New York City
People often bite off more of New York City than they can chew. Not only is this hazardous while eating, but it also can have unhealthy repercussions when it comes to choosing what to do while you’re in the city. You must be careful to not choke on an itinerary made of concrete. The beauty of NYC is that there is no requisite list of places to go. There is no such thing here as any singular neighborhood or borough that best captures the cosmopolitan intensity of NYC. Native New Yorkers and transplants alike are just as estranged by city dwelling as is the dude from rural Idaho who’s visiting friends in Brooklyn one weekend. The pulsating heart of NYC, whether you like it or not, is pumping blood into the American experience day in and day out, spilling its sanguine contents into a world economy that will not stop even if disaster strikes. So as a stroke of primordial luck, in a city this big, you have the opportunity to take mindful bites of reality in whatever corner of it you choose to stand. Just make sure to bring as much money as you can spare for a visit.
You ask the question, “which neighborhoods in New York City should I see when I’m in town?” and “where should I go to do – oh I don’t know – some late night dancing?” Or, “where are some good places to eat in Brooklyn and Manhattan?” Broad, open-ended questions with 2,000 answers to each of them are the beginnings of your journey in this town. Expect that you will not get closure to any questions you may have while here. It is important that you trust your own inherent unawareness of the world in order to experience the wonder that a city like New York inspires. However, here are a few thoughts to consider as you take stock of the Big Apple and what do while you are here:
Manhattan
There are 9 million people here on any given day of the week. The island is teeming with homo sapien wildlife. It is a grid of concrete, steel, and detritus left over from older generations that go back to the time when New York City was a gross Dutch settlement struggling to survive the elements. Go down to Ground Zero and see the 9/11 Memorial. Go remember your own fallen towers. While there, try to bring in heat of a fear so great it melts any and all duality. With all the civilized feastings and things that can be bought on this island at a price, how much do you pay for what you call freedom?
Brooklyn
Without a doubt, this borough has taken on a life of its own in the past decade or two. This is where the minions of cool dwell, where unkempt hipsters work on their non-idea ideas, where bands flock to break in on this overwhelmingly-diverse scene. Sociopaths bent on martyrdom thrive in Brooklyn. Some of the neighborhoods like Bushwick and Crown Heights are now popping open like firecrackers, as newer entrepreneurs and developers creep out into the deeper areas of the borough to open bars, dancing clubs, specialized burger joints, and organic markets. Gentrification. Brooklyn has the pleasure of taking this incredible American fusion and forging into one solid mass of love for humanity, as people from around the world struggle to understand each other’s idiosyncrasies. Walk the streets of Bed-Stuy on your way to the Botanical Gardens near the Brooklyn Library, grab a coffee in Bushwick at Little Skips, eat at a high-end bistro in Williamsburg, trek through Prospect Park, stroll through Midwood and admire some of the gnarliest houses you’ve ever seen. Embrace Brooklyn’s proud claim as the borough whose mystique has helped foster a 21st century cultural renaissance.
Staten Island
In the days before he became a billionaire, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he used to go on dates on the Staten Island Ferry. Whether you are rolling solo, are on a date or are traveling with a group of friends, taking the free ferry over to Staten Island will afford you sweeping views of New York harbor, including the Statue of Liberty. It is a five-mile journey that takes about 25 minutes, and ferries run almost every 20 minutes in either direction. Staten Island is one of the more isolated boroughs, but the Verrazano Narrows-Bridge—a gargantuan suspension design whose cobalt color dominates the harbor’s main gateway to the sea—also connects it to Brooklyn. I definitely recommend the ferry ride if you don’t know much about what to do once you get to Staten Island.
Queens
If you can, you should try to spend a little bit of time in Queens. By census data, it is easily the most diverse borough in the entire city with over 100 nationalities living there and over 138 languages spoken – 48% of the people there were not born in the United States. The sleepy neighborhood of Astoria is an incredible place to walk wide and quaint streets, where the majority of the buildings don’t block your view of the sky. I suggest you explore the areas around the stops on the N and Q train starting at Broadway Ave, where you may find all sorts of restaurants with diverse menus and bars – all the way up to the Astoria-Ditmars Boulevard stop at the end of the line, where there is easy access to Astoria Park and the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden.
The Bronx
One of the top reasons you should visit the Bronx is because it is not so much of a tourist destination as the rest of the boroughs. Better-known spots in the Bronx include the new Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo. Bustling thoroughfares and packed sidewalks buzz with an energy that is electric. 53% of the Bronx is Spanish speaking so you may hear more Spanish spoken there than in any other place in the city, with a huge chunk of those speakers having Dominican or Puerto Rican roots. It is also the most northern borough of the city with access to a beautiful vista along the Hudson River at Wave Hill, in the more austere and historic neighborhood of Riverdale. For up to date information for what to do in the Bronx, try this website: http://www.ilovethebronx.com/.
