{"id":3163,"date":"2011-05-20T13:13:30","date_gmt":"2011-05-20T17:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/?p=3163"},"modified":"2019-06-07T13:41:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T17:41:00","slug":"five-years-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.communify.me\/newvinegrowing\/five-years-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Five observations after five years in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"

I moved to New York City from Ann Arbor five years ago this month. Earlier this week I shared a laundry list of tourist tips<\/a>, in part because visiting friends often ask for “real” guidance beyond what they’d get in a guidebook.
\nToday’s post is more about the experience of being a New Yorker — five reflections on being a Midwesterner in the largest, most densely populated city in the U.S.<\/a>
\n[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UZh8YjbDiVk]
\nMyth: New Yorkers are rude. <\/strong>
\nPeople who’ve never been to NYC often ask in a hushed tone, “Is it true New Yorkers are rude?” Then sometimes someone who’s never been states it as fact.
\nTruth is, I think most New Yorkers are very polite. They hold doors for each other, they will turn totally sideways rather than bump into someone on the sidewalk, and if a woman is pushing a stroller toward subway stairs, it’s understood that whatever man is nearby grabs the front of the stroller to help.
\nOpen a map anywhere in Manhattan and you’re likely to get swarmed with help. New Yorkers love to share their knowledge of their city, so much so that I’ve had two people stop to help and argue with each other about the best way to get to my destination.
\nWhat New Yorkers are is direct, and I think that’s what some tourists take for rudeness.
\nIf you and your family stand at the top of the subway escalator to decide where you’re going for lunch, someone behind you is likely to shout to step aside. If you cross a street against the light and a car is coming, the driver will probably lay on his horn.
\nWhen you live in a city with this many people, there’s not time for the passive aggressive glare of disapproval. If someone is doing something that inconveniences others or puts others in danger, for the good of the order, someone needs to let that person know.
\nDon’t think of it as rude. Think of it as being helpful.
\nSidewalks are like highways.<\/strong>
\nI’ve blogged about this before, but it bears repeating — in most parts of the country, sidewalks are for strolling and streets are for transportation. Here, many of us live without cars so when we’re on foot, we aren’t just out for an amble. We might be on our way to work or to meet a client or to a hair appointment.
\nIf you want to get along in a pedestrian culture, you need to treat the sidewalks like a busy highway. Would you stop without warning in the rush hour commute? Would you drive four abreast with your friends, craning your necks and taking in the sights?
\nSome pointers on how New Yorkers walk:<\/p>\n