3 nights in a row during Thanksgiving weekend. We entered into one club that was “exclusive” for a group of people. We didn’t know it. People there stared at us until we felt uncomfortable and left. We went to another one with so many, many handsome guys but very few girls. We said, “Yay!!”. But then when we saw the guys holding each others’ hands we realized that this won’t be our scene. We had so much fun. We laughed and laughed until we decided to drink beer and watch TV in a sports bar. When it closed we waited for an hour in a cafe so we can get the first morning bus to New Jersey where our HS friend lives.
6. I dated my first native New Yorker. I liked him. I really did.
7. I went to MoMa with my college friend. I also went inside the American Museum of Natural History and the Wax Museum alone.
9. I got to know the subway a bit better although I still need to bring my map.
No shortage of Underground Talent in NYC
10. My City Moment:
When I was riding the Q train going back to Brooklyn at 7AM , a group of Mexican singers with a violin, caracas and guitar jumped on board. They sang a Spanish love song as the Q train gave a wonderful view of the Manhattan skyline. That was my last day in the City.
I am still in NYC now. Yep. Still in the Big Apple. Come to think of it, this is my 5th trip here in the last 4 years and I have spent almost 6 months here if you put all the trips together.
I have different adventures each trip and I would like to share them with you in this 5-series list of the stuff, events, people I found memorable each trip.
HERE GOES: TRIP 1
This was my first trip to the US and for some reason, I chose New York City to be the first city to visit. I arrived alone in JFK. My dad’s friend picked me up and took me to their house in Long Island. I stayed there for awhile then stayed with my mom’s friend in Brooklyn.
In NYC, for my first trip, I was on the Brighton Beach Stop.
1. The Subway. My mom’s friend in Brooklyn just gave me a map and a few instructions on how to get around.
2. I got familiar with the Q train. I got off Avenue U.
3. I went to Statue of Liberty, Museum of Natural History(without going in), Moma(without going in), Wall St. , Empire State Building alone.
4. I didn’t take a SINGLE PICTURE during that trip.
5. Always brought the subway map with me and I counted the number of stops to know where I am.
6. Went out with 3 high school friends for dinner on the night before Halloween. Saw costumes galore. I didn’t even know where we went. All I know was it was in Manhattan.
7. I ABSOLUTELY got lost when I took the train to Long Island by myself. I got off on the other side of the tracks at 10PM. With my luggage, no cellphone and a thin jacket in a cold autumn night, I walked along a deserted road looking for a payphone. No working payphones. I had no way of contacting my dad’s friend. It was dark, cold and scary. I felt that it was a setting of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. After walking for almost an hour, I decided to go back to the train station. Fortunately, I walked on the other side of the track until I finally found their house.
8. First taste of Dean and Delucca coffee.
9. There was this guy in a subway (probably late teens early twenties) with his gang (with the gold chains and all) trying to talk to me at 11pm. I was scared. Good thing there was this middle-age guy in the same car as we are. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when they got off their stop.
10. My City Moment: Walking along 1st Ave, passing through United Nations holding my Dean and Delucca coffee. I just felt comfortable.
I didn’t really know about the city and didn’t take the time to know the ins and outs. I just reveled in being in the city.
Nothing revs me up more than the prospect of a trip. See, I love airports. I love airplanes. I love long flights (weird but true). I prefer traveling not in a guided tour as I love to explore the city by myself and visiting and crashing my friends’ places.
Most of the time, I travel alone for business. It is just work, work and work. I just go from the hotel to the conference venue or stay indoors working with almost no sightseeing at all. It has been a long time since I took a trip to the other side of the pond for pleasure. So when my boss gave me a 3 week hiatus, I was ecstatic. Now, where do I want to go?
My first thought was that I go to a place where I haven’t been before. I said to myself, sure, that will be fun and definitely be something new. But then, there is always this one city that keeps on calling me back. New York City.
I love New York. When I go there, I feel alive. Walking alone in its busy streets, having my favorite Dean and DeLuca coffee, eating pizza in Brooklyn, visiting the Museum of Modern Art, are the things I really, really miss. There are somethings that I don’t miss. The high cost of living, getting scared of being alone in the subway or Central Park when it starts to get dark are somethings I can’t change or I have to avoid. But still, I can deal with it if I be careful. I don’t know about living there. Living and visiting a city are two different things. But this I know, when I visit NYC, I feel free and alive.
So I heeded NYC’s call. I will be there in a month’s time and spend 3 weeks roaming NYC with a little side trip to Boston and of course still report to Vegas for work right after my hiatus. Now, it will be my third consecutive Thanksgiving. One more and this Bisaya will be a pilgrim! =) Well, Thanksgiving is great. They have huge sales at that time. So it’s all good.
I am looking forward to this trip.
NYC, I just can’t say no to you. =)
SocialVibe