MANHATTAN TOURISTS – NATIVE NEW YORKERS LOVE THEM, BUT…

As a native New Yorker, I have traveled through Manhattan, New York quite often throughout my life.  Manhattan is my favorite U.S. location because it offers an endless list of great things to enjoy!  To say there are an abundance of things to do and see in Manhattan would be quite an undervalued comment.  Manhattan offers:  limitless restaurants with every type of ethnic food; the highest-standard plays in the world with humor, drama, and music, many innovatively displaying freedom of speech; multi-cultural museums; impressive architectural buildings within every block; ferry, speed, and cruiser boat journeys; subway, railroad, and Amtrak trains; alternate vehicular rides from cabs, limousines, and buses; many huge or small parks; gorgeous bridges to enter and exit all of its boroughs; and several tunnels (even one with a pathway to New Jersey).  The list goes on and on with endless segmentations within each grouping.

Manhattan also has…tourists.  It's one of the most visited places in the world.  It's also one of the busiest places in terms of working, schooling, and residential commuters.  Together, that's a formula that's destined for congestion!  It seemingly requires extreme separation – like oil and water.  Ah, yes, the "New Yorkers" and the tourists are not exactly ideal, but in the end it has proven day-after-day to successfully function.  Somehow, the oil and water find a way to coexist while forcibly mixing sporadically!

Earlier this year, the New York Post published a list entitled, “12 Ways to really piss off a New Yorker".  Half of the listed items touched upon similar thoughts that I've personally expressed over the years.

Below are their 6 categories, along with my very own commentaries: 

“Walking down the street hand in hand in hand”

I know we all offer love to one another in varying degrees; but, do we need to form large links of hand-to-hand chains?  I know tourists don’t want to separate from each other, but Manhattan offers segmented blocks/streets to help lessen wandering distances.  After all, it’s not like you’re in the midst of Disney World where their deprived workers don’t typically rush to get anywhere.  Manhattan’s daily travelers, on the other hand, are trying to commute to their next destination without being stuck playing a child’s Red Rover game!

“Stopping in inappropriate places.”

One of the most dangerous things to do is riding an escalator behind someone who chooses to obstructively stop at the landing plate.  Even worse, these tourists will usually have a stroller or luggage cart.  Then, there are tourists that stop in the middle of a sidewalk to take a picture of one of the thousands of impressive architectural structures or of themselves.  Usually, the pictures are impossible to get correct - trying to frame a too-close skyscraper, or trying to capture a touring photo of a partner.  Daily Manhattan travelers do not have the physical structure of “Casper, the Friendly Ghost”.

“Avoiding sidewalk grates while wearing sneakers.”

I actually disagree with the headline, but certainly feel that there’s issues with tourists walking on grates, specifically in high-heels.  Can’t female tourists clearly notice that the circumferences of their heels are usually smaller than that of the grate holes before their shoes get stuck?  Plus, in the rain, metal tends to get slippery - why walk on steel?  Both conditions are commonly known by 3rd graders!

“Renting a Citi Bike and pulling an Alec Baldwin by riding the wrong way down a one-way street.”

Actually, the bike riders in general are commonly more dangerous than the cabs!  While tourists are definitely accountable for this, so are New York’s own delivery workers or general bike riders.  Bicyclists ride along all paths in all directions, even on one-way streets or sidewalks.

“Driving your car into the city and getting really angry about the traffic.”

This is another item in which tourists are not the only culprits.  As mentioned, Manhattan offers trains, buses, and even cabs - all which typically cost less than parking and tolls.  Tourists and surrounding city/state visitors should highly consider such alternate smart and economical choices.

“Acting like we’re all going to mug you.”

Tourists’ facial expressions or any of their physical attributes say it all.  Many of them clearly show fear, especially the defensive mothers.  Now, I understand protecting your child, but from commuters?  The majority of us just want to get to our work, school, or any of the other common daily destinations.  In fact, commuters only see you as an obstacle or a deterrent.  By the way, the vast majority of Manhattan commuters are not criminals!  

Here are 3 of my own added categorized peeves, along with my supporting comments:

Frustratingly observing tourists fall for tourist traps

Typical tourists will visit Manhattan with a desire to see a Broadway play (which most of us love, too), plan on eating at a “popular” city restaurant, and even fall for taking one of the famous tour buses.  Most Broadway plays are worth anyone’s time; so, kudos to tourists for spending their money wisely!  As for their choices of eateries, I despise when they fall for farces such as all but one of the “Famous Ray’s Pizza” or the highly overrated “Lindy’s”.  Trust me; we never eat at either chain.  Similarly, many tourists get sucked into other tourist traps such as tour buses.  Imagine riding one of them during rush hour in New York City? 

MetroCard usage

Well, it’s understandable that tourists would be unfamiliar with the functionality of MetroCards.  Unfortunately, many of them clog the passageway through the subway turnstiles - similar to the aforementioned Red Rover sidewalk walkers!  Tourists can lessen the clog and not cause a ruckus if they would collectively “practice” in just one turnstile, offering us alternative choices during our rushing moments to keep us on our demanding schedules.

Arriving late to a major event

It’s understandable that traveling through Manhattan can be confusing, but if you’re going to attend a performance, please aim to get there early!  Some tourists arrive at such venues late without considering the disruption of others.  We like to spend our invested entertainment money with the intention to actually see the whole event without bodily obstructions.  Then, after they’ve already disturbed us, we’d really appreciate if they’d hold off chattering to recap about their tardiness.

In closing, while I do get frustrated with tourists as described above, I also fully understand that typical tourists including New Yorkers, such as myself, can cause disturbances or even uproars to hometown inhabitants.  I also don’t doubt that other cities quickly spot New Yorkers and justifiably criticize us for our aggressiveness and other annoying issues we cause them.  Furthermore, I realize the fact that NY tourists contribute towards New York's economy and I definitely appreciate their admirable desire to see the greatest city in the U.S.  Lastly, I admittedly love helping tourists whenever they ask me for assistance!  Undoubtedly and gratefully, tourists are a huge part of what makes Manhattan…Manhattan!!

FACE-TO-FACE-BOOKED

For those of us who use Facebook, we've all experienced various characters.  Most can be characterized into one of 5 groupings.  Those who:  

- Offer up to five postings a year
- Post once a week
- Play application games daily
- Only comment/like others' activities, but rarely post their own
- Are overly active with their postings - offering an average of at least five a day

The latter categorized folks are usually in denial – not recognizing how often they typically post.  This article's focus is geared mostly towards them.  Usually their postings are either negative-angled topics or overloaded with a few categories such as animals, recipes, religious or political points of views, and/or every little thing they do throughout the day.  Their postings are standardly insignificant and, because of their overabundance, cause main page obstacles towards some of the more sensible postings from others.  Luckily, Facebook offers users the ability to hide postings from such folks.  I, for one, have done so with a few.  Isn’t that ironic?  Their intent is to share with all of their “friends”, yet many may have chosen to block reading their postings - without them even knowing!

I'm sure you have a friend or two that even offer updates on live activities that should not be shared with potential thieves (perhaps "friends" of friends) such as their vacation updates, dining-out locations, estimated time of arrival to their homes, etc.  I’ve made it a point with my immediate family to avoid negligently divulging such privacy vulnerabilities to the public.  Thankfully, they agree with me as none of us offer comments or travel pictures related to our trips until after we are home from our travels/vacations.  Even the content of the pictures are appropriately contemplated and often limited – commonly containing scenic views as the ultimate choices.

Overall, I like Facebook.  It's great for birthday recognitions, seeking answers to certain questions, networking to help find lost pets, and various other beneficial usages.  I probably average 1 posting a week.  Besides my after-vacation pictures, I typically post several loving or bragging comments relating to my family; but, the main topic I post about is related to my favorite team, the New York Yankees - especially since I also have a designated blog for them (www.thenyyblogspot.com).  Of course, as I mentioned I don't typically over-post (like every game's score) – only sometimes during the playoffs or World Series (when I'm lucky enough that they're in them)!  For my postings related to the Yankees, I even show consideration for the non-sports Facebook readers by prefacing each of those comments with something like, "Yankees' Fans:".  That way, the uninterested Facebook reader can simply scroll past my comments. 

It's a shame that some folks don't fully recognize the importance of courtesy and/or their own privacy.  Additionally, those who share every nook and cranny of their lives with everyone including their supposed "friends" on Facebook should consider spending some real time and love in a more face-to-face environment - away from keystrokes!

FROM NEW YORK TO FLORIDA’S CONTAINERS

How apropos is it that, on our country’s birth weekend, I compare 2 states (Florida and New York) within the United States of America?  I’m a native New Yorker and, like most New Yorkers, believe that my home state is the best.  Most Americans, of course, choose to live in the state they prefer; but, some plan on eventually leaving their state for another once they retire.  Over the years, a large amount of New Yorkers have chosen Florida as their new destination and, while that trend has lessened, there are still many that make that same choice.  Here in New York, I get to witness the preplanning from my friends and acquaintances.  I’ve also kept in contact with many that have already relocated to Florida.

Here is a breakdown of key opinions that I’ve heard over the years from current and former New Yorkers that I’ve separated into four groups including my own “Container” opinion:

New Yorkers who have enjoyed their relocation to Florida - The retirees will strongly support how much they love Florida’s more tranquil way of living (not missing New York’s hustle and bustle on the streets and roads).  They will also talk about how much they enjoy their community’s recreational activities such as their clubhouse or pool.  Many former New Yorkers, in general, will promote Florida as having better weather and a more affordable cost of living.  (For the latter, before the mortgage crisis there’s no doubt that most NY homeowners who relocated did in fact benefit from the profit of their NY sale, enabling them to apply for lower-costing mortgages in Florida; but, presently that is debatable.)

New Yorkers currently considering to retire in Florida - These New Yorkers clearly feel Florida’s grass is greener (it is sure crunchier).  They, too, will talk about the better weather and improved cost of living compared to NY.  They will tend to complain about how tired they are of having to deal with New York’s winters.  While New York’s winters are indeed worse than Florida’s, its summers have less hurricanes and are usually less sweltering.  Those issues are proven and demonstrated by current Florida retirees who are known as “Winter Birds” because, even though they “live” in Florida, they still choose to fly back-and-forth between Florida and New York, making sure to “live” in New York during the summers to escape Florida’s overbearing summer heat.

New Yorkers who regretted moving to Florida - Most will begin their complaints telling you how much they miss New York’s pizza and bagels.  Regretful families that I know who have moved to Florida can’t afford to move back after they’ve already cashed in on their NY sale.  Some of those families have scrounged for alternatives to leave Florida and relocated themselves to a completely new state altogether, such as Georgia or New Jersey.  Additionally, they’ve voiced their opinions in regards to Florida’s weak schools and inept hospitals (for major ailments).

New Yorkers who say they would never consider moving to Florida - Well, I’m one of them, so I might as well be the one who provides this opinion: 

Personally, I have visited Florida many times, including their very popular and fun Disney World, their lovely beaches, and various areas of their popular cities besides Orlando such as Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Clearwater, Bradenton, etc. Florida also has the impressive Kennedy Space Center, the beautiful Florida Keys, and a few other key visiting points of interest. 

For me, I’ve liked portions of the state during each of my visits, but any objective person that has been to both states should realize that New York has so much more to offer (besides its delicious pizza and bagels).  We have beach-goers in the summers, foliage in the falls, skiing in the snowy winters (where Christmas seems more real), and a magnificent array of flowers in the springs.  New York also has many more landmarks and places to visit such as Manhattan’s historic Statue of Liberty, towering and magnificent Empire State Building, symbolic Freedom Tower, popular Rockefeller Center, entertaining Radio City Music Hall, gigantic Central Park, cultural Broadway, mesmerizing Times Square, and Manhattan’s wide array of top-rated restaurants.  Furthermore, New York has Brooklyn which offers its historic and gorgeous bridge and delicious pizzerias and bakeries.  Then, there’s Long Island which offers some of the country’s best vineyards, along with its scenic Hampton Beaches.  The Bronx offers their beautiful Botanical Gardens, its lovable Bronx Zoo, and the world’s winningest team (the Yankees) in their magnificent Yankee Stadium.  Upstate New York offers the powerful Niagara Falls.  I could go on and on, but I’m sure you get the idea, if you didn’t already realize it.

Of course, many native Floridians would support their preference for their own state of Florida over New York with their own good reasons.  After all, every state (and country) has their advantages and disadvantages and all people have different preferences.  I fully understand and respect that.

Having said that, here’s my key peeve (from former or current New Yorkers) that annoys me to no end:  the weather!  Some current New York residents and many former New York residents now living in Florida always bring that one subject up as their main “love” for Florida.  I feel that they really need to think again.  I’ve already mentioned that Florida has many more hurricanes and an abundance of winter birds who seasonally prove that Florida’s summers are too hot for them.  Now, I will finally tell you why I consider Florida as the “Container” state…

We know Florida produces great orange juice and supplies them throughout the country in containers, but that’s not what I’m alluding to in this case!  Many Floridians live their lives inside “Containers”.  Their main “Container” is their air-conditioned homes.  When they leave their homes, they tend to rush through the heated outdoors to their cars (another “Container”) and quickly turn on their engines, where the cars’ air-conditioners are left on for immediate cooling relief (from the heat they dislike so much).  From their cars, they typically drive to any one of their next “Containers” - a mall, grocery store, school, etc.  On and on it goes throughout their days as they rush through the uncomfortable heat from one “Container” to another.

Have you ever noticed how few people in Florida actually walk or do anything outdoors?  Most of them don’t even show up at their own state’s major baseball stadiums because it’s too damn hot for them to enjoy their supposed great weather - unless they’re in an air-conditioned “Container”.  Some of the younger groups, especially young parents might be less affected, but most will eventually follow the same patterns.  While New Yorkers obviously have their own “Containers”, I know many that are involved in outdoor activities such as gardening, going to the parks, strolling Times Square or other parts of Manhattan, pumpkin-picking, outdoor Christmas tree shopping, jogging or marathon running, seeing concerts at Jones Beach, and even reluctantly shoveling snow or raking leaves.

So, to the New Yorkers who prefer Florida, I say, “Enjoy it by going to see Mickey Mouse, dolphins, beautiful beaches, etc.  Perhaps you can still reduce some of your cost-of-living expenses by living there; but, just don’t tell me that Florida’s weather is so much better than New York’s if you don’t really intend to live some of your remaining life in the actual outdoor weather’s air.  You should think outside the box (or at least outside the “Container”) before you brag about the awesome weather of Florida, especially to me!!!