The cliche about New York city being impersonal and its citizens rude has to be as old as hades. We have been in New York 3 times in the past year and have consistently met wonderful, kind and funny people. To all the repeat tourists and residents please tell the stories of the nice people that you met along the way.
One story: My daughters and I were looking for a nice but quick restaurant on the upper eastside. We asked some police officers for help. They tried but they lived and worked in the Bronx. Two kids in school uniform heard our conversation, stopped, and gave their opinions on a nice place nearby. The girl asked where we were from...Los Angeles. She used to live in L.A., went to ************ school. My daughter went to ********** nearby. Compared friends. Knew a lot of people in common. Small world and the restaurant that they recommended was great. Small world.
Anyone else care to join in?
Favorite New York City stories
Wow, ellebud, you have turned into such a NYC fan!! You%26#39;ve been bitten by the bug! I remember how nervous you were before your first visit. I%26#39;m very impressed.
This is a fun topic. I%26#39;d love to read others%26#39; stories.
And, yes, NYC can be an incredibly ';small world.';
Favorite New York City stories
On our recent visit to NYC my family and I were staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel. My one quibble with it was that it no longer has an uninterupted harbour view (as suggested by photos on it%26#39;s website) because of a new apartment block across the street. However right next to this block is the lovely little ';oasis'; of the Irish Hunger Memorial. Not evryone appeared to be very impressed with it though because we overheard someone comment (in all seriousnes)';What a waste of space - they could have built another apartment block here';!!!Er no....
Queensboulevard:
I WAS VERY nervous when I went without my husband for the first time. I hadn%26#39;t travelled without my husband ever. I went to New York as a single female when I was 20! How would I...? Where could I..? (I sound like a dinosaur! My husband always took care of me...us...got us to everywhere we needed to go). But I channeled my Brooklyn born self (and my mother) and went for it. I have been so fortunate that my husband%26#39;s business took me to New York twice, and a surprise visit to my daughter%26#39;s best friend who moved to New York for our third visit.
My mother always said, when asked where she was from, said Brooklyn. This despite the fact that we moved from New York when I was a month old. (We returned again for about a year. I do remember bits of Brooklyn and Elmhurst...I was only 2) :).
Hey Elle ..... no amusing NYC travel stories for me (I live in B%26#39;klyn) but I do have a Beverly Hills tale. I have a friend that was living in Los Angeles and about twenty years ago I paid him a visit. He took me around town to see the sights; Universal Studio%26#39;s, Rodeo Drive, etc. Then he said; ';Hey let%26#39;s go take a look at the expensive homes in Beverly Hills.'; Now a street kid from Brooklyn (maybe like yourself) and Beverly Hills just seems too much like a set up for a scene from the %26#39;Fresh Prince of Bel Aire%26#39; to me. Anyway, my friend and I were in the car driving around for quite a while and I reeealy had to do number one (#1). But there%26#39;s wasn%26#39;t a Dunkin Donuts, McDonald%26#39;s or Starbuck anywhere in sight so I said; ';Hey pull over by those bushes a minute.'; I got out of the car and just as I began to take care of my business when suddenly one of those LA CHIPS motorcycle cops turned the corner on a huge motor bike and drove right up to me. I was in no position to adjorn the important business meeting I was conducting ..... so the officer stood there a second. Meanwhile I began my customary pleading for understanding but then the officer said: ';Do you know that%26#39;s a house?'; I was honestly stunned. The hedge must have been eight feet tall and if there was a house there it must have been somewhere very distant on a very huge estate because I couldn%26#39;t see a house. I continued to apologize profusely, explained my need, and told him I was unaware that this was a person%26#39;s property (honest). Then the officer, detecting my Brooklyn accent (I guess) asked; ';Hey where you from?'; I said; ';New York City'; and the officer asked; ';Do they let you that in NYC?'; I said; ';Well to tell you the truth ..... only on the subway or when no one is looking.'; In my utter amazement, the officer just said ';Well don%26#39;t do it again';, got back on his bike and drove off.
Now let%26#39;s see Will Smith top that.
When I took my 11 year old son (then 10) he was watching a guy play a violin while waiting on a subway. The guy called him over and asked if he wanted to play it. Then the guy insisted I take pics of the whole thing. He took out a dollar out of his pocket and put it in the case while my son was playing so I got a picture of that. I knew he probably only wanted a tip, but my son thought it was really cool and he was really friendly. The pictures are really cute too. So my son threw a dollar in the case as we boarded the train.
Other than that, I%26#39;ve been helped several times by people just passing by that noticed me staring at my map. LOL I find New Yorkers very friendly!!! :O)
Lotuspath:
I suspect that I know where in BH you were...most homes, as I am sure you saw, do not have big lots. A huge lot is almost a half acre...except for some of the old estates that are on an acre or two. If you come out here again, see the Virginia Robinson gardens/estate. Our police officers are really great here. They know the Brooklyn accent...many of us came from Brooklyn. (And our house is surrounded by a low wall with wax leaf privets that are pretty tall just behind it. Can%26#39;t tell you how many times I have found coffee bean cups and garbage stuck in the leaves.) Tip: when in BH and needing a bathroom, go into a ritzy hotel or department store.
Was I a street kid? Sort of. I grew up in BH, but in an apartment. My kids don%26#39;t have a clue how sheletered they are. My daughter went to my husband%26#39;s client%26#39;s apartment on Park, thought it was ok...but kind of old. :( The next time we go to New York I want to arrange a tour of Brooklyn. Somewhere I have old family addresses, including where I lived. And I want to see Erasmus Hall High School where my mom, and lots of the parents of kids that I went to high school with went to school.
Come back again and see us. Most of us are pretty friendly too.
LOL ..... thanks Elle for the info and invite. Now you%26#39;ve got to know that the next time I%26#39;m in Beverly Hills and %26#39;nature calls%26#39; I%26#39;ll be looking for a ';a low wall with wax leaf privets that are pretty tall';. So watch out ..... you%26#39;ll wish it was only ';coffee cup beans and garbage'; in the hedge.
Lotuspath:
LOL...problem for you...our house is way too exposed. (And trust me, you can see the house from the street.) But when we come to Brooklyn...........
But back to the original idea. I agree New Yorkers will offer help to anyone with a map and looks lost.
On our first visit to nyc in nov 06 we stayed at the new yorker hotel,
we ventured out of the hotel and turned right on west 33rd and found a great bar called twins(anyone know this place?)
there were about 6 locals in the bar and we got on like a house on fire,
A fantastic first night to a fantastic holiday
芦The cliche about New York city being impersonal and its citizens rude has to be as old as hades.禄
Absolutely. Just because it%26#39;s a huge city, people immediately assume it%26#39;s impersonal and violent. It%26#39;s not.
My story: the adorable NY couple who took the bus with me just to show me the way to the Jewish Heritage Museum.
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