London Chronicles

Following my previous post, these are some of the things I didn’t like in NYC:

1. It looks dirtier.
2. The subway: it’s quite cheap to get around, but it’s too hot, you have to wait infinities for the next train, it looks dirty and there are almost no escalators (try changing stations with 2 or 3 bags of luggage).
3. Arriving at JFK and getting on the subway: the signs are poor, it’s ugly, and it looks a bit deserted – I was expecting something very welcoming and grand, and all I got was a boring subway station, with a couple of people waiting around—I had doubts I was in NYC at first. London does it better.
4. People don’t read on the subway: this is not a bad thing, but it’s one of the things that I like in London, and you don’t see it happening in NYC.
5. Tipping: I don’t get the concept of compulsory tipping. Just add the gratuity to the bill, because tipping a bad service is just plain wrong.
6. You’re all alone: you’re in a tiny island with millions of people around you, and you feel like it’s just you, the others don’t matter to you and you don’t matter to them. I suppose because it feels bigger than London, that sensation is more overwhelming in NYC.
7. Baseball: loved having gone to a game, loved to watch how it all works, but it’s just not my game.
8. The weather: I like it cold, and don’t love hot Summers. When I was in New York it rained a bit, but it was quite humid and hot. Not for me.
9. It’s not pretty. There are a lot of amazing buildings, but it’s not beautiful.
10. Did I mention tipping?

The verdict?

I liked New York.

Confession: it wasn’t what I expected. My expectations were (too) high and I was a bit disappointed: New York felt like an assortment of skyscrapers with millions of people living in it.

Truth: I could have experienced the city more, and I plan on going back and do a less touristy visit, and I still want to go there for Christmas someday, but New York dropped many positions in my list of future holidays.

I was afraid I was going to immediately want to move there and love London a bit less, but I ended up coming back to (still) my favourite city in the world: beautiful London.

We can’t all like the same things, right?

Next stop: Paris!

I’ve just recently came back from my first visit to the USA. The city we picked out was, obviously, New York City. We stayed with a friend, in Gramercy, Manhattan.

Some things that I really liked in New York:

1. People are seriously nice: I think it was the first thing I noticed when I got to Manhattan. Nobody pushed me to get into the subway (like they do in London), and people in the stores, restaurants and cafés were all very nice. Compared to NYC, London is a grumpy old city.
2. No matter what time it is, the streets are always busy, which can make you feel a bit safer.
3. The subway is cheap: I paid $20 dollars for a 7-day pass, that allowed me to travel within the whole network. Try getting that in London (a 3 day Travelcard from zone 1-2 is £18.4).
4. Central Park: I loved its immensity and how it really feels like the heart and soul of the city.
5. Going to the movies: I loved the enthusiasm of the audience and that nobody was having conversations around me (luck?). I watched Star Trek and The Hangover.
6. Shopping: got some pretty sweet deals on popular brands. It’s very easy to go crazy, especially with bargains. There’s a lot of variety in London too, but not as cheap.
7. You do get everything in just a tiny little island.
8. The buildings: are amazing.
9. 30 Rockefeller Plaza: probably my favourite building to look at. I guess I just watch too many NBC shows.
10. Times Square: it’s so much bigger than what I had imagined. You honestly have a sense of being in the centre of the world.

Tomorrow: the other list, and the verdict.