Manhattan
When most people around the world think of New York City, what they're actually thinking of is Manhattan. Manhattan is considered the most densely
populated county in America with over 1.5 million residents. It's also the number one financial and business district in the world.
Manhattan is surrounded by water, something most people never think about. It's surrounded by the East River to the east (that works well), the Hudson
River to the west, the Harlem River to the north and New York Harbor to the south, which also takes it right into the Atlantic Ocean. Those living in the
area have a great sense of direction when it comes to the four points, and they need to in order to make sure they get on the correct bus or subway.
Pretty much, the city is divided into east and west by 5th Avenue, then into three main sections: downtown, midtown, and uptown. Downtown is considered
by many to be the financial and governmental area of Manhattan. It includes the former World Trade Center, Wall Street, and the city offices of the Mayor.
It also includes the United Nations, Chinatown, and Little Italy.
Midtown starts around 14th Street, and it's the area that most people who know nothing about New York really key on. It includes Madison Square Garden
and the Empire State Building. It includes Broadway and most of the Broadway shows. All of the TV stations list offices in Midtown. Trump Plaza is in
Midtown; so is ESPN Zone's restaurant and weekly broadcasts; Macy's is also in Midtown, along with Penn Central and Grand Central Station.
Uptown begins around 59th Street, and covers the largest area of Manhattan. Uptown has most of the museums and living spaces, and includes Harlem.
It includes what's known as the Upper East Side, which is the wealthiest region in the United States. Opposite that is the Upper West Side, which has a
higher concentration of the population and shopping, and also includes the Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Julliard School of
Music.
There are areas of Manhattan that will take your breath away. Walking up Broadway from the south to the north will make your mouth gape, as you see
lights, lights, and more lights, moving images seemingly coming from the sky and adorning the buildings, live presentations, commercials, news, whatever;
your senses will try to jump out of your body to take it all in. However, all the action in the city doesn't take place on Broadway; Manhattan is way too vast
for something like that. Think of the song Give My Regards to Broadway, write down all the places mentioned in it, then walk around New York, if you can,
and find all of the places, and then some; it's a virtual historic tour of what New York used to be and what it is now.
Now, the most important word here is "walking". This isn't a city you want to have to think about driving in if you can help it. There are cabs you can catch,
and if you're thinking about traveling above ground those are your best bets, but if you're sensitive they can be scary. A NYC cab driver will take any little
space that can be found and accelerate without a moment's notice. They will turn right from the far left lane if it suits them; my car is a testament to that
one. There are yellow cabs and big, black Lincolns that will take you anywhere, for a price. There are also buses that run on a regular schedule, but the
issue with the buses is that they can get really crowded.
Below is the subway system, and it's both great and bad at the same time. On hot days, being underground is suffocating, as the heat and the humidity will
sap your strength in minutes. Luckily, the subways run fairly often, so you don't usually have to wait long, and the cars are air conditioned. They have both
express and local trains, and you can transfer from one to the other as needed. This is where it can get confusing, though, because trains are both lettered
and numbered, and knowing which direction you're going is crucial at times. At some stops, if you're going the wrong way you can just get off and get onto
the other train with no problems; at others, smaller stops, you can still do it, but you'll have to pay for it. Still, at $2.00, it's not all that bad. As opposed to
20 years ago, the subway cars are fairly clean and safe, but that doesn't mean you won't have some minor adventures, as, often, there's someone who gets
on trying to get money from you, either from selling something, putting on a performance, or outright begging for money. And, because they can also get
packed at certain times, it's always wise to know where your money and bags are.
Midtown Manhattan never sleeps; you'll hear that often, but in this case it seems to be fairly true. Not all stores stay open, but many are open 24/7. Late
in the evening, the crowds walking the streets of midtown Manhattan are as thick as they are during the day. I'd have to say that I've never seen such a
concentration of beautiful people as I've seen walking the streets of midtown, and this seems to make sense because part of Manhattan is known as the
Fashion District. Along 7th Avenue, you'll see plaques on the sidewalk naming some of the most famous fashion designers in the world. You won't be able
to tell who's a model or who's just a very pretty or good looking person.
Manhattan is also home to some very poor people, those who have come here to try to beg for money among visitors and those who live and work in the area,
mainly because they know many of these people have some kind of money. Many of the churches, most of which are actually in regular buildings rather
than solo structures, have some type of shelter or food program that caters to these folks, but quite often you'll see masses of homeless people sleeping out
in front of these places on cardboard or blankets, even in the rain. The side streets are also interesting in that you'll see a very exclusive restaurant or
top notch hotel next to an alley where they may be homeless people sitting or sleeping, or gutted buildings waiting for another tenant to set up their wares
for sale. It's an odd mixture that one won't see on the main avenues, though even there you'll occasionally see a space that's closed up, which probably
means the owner wasn't able to make as much as it probably costs to stay in such a prime location.
There's way more to say about Manhattan, but it's best to say that Manhattan is one of the most interesting and vibrant places I've ever had the pleasure to
visit, and I actually spent two months there. I've talked mainly about midtown, because it's the money area, but there are areas of Harlem that are also
vibrant, such as Spanish Harlem and the corridor along 125th Street, where even former president Bill Clinton has offices, and both the Apollo Theater and
Cotton Club reside. It's easy to say that I would recommend that everyone find a way to visit New York City at least once in their lives; but bring lots of
money!
