New York vs Toronto

I had the chance to pop up to Toronto while I was in New York. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the brightest idea. Officially, I was still in the US for agricultural purposes. It dawned on me as I was lining up to reenter the US that explaining the type of agricultural work that I would be undertaking in New York City might be a little tricky...thankfully my customs guy was a good bloke...very quick with the rubber stamp!

I popped up to Toronto to organise some paperwork for my work in Canada and also to visit a friend who's living there at the moment.

I took the red-eye special. I found this amazing bus service called Megabus. Basically they run shuttles between major US cities at prices lower than Greyhound. Because it's a new service, all of the buses are brand new and very comfortable...double-deckers too, so you can sit up top and look out the front window (arriving in Toronto pictured above). Amazingly they have mobile wireless internet available on the buses i.e. you can log on while traveling 75 on the interstate. I felt like a fraud as I flipped the laptop open, given my preaching about the rough-and-ready Greyhound, but it was a nice luxury to have.

I really like Toronto. It was interesting to compare it to New York. I have this running analogy/theory about closely related cities that likens them to close friends. I've written about this before, describing the Sydney-Melbourne vibe. If I cut and paste from that post, I think the same can be applied to Toronto and New York: Toronto is like the friend that you enjoy spending the night with because they are interesting and charismatic, yet concerned about you and whether you're having a good time. New York is interesting and charismatic but it knows that it's good, it flaunts it, and it couldn't give a shit if you have a good night or not - come the end of the evening, it starts to piss you off.

I wouldn't say that New York has ever pissed me off, but there are times that I have felt intimidated by its presence i.e. not cool enough. I think a lot has to do with the physical appearance of both cities. New York, like Sydney draws a lot of its personality from its geographical/architectural credentials. Toronto and Melbourne on the other hand aren't particularly 'beautiful' yet they have a lot of personality (which, in both cases, is right up there with their counterparts) created purly by the people that live in the city.

I found that Toronto like Melbourne celebrates individualism more so than what is in vogue (very important to New Yorkers and Sydney-siders). The upshot of this ethos is that you feel more comfortable amoungst trendiness. The big test is walking into the 'cool' shops and guaging the reception from the sales assistant. Cowboy boots were welcomed with open arms in the suave boutiques of Queen Street West Toronto.

Massive generalistation-alert, but this is my blog!

Testing my theory in an aptly named boutique on Queen Street West, Toronto.

wandering

One of the things I enjoyed most about my last visit to NYC was my liberation from tourist attractions. Tourist attractions hold a strange power; if you fail to complete the mandatory must-visit-list you often have a twinge of guilt as you're leaving town.

Obviously many tourist attractions are well worth the visit (and there are a lot that are worth while in NYC) but, in a lot of cases, anticipation has a habit of letting you down.

I didn't have one tourist attraction on the list when I arrived in town. I had three objectives: 1. Speak to strangers 2. Try random things 3. Get a feel for 'the real' New York (whatever that is). Further to my objectives, 'wandering' became the theme of my visit to NYC. I'd generally sleep in, set off with my daypack and a coffee late morning and just see where my stroll took me. If I saw something interesting I'd check it out. If I could try something different (like a Yoga class!) I would.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I loved observing the diversity of people on the streets. There is such a good vibe on the sidewalks of the city. Words that come to mind are 'unity' and 'equality'. It's not that everyone is lovey-dovey toward each other (if anything people are quite terse), but whether you are a street sweeper or a stock broker, you are proud to be a New Yorker and this attitude shines.

The following are pics that I took during my wandering. I tried to capture those things that caught my eye: the people, the buzz, the grittiness.

1. A grocery store near my hostel


















2. The ever-packed Times Square


















3. Fire Escapes























4. New Yorkers in Central Park























5. Ice Rink in Central Park


















6. Taxis in Times Square


















7. Cowboy Garbage Man (the only other cowboy boots I saw during my visit! I felt a connection)


















8. John Lennon's memorial in Strawberry Fields (a section of Central Park). Further to my idea about New York oozing history, I just happened to walk past on the anniversary of his shooting.


















9. The Empire State at dusk























10. Carrots at a growers market I found near Union Square


















11. Stacked cars at a city parking lot























12. Secret Garden behind a church























13. 'Mars Bar': an awesome little bar I found on the Lower Eastside. Look for the old guy in the window


















14. Sloshy Streets in Greenwich Village


















15. The Statue of Liberty and some random guy from the (free!) Staten Island Ferry


















16. Students chilling on the steps of the Columbia University library























17. Taxis through the stairs of a pedestrian overpass

Cycling in New York

I think one of the best ways to see a city is by push bike. You're able to cover more ground than you would on foot but, just like walking, you remain connected with your surrounds as you travel. You lose this if you're in a car.

This time around, I waited for a nice day, rented a bike and set out to visit Manhattan's quietly spoken sibling Brooklyn.

Weather-wise, I picked one of my best days in town...it would have been 10 degrees C and perfectly clear. My hostel was in the Upper Westside and I needed to get to the East River which funnily enough runs down the east side of the island, so I plotted a route through Central Park.

Central Park is big enough that when you're in the middle of it you can forget that you're in one of the world's biggest metropolises. I read that the land it occupies is worth about $528 billion! Wherever you are in the park you can find a spot that is either bustling with activity or eerily secluded.

After weaving my way through the throngs of joggers and little dogs with coats and shoes I emerged on the Upper Eastside (home to much of the city's (especially) high-end Real Estate)... not of huge interest to me so I pressed on toward the banks of the East River.

The river isn't particularly pretty. Lots of barges. From Manhattan, one looks across at a very industrial looking Queens, where most of the factories on the river's edge are still in operation.

I was frustrated when the bike track I was following along the river suddenly ended around East Midtown. I followed my nose through some back streets and ended up on First Avenue. I nearly fell off my bike when I realised that I was casually peddling past the United Nations.

I love the fact that New York very casually oozes history and prestige. Wherever you are in the city you will be a stone's throw from something significant, whether it's the location of a famous movie or somewhere more profound and sombre like Ground Zero. It is the volume of such note-worthy places that gives the city such a unique pulse.
I got off my bike and stared at the UN wondering what might be being discussed inside. The reverence in the air kind of dissipated when I realised that it was a Sunday. I found my bike path again which led me under Manhattan Bridge and onto an overpass which fed on to the Brooklyn Bridge.

In the words of my guide book, "Manhattan will most likely overshadow Brooklyn for all of eternity", but I found that it had a quite confidence about it. Apparently it is where the 'edgy' people live i.e. cool but not as pretentious as Manhattanites.

It is big - I stuck to the West side of the city. I will not claim to have conducted a broad and comprehensive analysis of the place, but I caught a good vibe. I was struck by the diversity between various neighbourhoods; a full socio-economic and ethnic spread.

I stumbled upon another bike path, which looked back at Manhattan from the other side of the East River. I was just in time for an awesome sunset behind the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

Pics:
1. Central Park (look for the squirrel in the foreground)
2. East River
3. My bike under the Manhattan Bridge
4. Verrazano Narrows Bridge at sunset