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LCN OutdoorsTravelTravel TipsThe Tourist's Impression of New York

The Tourist’s Impression of New York

The Tourist's Impression of New York
The Tourist’s Impression of New York

Albert had never been to America before, so New York was a new and undeveloped city for Albert, with a sparse population. Rather, there is a sense that you know a lot about Americans from movies and rare eyewitness stories, so your mind is already filled with some stereotypes.

The trip happened by chance, in New York, where Albert eventually met Pocahontas, simply because Americans need visas even for airport transfers. In fact, Albert had to go to Mexico to change the United States. Since you need a visa, why not get a regular one, Albert got it (Pocahontas described it in detail in a photo blog) and decided to turn the transfer into a kind of “overstay” for a week and a half in New York.

First impressions were interesting – it seems that about 90% of the population are dark-skinned people who speak mostly Spanish, and Albert recalls a moment in the book when one character says to another: “Man, you’re in America, speaking Spanish!”. Albert was later convinced that this feeling was confirmed-there are a lot of people from Latin America here. There are only Latinos in the stores, so you can say hello to the sellers in Spanish.

Times Square, New York
Times Square, New York

About Stereotypes – New York Travel

The first stereotype that immediately became true was that Americans are totally fat. There is no such thing in New York. It’s harder to meet a full person than in any city in Asia. Maybe not in other cities.

The second – each other, though nervous, but smiling. Figure from both! In order to smile at you, in most cases, you need to at least turn to passers-by. Meanwhile, the entire white population is very polite and dark-skinned – lucky.

Other stereotypes have either been indirectly confirmed or proven to be associated with the wrong country.

It should be noted that in New York, buildings and populations are very different in different areas. There are “white-skinned” areas, “dark-skinned” areas, and some purely ethnic areas. Some people don’t even want to take their cameras out of their backpacks. Maybe it’s just another stereotype, but Albert has had unpleasant incidents with local “scammers”. In broad daylight, near Manhattan’s Central Park.

Two brave dark-skinned guys passed by, one specifically to collide with Albert, and allegedly dropped a package containing a bottle of vodka by accident. The bottle broke, of course. Apparently, they irritated the tourists in such a way that, according to the situation, the tourists should start apologizing and offering monetary compensation. Albert almost did, but in the eyes of these guys, Albert realized that far from being an accident, they obviously needed the money. In short, the actors are the same. Yes, it’s just water in a bottle. So, the dark guards were sent further afield to find the fool, and Albert went off on his own. A small thing, but not pleasant.

The skyscrapers of Manhattan
The skyscrapers of Manhattan

Impression – New York Travel

Now, after a week and a half of continuous walking through the city, Albert can name the most memorable things. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is “not like Albert’s”.

When you look at the streets – everything is cleaned and licked, but the surroundings still seem dirty. There seems to be no trash, the cars around are clean, and there is not a grain of sand on the road. What’s going on? So this impression is created after you take a step left or right. Behind the cleanest of walls, a well-disguised junkyard can be hidden. In a nice building, behind the door of the utility room is likely to be a mess. Getting off the subway is worth it – anything lying on the railroad tracks, despite the cleanliness of the platforms where people walk. However, the purity is somehow specific – it seems everything is covered with some kind of oily, unwashable film that has been growing over the years. The buildings are beautiful but very old. Everything is old, and there is a long history behind everything.

Black. They love New York. Perhaps because of this, some places look eerie. For example, the subway signs are on a black background. All the fences, benches, and other metal parts are painted black. It looks stylish at times and depressing at others. Compared to Japan, this is much better than the green and yellow that depicts everything from the border to the fence.

When I used to look at pictures of the city, I always thought it was quite green: trees, lawns. It was just a little awkward and therefore impossible to call the city green. Not immediately, but then Albert realized where that feeling came from: all the greenery was isolated from the space around it. If there is a lawn somewhere, it must be fenced off with a fence that says, “Don’t go here, don’t let the dogs in. Of course, there is no fence somewhere, but this is usually where everything is left: dirt, garbage, etc.

In general, New York is made up of many things that, at first glance, have little compatibility with each other. Houses of vastly different architectural styles stand side by side, and a dirty, beat-up Chinese food truck is parked on the polished sidewalk outside the Stock Exchange. A certain style of his own that Albert had never seen before was prevalent here-a kind of giant collage of miscellaneous city-sized objects. Albert remembers thinking it was funny for someone in a movie to walk around in a formal suit and oversized white sneakers. It was the norm. Some people call it a complete lack of taste, but to Albert, it’s just something completely different because it doesn’t cause animosity.

Navigating the city is easy – all streets are numbered and every intersection is marked. Pedestrians are always right. Many of them are arranged “for people”, which is quite convenient. For example, in the same Manhattan, you can always walk to a subway station within 5 minutes, of which there are many.

It’s scary to imagine that in a city where everything is for the convenience of the people, there are no public restrooms. At least Albert didn’t see any of them. This is partially offset by this presence in all the administrative buildings, many stores, and cafes, but it’s still strange. Although, many restaurants have a sign on the door that says “Toilets for customers only”.

Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty

Positive Points – New York Travel

Now that Albert has re-read what Albert wrote above, it seems that everything is about some kind of negative. In fact, Albert managed to see a lot of positive things. For example, a lot of people were exercising in the streets. Basically, these are runners of all colors who manage to wear only T-shirts and light leggings in zero temperatures. Pocahontas and Albert, each wrapped in two sweaters and a winter coat while freezing, looked at them quizzically. Or, for example, many people with very cute dogs. Sometimes they’re funny.

One huge advantage is the availability of bike lanes. They are almost everywhere and people actively use them to drive in any weather. The city is perfect for people with disabilities. For them, there are ramps everywhere, elevators in the subway (work!), and special equipment in public transportation.

If you encounter any difficulties, people around you will be happy to help. It goes without saying that you can approach any passerby and talk to him or her, and almost no one will ignore him or her. Once, on the subway, Albert met an American who asked Albert where he was from and laughed, even more, when he learned that Albert was from Asia. It turned out he liked Asian ballet, singers, and poetry. One even reads in English. He said he would love to visit Asia, but not now. The reason is that Albert doesn’t like gays, which he is.

Central Park, New York
Central Park, New York

New York Attractions

The skyscrapers of Manhattan
New York Stock Exchange
Wall Street Manhattan (downtown)
Statue of Liberty
Brooklyn Waterfront
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist New York
New York’s major central parks
Central Park, New York
Skyscraper Rockefeller Center
Empire State Building at night
Washington Square
Times Square, New York
The beach at Brighton Beach

As Albert’s experience traveling elsewhere shows, in order to begin to understand the locals, their habits, and culture, one must spend at least a month in the country. Perhaps, one day Albert will be able to travel longer in the United States and drive through many cities. Then, presumably, Albert will be able to get to know how people live here.

For now, Mexico and Pocahontas await Albert! Or rather, Albert has waited – yesterday Albert flew to Mexico City.

What topic would you like to write about next? What’s a more interesting read about travel? Or can Albert limit himself to some more pictures?

Enjoy your walk in New York, dear reader!

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