New York City Articles

It was love at first step for New York and me the minute I set foot on the island during my maiden visit here as a teenager. I still remember the moment: Thursday, June 12, 1980; 7 p.m., Times Square, in front of a Chock Full O’ Nuts store (they were everywhere back then).

I was visiting as part of a high school choral/theater group, and we were on our way to see the first of what would be five Broadway shows in four days: A Chorus Line. I stepped off the bus onto the sidewalk, looked up, felt the vibe and energy of the city well up from the street into my body and immediately was hooked.

I had found my soul mate.

I didn’t move here until 1991, and even though we’ve had our ups and downs and the city has changed in tremendous ways since then—not all for the good—New York remains the love of my life, and I wouldn’t want to call any other place home.

Four Tips From a New Yorker

The best advice I can give for anyone planning to visit New York for the first time is to not force yourself onto the city but to instead let the city unveil itself to you. By that I mean, keep an open mind, open eyes and open ears as you walk about town—and you really should walk whenever possible as it’s the best way to see and experience the city. Take the subway, which is the most convenient mode of transportation (and much safer than its reputation would have you believe), and don’t be afraid to talk to us if you need advice—most of us love to help out visitors, provided we have the time.

If you follow those four tips, you’re sure to find one of the great joys of New York: street life! The unexpected presents itself on a daily basis. These experiences almost never fail to bring a smile to my face. Here’s a sample of what I’ve encountered in the two weeks that I’ve been back after a 16-month stint in California:

• an impromptu belly dancing performance while having dinner at a quiet neighborhood restaurant,
• a three-piece jazz band playing on a street corner at 1 a.m. on the Lower East Side,
• a mariachi band performing on the subway,
  break dancing teenagers on the F-train,
  
• a couple dressed as circus performers talking politics while walking in Midtown one evening.