Fun Facts and Lessons Learned in Manhattan
I’ve been visiting New York City several times a year since I was in college. It wasn’t until I moved to the city and spent more time exploring the neighborhoods that I learned the following:
Crosswalk buttons are a thing of the past. Almost all intersections automatically have crossing signals. If there are buttons on the nearest street pole, they likely are inactive. (And for the record, jay walking is totally acceptable. Just don’t follow someone across the street without looking).
There are slow and silent streets in the city. The Slow Zones reduce the speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph amid safety measures within a select neighborhood area. Horn honking is illegal unless in the case of an emergency. There are designated quiet zones too. Is NYC loud? Yes, but you can find places where there’s peace and quiet.
NYC has a lot of fascinating history and most of it is displayed at original locations. Plaques or commemorative signs are often attached to buildings near the door. You just have to keep your eyes peeled.
Bike lanes go with the flow of traffic, so if it is a one-way street, so is the biking lane. Citi Bikes are becoming increasingly popular as a means of transportation. Revel and Lime are the newest toys to hit the streets. The electric mopeds can go 30mph and fit two people!
There are still pay phones located around the city (crazy, I know!) However one of the city’s initiatives is to remove the 3,000 remaining in the coming year. LinkNYC kiosks are the pay phones of the future with access to free wifi, calls, device charging and tablet to access city amenities and directions.
The city is dotted with wooden water towers, a unique and head scratching site for most visitors. Turns out most of these water towers are fairly new and efficient. They are the necessary water storage for buildings with more than 6 floors.
If you haven’t been to NYC in the past year, you’ll be pleased to see Apple Pay now accepted at most subway stations. The “tap and go” OMNY system should be in all stations by the end of 2020. This is 10000x better than the flimsy MetroCards that most tourists struggle with.
Subway beggars are very common. They have rehearsed lines about not wanting to bother you, but really needing your help. Some are truthful, many are not. Use your best judgement!
NYC is very expensive. But there are ways to spend less. Museums and events are often free or there are free days, you just have to book in advance. Food trucks and smaller hole-in-the-wall restaurants can be superb. These are the up and coming chefs who you’ll read about years later! For groceries, there are farmers markets and for shopping, sample sales are all over the city.
New York City has some very fashionable people. However, it’s such a hodgepodge that you can really get away with wearing anything. Locals aren’t afraid to be unique.
Mice/rats, cockroaches and pigeons are part of NYC life. They are really unavoidable, and you will see all of them on sidewalks, in buildings or in parks.
Most people picture NYC to be a grid, but things get wonky in Lower Manhattan. From 14th Street south, many streets are at a diagonal. Google Maps is your friend.
Shock assessment goes down when you live in NYC. You think you’ve seen it all, and then something even crazier happens. You’ll witness emotional arguments, drunken fights, Broadway singing, spontaneous dancing and illegal activities just walking down the street. The drama is what makes New York, New York.
