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Welcome to New York...Now Go Home
May 18, 2007
BookExpo America returns to New York during the first weekend of June. The Big Apple is no longer the scary city depicted in The Warriors or Taxi Driver (heck, we’re not even ranked among the top 25 most dangerous US cities). But, Manhattan is the most densely populated county in the United States (1.8 million residents) and it is filled with people rushing to get somewhere else.
In an attempt to make your visit more enjoyable (and prevent natives from bumping you out of the way), I offer 10 tips.
#1 Never walk three astride on the sidewalk.
This isn’t Charlie’s Angels; this is a narrow sidewalk with people trying to pass you from behind without running into people coming in the other direction.
#2 Never stop at the top or bottom of stairs.
If you need to get your bearings, you should step aside. Also, never stop in the middle of the sidewalk to read street signs or point out the Empire State Building. Above ground, your best breathing space is against the wall of a building.
#3 Manhattan is a grid and is easy to navigate once you figure that out.
Although it gets messy down in the Village, its usually easy to figure out where you are in Manhattan when you realize that all numbered streets run east and west and the numbers increase when you’re heading north (26th Street, 27th Street…) and decrease when you’re heading south (27th Street, 26th Street…). Avenues run north and south with 11th Avenue on the far west side and 1st Avenue on the far east side. (East of 1st Avenue begins lettered avenues beginning with Avenue A, then Avenue B…)
#4 You’ll probably figure out the grid on the last day of your visit.
Fifth Avenue divides Manhattan into east and west; address numbering starts at Fifth Avenue on each side and numbers increase in either direction. Think of Fifth Avenue as Zero with street address increasing with their distance from Fifth--usually by 100 per block. Addresses west of Fifth might read 20 W. 34th St. (and a block further west would be 120 W. 34th St.), while those east of Fifth are written as 20 E. 34 St (and a block later would be 120 E. 34th St.). So, knowing whether the addresses are East or West and whether they’re rising or falling can help you figure out whether you’re traveling east or west on the street.
#5 A cab ride starts at $2.50.
How to hail a cab: There is an illuminated rooftop sign on top of every yellow cab containing the taxi number in the center and the words "off duty" to the left and right of the number. A taxi cab is available for passengers if the middle numbers on the rooftop light are lit. If none of the lights above the cab are on, then the cab is full. If everything is lit or the side words "off duty" are lit, then the cab is off duty. Don’t be afraid to wave wildly when you see an available cab. If you don’t move quickly, someone else will jump in ahead of you. A 10-15% tip is customary.
#6 A subway ride is $2 per journey.
There are free subway maps at every manned subway booth. Grab one. There are no tokens anymore. You can buy subway Metro Cards/swipe cards from a MTA employee or at a machine. Unlimited Metro cards will only swipe admittance to one person every 18 minutes, so don’t think you can get one card and swipe your whole party through. Before you go through the turnstile, make sure the train you’re about to board is heading in the right direction (Uptown is north, Downtown is south). Subways run 24/7 but some stops close as the evening progresses. If a subway stop is closed, you usually only have to walk a few blocks north or south to the next stop.
#7 Cross streets when the sign tells you to cross.
This sounds like a no-brainer but there’s a mob mentality in NYC and after standing with people for a few minutes on the curb, when someone steps off, usually everyone else leaps forward with them. This surge forward is usually followed by the blowing of horns from oncoming traffic.
#8 Ask for directions.
Contrary to rumor, New Yorkers are usually helpful. The majority of people waiting at a crosswalk will help point you in the right direction. However, New Yorkers aren’t always correct—so, it’s a good idea to double-check with someone else at the next block.
#9 You can walk anywhere.
Walking 20 north/south blocks equals one mile and the average person can walk roughly one block per minute. (While the east/west blocks are much longer, keep in mind that Manhattan is only 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles at its widest.) It will be June, so the weather will be great. You should feel safe on the streets at all hours because it really is the city that never sleeps. Even after 3 a.m., you’ll see lots of people on the sidewalks and lots of cabs in the streets.
#10 Restrooms in Manhattan (a.k.a. Thank God for Starbucks).
A simple rule: every time you see a restroom, use it. Granted, there is virtually a Starbucks on every other city block, but the restroom lines can be long (they are single occupancy) and because they bear the brunt of being the only reliable restrooms in the city, they often look like they're the only restrooms in the city. If you can't find a Starbucks, look for the biggest stores you can (Macy's, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble...).
Posted by Kevin Howell on May 18, 2007 | Comments (2)
