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You won't be able to avoid looking (or acting) like a tourist, if you don't reside in NYC or a close-in area near the city. The thing is, most NYC residents (who are either poor, working class or middle class) are stressed and tend to have that look of desperation, anger, fear, etc written on their face. If they don't show it with their expression you will quickly realize that many are this way by observing their actions and what I like to deem, the classic NYC attitude.
This may have been true in the 1970's when all NYer's needed to be on guard and defensive to avoid getting mugged or worse but be careful with generalizing about certain types of people.
Walk down Wall Street or along Park Avenue in the 40's- 50's; you'll pass a lot of stressed out individuals. Most of whom are quite the opposite of poor and have 6 or 7 figure business deals at stake among other things... leading to them being stressed, angry, frustrated, walking fast (back to their office) etc... Not the same type of stress that you're speaking but it produces similar physiological reactions.
There's also certain unavoidable situations that stress everyone out; including tourists.
In terms of not looking like a tourist, wear dark colored clothing to blend in, step to the side of the sidewalk to take photos or look at a map so as not accidently get in the way of people, walk with purpose and try to keep up with everyone else on the sidewalk. Study a subway map and remember transfer points for other lines and where the stations are related to the sights you want to see. It's not that hard to get around on the subway system once you know which line goes where but it's important to know where you're going once you enter a subway station; muggers pick out people who are lost or confused since they're distracted and make easy targets. This is true of any major city.
don't say thank you (even when a stranger goes out of their way to offer you a seat on the subway, etc) . . .
1. I disagree with this one. "Courtesy is Contagious" as they say on nearly every train announcement. It's only 2 words. Give me a break.
2. Don't try to buy your first ever Metro Card during a busy time of the day. People are commuting and there is no time for you to learn how to put your $$ or card in the machine.
3. When you come up from the trains, don't look like a deer caught in the headlights. You have to know N,E,S & W and look for which corner before you exit to the street. Know in advance that streets run E and W and avenues are N & S. But there is no N & S in the city. It's Uptown and Downtown.
Treat the street as though you are driving. Nothing irk me (after taking an hour and 30 minutes work commute from Philly to Manhattan by train) and alot of people in NYC (Manhattan) more than being blocked by tourists. While you are walking, use the rules you use when you are driving.
1. Don't walk in more than two person side by side; blocking people's traffic. You won't do that on the highway won't you?
2. When you want to look at your map, like what they said use google map. And when you do so, please go to the side where there is no traffic. You won't stop in the middle of highway and opened your paper map while driving (Assuming you don't have GPS in your car).
3. Remember "left lane" for fast traffic and "right lane" for slower traffic. For example: when you want to just stand on escalator, instead of climbing up, stay on the right.
Some really great advice! Also, extend this to when crossing the street--just because it's red or white or people are there or not doesn't mean it's safe. And watch for cars making turns even when people are crossing--it can take just one car hitting the turning car to push that car into the people crossing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ehanson
In terms of not looking like a tourist, wear dark colored clothing to blend in, step to the side of the sidewalk to take photos or look at a map so as not accidently get in the way of people, walk with purpose and try to keep up with everyone else on the sidewalk. Study a subway map and remember transfer points for other lines and where the stations are related to the sights you want to see. It's not that hard to get around on the subway system once you know which line goes where but it's important to know where you're going once you enter a subway station; muggers pick out people who are lost or confused since they're distracted and make easy targets. This is true of any major city.
Certain areas are full of tourists, so you'll see a lot of people like yourself--cameras around the neck, stopping, walking slowly, off to the side looking at a map. But other areas, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give as someone that moved from AL to NYC, is move like you have a purpose. No matter what you are doing or where you are going, do it like you intended it. If you stop and watch true NY'ers, that's what they're doing, and at a rapid pace. They know where they need to go, walk, etc., and do it with haste. Once you nail that part down, that's more than 50% of the battle imo.
And that helps with one of the more important points in the post above--know where you are going before you get in the subway. Don't act lost even when you are, and if you're not sure where to go, go topside and figure it out and then head underground with a purpose. Be aware of your surroundings, but don't look like you're watching your surroundings. And there's always more than one way to get somewhere, so if you feel uneasy about one route, figure out a different one.
And the final step is, enjoy the adventure! My first time in Manhattan I met the most unbelievably nice people with generosity you wouldn't even see in the south (love the guy at that skateboard shop in Brooklyn that let me borrow a board and Tribecca hardware who gave me new axle nuts and put them on for me!). It definitely dispelled the stereotype that I had of NY'ers.
*Dress in dark colors.
*No cameras
*Business Casual is common in Manhatten
Ridiculous. People dress in every possible way in ManhattAn.
Listen, OP, I've lived here my entire life -- NYC and LI. In Manhattan, I take photos ALL THE TIME. I love Manhattan, I love the buildings, I love the scenery, etc.... I don't care if anyone thinks I'm a tourist or not.
Just do what you want to do, go where you want to go. Does it REALLY matter if anything "thinks" you're a tourist?? I'll let you in on a little secret: No one cares!
Does it REALLY matter if anything "thinks" you're a tourist?? I'll let you in on a little secret: No one cares!
I think it matters when you don't want to be a target for crime/ripoffs/etc. And there's a lot of that out there targetting the tourists. Just look at all the guys handing out tourist info around the Penn Station metro. They never seem to hand me stuff anymore, lol.
camera doesn't mean you're a tourist. there's tons of people observers, artists, photographers in the city. just don't carry yourself ignorantly. don't block walkways, don't stop traffic, don't be over polite. this is a hugely diverse city but it's not that hard to fit in either.
I think it matters when you don't want to be a target for crime/ripoffs/etc. And there's a lot of that out there targetting the tourists. Just look at all the guys handing out tourist info around the Penn Station metro. They never seem to hand me stuff anymore, lol.
The Penn Station "metro"???? That alone would make me think you're a tourist. No one calls the LIRR, Amtrak, or Subway the "metro".
Those people around Penn are usually handing out the AM New York or Metro (free) newspapers. There are also the salespeople trying to get people to buy tix for the hop on/hop off tour bus. Just because they're not approaching you doesn't mean you come off as a NY-er. It just means you look like you're in a rush or you're not giving them any indication that you wish to be spoken to. The newspaper people couldn't care less ---- enough people take the (free) papers so they don't have to hunt people down.
As for being a "target"? I walk around Manhattan all the time with my camera and, yes, I look up at buildings (architecture!). I've yet to be a "target" for a crime/ripoff.
It doesn't matter if you're a tourist or a local; if you walk with a sense of knowing where you are/where you're going and you use common sense, you're less likely to be a "target" for anything.
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