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This might be a little rant but I have to say its something that has been a thorn on my side amongst some new comers arriving to the "Big Apple". I have a friend who I've known for years who lived in Dutchess county and has moved to the city (in Brooklyn of course) for a good year and he's a open minded guy and since arriving has made the absolute best of the mass transit and actually really embraces it since has he doesn't have to spend a ton of money on working on his car anymore. He's stated that he has actually saved a lot of money not working on his car and doesn't have a problem taking the transit.
I've met some of his friends who are actually brand new to NYC (roommates of his mostly from the midwest (go figure) and from the southern U.S.. They are cool people and I have become rather close friends for the past months with two of his friends whom I now consider my friends as well. Too make a long story short, I 've always gone to either Brooklyn or Manhattan to visit and hangout with them, all the way from the Northern Tip of the Bronx/Westchester border.
Never once did I complain about my 50 minute or more (When travelling to Brooklyn) trek to hang with them in Coney Island etc. However, once I ask them to come over my way to hang (which is usually in Pelham Parkway, Throggs Neck, Pelham Bay, Van Courtlandt) their response is "I have to travel so far and I live all the way in Brooklyn"....
Okay, now don't get it twisted this isn't a thread about ethics and friendship its just more of a rant of people who move to this city but never want to explore anything other than their 30 minute commute between either Brooklyn-Manhattan (Midtown or Lower East Side) or Astoria-Manhattan (Again Midtown or Lower East Side). In my opinion, if you are going to reside in NYC you are truly missing out on an aspect that makes NYC unique (and any other big city) and that is its extensive mass transit.
I don't care what you say about it but there aren't many mass transits in the U.S. or world for that matters that operates 24/7 and at anytime you can hop on and get to point A of of any borough to point Z to any borough. Yeah, Manhattan might be "in the middle of everything" but the other boroughs do have other aspects to enjoy that are just as unique, and its a true treat in my opinion to see parts of NYC that you didn't know existed. Afterall, alot of the fun that makes NYC so enjoyable is travelling on the subway because you never know what you'll see and travelling in general is just part of the fun of any voyage period in my personal opinion.
So yeah, its just gets tiring to invite my who I call "Imaginery Brooklyn friends" (I call them that because I always tell my other friends about them and since they never seen or spoken to them because my BK friends never want to travel out their comfort zone) to come over to the Bronx or Queens to party and see other parts of NYC they haven't seen and potentially different group of people whom they haven't experienced.
All my co-workers or friends whom are (dare I say) newcomers to NYC reside in the Lower East Side or Brooklyn (most noticeably Williamsburg) just seem to stick with what they know are what are the more popular areas and don't wonder beyond that. Which I think is lame and unfortunate.
People have asked me: "Well if you were in their shoes, would you go beyond the more happening spots in a big city?" and my answer is; of course I would because by nature I am a curious and adventerous person and through my own experience have ridden the trains in Chicago, Philly, Boston, Washington D.C. and ventured into some rather "spotty areas". In the end, its always fun to see whats out there but of course that's just me.
No, you're not alone. I've been looking to explore the city more, myself. Can you give me some tips on your neck of the woods, or maybe on some off the beaten path areas that you've explored? I'm just a little paranoid about hopping off the subway at some random stop without knowing the bad blocks or whatever. What are some of the best spots in the Bronx that I should visit?
When I lived in Park Slope, I asked a friend to come down from Manhattan for a visit. He said the ride was too long, but that I should come visit him- better idea! I pointed out that the ride was the same length in either direction and that I had also been to his place several times. The mentality continues to this day as he always wants us to visit him Upstate but coming down to DC is unthinkable. So it goes.
Another friend and I used to explore the obscure corners of the 4 other boroughs. Fascinating times, but many thought it strange.
Tom Wolfe described this in Bonfire of the Vanities. Cannot remember the exact words, but described those who thought that anything outside the Upper East Side (it was the 80s) "might as well be Damascus."
I realize the Bronx has made gains since I lived there. Still, asking people to take the train up there is going to be a hard sell. You are talking about a city where many in Manhattan never take the subway but use cabs.
My complaint is old as the hills. I tried pitching them so many ideas to come to the Bronx as might have just considered being an infomercial sales men. I told them about Wave Hill, Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens, I told them we can do a nice jog or play soccer (which they enjoy) in Van Courtland or Pelham Bay, I even pitched the idea of going to City Island to have one of the best sea foods in all of NYC. I even invited to some slamming parties in Fordham University but its a no go.
They all of a sudden baseball fans and are behind the Yankee's but they won't even go to the new Yankee Stadium!! Its like the Green Egg and Hams story.
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You are definitely not alone,Lital. Been in NY since college in the dark ages( 70's) and still love every subway ride and exploring all the nooks and crannies of the city.I still manage to find little neighborhoods and enclaves that I have never been to and get excited every time I do.Sometimes I just impulsively get off a train on the way to someplace else and look around.
Don't understand why more NY'ers( especially newcomers) don't get out and explore some of the really nice and far less expensive neighborhoods that there are in every borough.It's like Park Slope,Williamsburg and Astoria are as exotic as they can think to get.And they needlessly spend 50% of their incomes on rent to stay there.
I had to arm twist a lot of my Williamsburg and other friends to come to Pelham Parkway to check it out and most are shocked.They say things like " I had no idea there were neighborhoods like this in The Bronx",etc.Now,a couple of them have moved here !
I have sometimes encountered this attitude. It may be simply laziness, which is no better than being unadventurous.
In terms of exploring for people who are new and want to know where to go -- I would suggest reading the chowhound outer boroughs board, or some of the blogs of various outer borough foodies in NYC. There are many of them. You can probably find some with creative google searching (just click on "blogs" instead of "web" when you do the search). I would try search terms like food, adventure, nyc, queens, bronx, off the beaten path, etc.
Eating in Translation, the Bridge and Tunnel Club and Jeffrey Tastes are three that I know of. Also you can check the Forgotten NY blog which should you endless ideas for places to see (it's not food related) Forgotten NY .
Reading the food blogs will give you a fun destination (a restaurant) and when you are there you can explore the neighborhood a bit.
No, you're not alone. I've been looking to explore the city more, myself. Can you give me some tips on your neck of the woods, or maybe on some off the beaten path areas that you've explored? I'm just a little paranoid about hopping off the subway at some random stop without knowing the bad blocks or whatever. What are some of the best spots in the Bronx that I should visit?
Well, for starters a great spot in the Bronx would definitely be the Bronx Zoo, Botanical Gardens and even Wave Hill. Just don't go to the Bronx Zoo on a Wednesday since its free and ridiculously crowded. If you're into parks Van Courtlandt and Pelham Bay Park are awesome parks for recreational sports and hiking. More so Van Courtlandt since you're more than likely going to bump into more wildlife you never thought existed in NYC like chipmunks, skunks and I've even spotted a deer deep into the woods. Throggs Neck has plenty of Irish Bars that can get pretty wild but I'm not much of a bar person I do have a few friends who know more about the bar scene here in the Bronx though.
There's some good skates parks and other museums that are interesting. The Bronx might not have all the extravagant stuff that Manhattan does but for the most part if you know the right people and the right places there's plenty of fun to be had. Its really not a bad place to travel too and you won't get robbed or killed if you venture into the more sketchy areas as long as you don't do anything stupid like any other sketchy place. Of course I wouldn't reccommend travelling to certain areas like E.Gun Hill Road. ahahaa.
By the way Sonic Youth I'm not just advertising the Bronx but since you asked I just gave you an idea, just so you know. There's plenty of things in Queens, Brooklyn and even Staten Island that are worthy to check out.
By the way, if in Brooklyn go to Graves End and PLEASE check out Spumoni Gardens if you like Sicilian Pizza. Its the best Sicilian slices you'll have in the U.S. I went there recently and really want more people to check that place out!
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You are definitely not alone,Lital. Been in NY since college in the dark ages( 70's) and still love every subway ride and exploring all the nooks and crannies of the city.I still manage to find little neighborhoods and enclaves that I have never been to and get excited every time I do.Sometimes I just impulsively get off a train on the way to someplace else and look around.
Don't understand why more NY'ers( especially newcomers) don't get out and explore some of the really nice and far less expensive neighborhoods that there are in every borough.It's like Park Slope,Williamsburg and Astoria are as exotic as they can think to get.And they needlessly spend 50% of their incomes on rent to stay there.
I had to arm twist a lot of my Williamsburg and other friends to come to Pelham Parkway to check it out and most are shocked.They say things like " I had no idea there were neighborhoods like this in The Bronx",etc.Now,a couple of them have moved here !
YEAH! I remember back in high school, when I went to school in Manhattan by way of The Boogie Down, I had friends who lived in Midtown or Upper West Side. Afters literally months of trying to convince them to come to a friends house who used to throw some crazy parties Nagaransett Ave (I'm sure I spelled it totally wrong but I'm sure you know what Ave I am speaking of) and when I finally got them to come with me, they were pretty floored by how suburban the area was! They enjoyed going to a "real" convenient store and finally being able to hear some birds chirps and the long lane of grass and trees along Pelham Parkway but knowing not too far away there's life still pumping around them.
They truly enjoyed it and since then actually make some treks to the Bronx hear and there.
When I lived in Park Slope, I asked a friend to come down from Manhattan for a visit. He said the ride was too long, but that I should come visit him- better idea! I pointed out that the ride was the same length in either direction and that I had also been to his place several times.
Amen.
Over a long time in Bay Ridge and Park Slope, I told people not only that the ride was the same length in either direction and that I had come to see them severat times, but also that I did the ride EVERY SINGLE DAY to go to work or school, so I had a hard time figuring out why they couldn't do it once.
I think people have a hierarchy that goes something like this:
1. Manhattan
2. Brownstone Brooklyn/Williamsburg and spillover
3. Everything else.
And nobody wants to take the train down that chain. Manhattanites won't go to Brooklyn. People in Park Slope will go to 96 and Broadway in Manhattan sooner than 15 mins on the local to Bay Ridge. And nobody will go to the non-Yankee-Stadium-Bronx or Queens, except maybe the Jackson Diner or Astoria.
I asked one person about this and he said, "if I wanted to ride the subway for an hour, I wouldn't have signed up to pay Manhattan rent." Well, that's fine if you're talking about a regular commute, but can't you reach deep down for some curiosity or at least some sense of fairness to a friend and do it once a year?
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