Working 2 Live, Living 2 Travel

New York City can more appropriately be called a microcosm of the entire world than possibly any other city on Earth, and it is most representative of the melting pot that the United States was founded to be. Close to the Statue of Liberty, you can witness patriotic parades with topless protesters screaming at the soldiers and police officers who fight for her right to freedom of speech. In the vicinity, you can find a neighborhood representative of almost any ethnicity in the world. In one city, you have everything that the United States represents and everything that the world represents. It is for this reason that we love to travel to NYC at least once per year and to delve into all of its neighborhoods, not just the  blocks routinely featured on television.

Manhattan

Harlem

Harlem sits below Columbia University and is one of the key spots in the United States, particularly in the northern states, to witness African-American history and culture. When I first visited Harlem soon after 2000, it was plagued with crime. Slower than many neighborhoods to recover from the 1980s drug-ridden NYC, I saw three obvious shoplifters in the first small store that I entered. Most brownstones were boarded up after being gutted by drug addicts on the inside. Pieces of the housing including copper pipes were traded for a bit of money to fund their addiction. However, Harlem’s fortunes changed around the time President Clinton decided to place his post-presidential office there.

A visit to Harlem should definitely include a Sunday morning. The area’s 400 Christian churches and show choirs are legendary and known worldwide, including but not limited to the Boys Choir of Harlem. As a Caucasian, it may be assumed that you are European when you enter since most Caucasian Americans have historically ignored the area, but the church attendees will always be warm and friendly. The area also includes Mosque No. 7, where Malcolm X preached until he left the Nation of Islam after a dispute in 1964.

After visiting a church service, a soul food meal is definitely a must before exploring other sites. You may actually be invited to share dinner with churchgoers in a fellowship hall. If not, seek out one of Harlem’s excellent soul food restaurants. The most famous is Sylvia’s, a spot that actually hosts its own gospel dinner/brunch. Sylvia, who unfortunately died in 2012 after a battle with Alzheimer’s, founded the restaurant with her husband in the early 1960s after moving from South Carolina and bringing her southern recipes of fried chicken, cornbread, collard greens, macaroni & cheese and other Southern classics that are equally popular in Harlem.

The Apollo Theater, a former burlesque house, is known to many as the home of Arsenio Hall’s show throughout the early 1990s, however its history is much deeper.  The Cotton Club, musical home of Duke Ellington and others, can also be visited.

Fifth Avenue

Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan is one of the most famous shopping districts in the world. Here, you will find Tiffany & Co., The Apple Store, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Trump Towers among other dealers of t-shirts potentially costing more than $500. We imagine most of our readers will want to gawk and take pictures here then head over to Chinatown for the closest replica versions.

Chinatown

Although not as large as San Francisco’s Chinese neighborhood, you can get about as real of a taste of China here as anywhere else in the United States. Pass through the grocery stores with traditional Chinese goods or head to Canal Street, one of the few places in the United States where counterfeit goods are overlooked in an Asian-like fashion. During certain seasons of the year, you will quickly hear a vendor whisper into your ear about Rolex watches or Gucci purses. It’s generally safe to follow him through the alleys as he will simply lead you to a store with a hidden room in the back. You will soon notice hidden rooms in many of the innocent-looking stores in Chinatown. If no one takes you there, just go stand beside the obvious crack in the wall until the cashier comes and pushes you inside. Here, you will find hundreds of purses with designer labels and all prices are negotiable. These purchases are not exactly “legal” as evidenced by the black garbage bag that will be wrapped around your purchase but the NYPD has larger concerns to worry about. You may also want to visit a dim-sum for an authentic Chinese meal before departing. Chinatown is also home to Chinese bus lines that give you an adventurous cheap ride to other northeastern cities. We’ll save those stories for another time.

Little Italy

If you are not a fan of Chinese food, no worries…Little Italy is next door. Visit Little Italy for a dinner and you will not be disappointed, although you should anticipate long lines at the most popular establishments. In lower Manhattan, nestled adjacent to Chinatown, it is easily accessible from all major tourist locations. One of our places for authentic New York pizza is Lombardi’s, a coal-burning pizza establishment that was founded in 1905. While it was once a hub for organized crime and may still be,Little Italy is generally a safe neighborhood and does not possess much random crime.

Times Square

It’s always fun to take someone who has never been to the city to Times Square and watch their facial expression. The brightest place we’ve ever been, there is just an unique magic about this spot. Not only is it world famous for the New Year’s Eve ball drop, but you’ve just got so much going on in these five blocks. Check out a show on  Broadway that runs right through the center of Times Square (and if you can’t get to a show, you can always enjoy dinner at Ellen’s Stardust Diner where the waitstaff of aspiring Broadway performers will serenade you throughout your meal); enjoy a gigantic slice of  real New York cheesecake at Carnegie Deli; take a spin on the indoor Ferris wheel at Toys-R-Us; and be sure to take in all the street performers, like the Naked Cowboy.

Central Park

Take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the largest park in the city, and you feel as if you’ve been transported to another time and place. You no longer hear the hustle and bustle of the city once you’re inside the park, and the peace and quiet is remarkable. You’ll see lots of people jogging, walking their dogs, having picnics, and just enjoying the green space.

Brooklyn

Brighton Beach

If Russia is where you want to go exploring, then Brighton Beach is your place. This neighborhood, easily reachable by subway in Brooklyn, is a merging point for immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Liquor stores are stocked full of Russian vodka and Georgian wines. Authentic Russian food and restaurants can also easily be found.  Note, prior to entering, however, that Russian culture does not generally include friendly waiters and this, too, is authentic in Brighton Beach. In fact, the one travel advisor whom we usually follow, Anthony Bourdain, led us a bit astray here. Skip the National Nightclub. It’s show is mediocre at best and the staff is not very welcoming to outsiders, especially if you’re not spending thousands on vodka tonight. We would suggest one of the smaller, family owned restaurants in the area.

Coney Island

Coney Island is a perfect destination for a summer day, with New York City’s amusement park along the coast. The original Nathan’s Hot Dog establishment is home to the annual contest every July that was dominated for years by Takeru Kobayashi until Joey Chestnut emerged on the scene. Any time of year, you can grab a hot dog and drink at the establishment known well as a namesake for the Coney Island Dog.

The Bronx

Here, you can find Monica’s favorite and Chris’ most hated baseball team, The New York Yankees. However, love or hate the team, there is definitely an atmosphere here that is unique and legendary, and you should put aside your biases just to witness it. For the true atmosphere, don’t worry about sitting in nice seats close to home plate. Sit in the cheap seats where the diehard fans reside. We’ve done both, and we would certainly recommend the latter. Spend a little time in the Bronx as well; don’t just go directly to/from the subway train and stadium. This is true New York. Check out the bars around the stadium on game day or if the Yankees are out of town, explore a bit farther and try a true New York pizza dive.

Queens/Flushing

Here you’ll find the Mets, who also have a new stadium, as well as Arthur Ashe Stadium, home to the U.S. Open. However, “Real New York“ consists of the nearby soccer fields crowded with immigrants and surrounded by food vendors with ubiquitous NYC hot dogs as well as recipes from their native countries.

Staten Island

If you’re on a budget, take the free ferry from Battery Park in Manhatten to Staten Island for the closest view of the Statue of the Liberty without going to island.

Best full day tour

If you are only in New York City for one or two days and have not seen many of the sites, check out Jerry’s Grand Tour. Jerry Balch, a retired high school science teacher and lifelong Brooklyn resident, gives a tour via walking, subway and ferry that takes you to every major tourist site in New York City. Although the tour is slightly shorter than it once was, it will still take the entire day and go into the night. See if you can survive as many others drop off while Jerry epitomizes the New Yorker who could walk for days. Along the way, he stops and takes pictures of anyone he finds to have a unique appearance in the city. He later turns these pictures to art and must now have a vast collection; however, he says they will be discovered only as a posthumous collection of work once he is gone. The tour costs $10 and begins at 891 Amsterdam Avenue on Saturday mornings.

Working in New York City

New York City is a place in which many dream of living. While it may appear to be difficult to find a job in the city because there is such a high demand of people wanting to work there, the city contains jobs for virtually every occupation, easing the path for some whose careers may lead them to less opportunities elsewhere. As musician Christopher Bill told us, “I love the city because I’m a musician and it’s one of the only places you can make a very decent living by just playing music.” He spends his days composing or arranging music for clients if there is no event scheduled. Other days, he may be performing in pit orchestras or in front of different chamber music groups. “There’s a market for every single genre of music here,” he says.

As for the weekends, Bill explains, “Weekends as a musician are some of the busiest times. It’s when everybody else wants to get out and listen to live music, so it’s when we have our best gigs (especially young musicians looking for a break.) Night life is huge, and NYC is the epitome of it.”

And when he’s not working, Bill still finds the city fascinating. “NYC is such a unique place to live. There is literally every type of person, so you’re bound to meet people who have the same views as you as well as people that will open your eyes to new things and maybe even alter your own views. ”

We give New York City a 10 on our list of favorite places to be. There is so much about this wonderful place, we could write forever on it, but what part would you most like to see in the Big Apple?

-Chris & Monica