3 Months…
We moved here on June 26th. We’ve enjoyed three months of exploring and learning about this city. We will continue to share that with you!
These three months have also shown us a lot of pain in New York…
- The city that “never sleeps” is now shutting down around 11 p.m.
- The city of Barney, Bendels, and Century 21 no longer exists.
- Rowdy clubs like Coyote Ugly and Copacabana are gone.
- Megaplex 4D movie theaters like Regal Cinemas have filed for bankruptcy and the lights have gone out on last single-screen 71-year-old theatre “The Paris.”
- Much of Madison Avenue is boarded up and empty (hopefully for remodels during the pandemic…*nervously biting nails*)
- Celebratory events are live-streamed instead of in-person.
- Fine art establishments like the Met Opera, the New York City Ballet, and the New York Philharmonic are struggling. A few directors have gone so far as to say that if they can’t come back in the spring, they may also be gone forever.
However, there are so many options and opportunities here. New Yorkers don’t realize what they have — even in the worst of times, New York offers abundance compared to so many other places I have lived.
We will never have the time or hunger to try all of the restaurants in our neighborhood, much less the city overall.
Boredom is impossible.
You could walk a different direction and see different things every single day.
People-watching will always offer free entertainment.
True New Yorkers are loyal. They won’t leave. And, they’ll make this place better than ever when the pandemic passes.
Overall, here are Top 10 Things We’ve Learned in our three months of living here that all of our travels here would’ve never taught us.
- Communities are strong and friendships are deep. People really rely on each other, and that’s an admirable quality.
- The city is the stable — institutions are not. The sooner you learn to ride the waves and accept that people and opportunities come and go, the better off you’ll be.
- The transit system is in dire need of federal funding. It’s the best transit system in the US, but it’s on the verge of collapse if they can’t achieve the funding they need in the next two years.
- People are REALLY proud of their own neighborhood and will try to convince anyone who will listen why theirs is the best.
- You can cover 30 blocks in 30 minutes on-foot if you know how to time the lights and never stop walking.
- Laundry-woes and roaches are common talking points between locals – forget the weather – no one knows what’s going on there. Laundry and roaches are a better way to find a common platform.
- Culture is actually important. Have you seen the new exhibition at the Met? Did you check out the new political statue in Central Park? Did you see the new street art on Houston? Locals actually DO care about the cultural happenings in town.
- Don’t assume everyone roots for the Yankees and the Knicks. This town is built from imports. There are sports bars for EVERY team in EVERY sport. We live near a Raiders bar…which is somewhat fitting considering our ties to the Bay Area from 2013-2019.
- The Boroughs are not “outer.” The city has blended. I think that coming to New York and not seeing the boroughs is a great disservice to the city at large. Each borough has fun flavors and unique offerings.
- Although they talk tough and are insanely resilient, New Yorkers have a soft-side. The New Yorkers I’ve met have been loyal, kind, and good-natured. There’s definitely something to love about being “real.” Instagram may paint one picture, but actually talk to someone, and they’ll tell you the truth pretty quickly.
You, my lovely readers, have been asking me to sing for months. I finally set up my home-studio this week. So, I’ll be singing for you a bit more often. I’ve been posting Peter Cincotti’s “Heart of the City” quite frequently, so I decided to include a cover of it here – for our 3 month in New York celebration and to promote our #NYTough Beanie fundraiser.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for your comments. Thank you for your support. I couldn’t do it without you!
Cheers,
Noah and Majhon