New York: April 29 to May 3, 2009

Transpo

Took train and subway to and from JFK Airport and around town. Seven-day pass was great value. Subways were clean and safe. Sometimes there were entrepreneurs, fundraisers and hucksters in the cars. One guy sold oreos and granola bars, which were stored in the pockets of his cargo pants. Another guy was selling homemade fried chicken for the homeless. A group of guys played the bongo drums and passed the hat.

A curious question

Waiting for the light to change at a street corner, a small Hasidic Jew came up to me and asked: Are you Jewish. When I said I was not, he said: Thank you. Have a wonderful day. The he walked away.

Cool runners

On Fulton Street in Brooklyn, there are more sneaker stores in three or four blocks than in all of Ottawa. Very cool shoes. Brendan and I each bought shoes from a store called Dr. Jay's. Another familiar sight on Fulton Street was a group of three preachers, wearing shiny purple vestments and thick gold armbands.

Restos

Good restaurants: Noodle Pudding (Italian) and Fatoush (Middle Eastern) in Brooklyn Heights. Hampton Chutney Company in Soho. The first is sit-down; the others are eat-and-run. Bad restaurant: Brooklyn Heights café.

Biking in New York

Rented a bike from a shop called Pedal Pushers. Toured a bit around Central Park, but quickly realized that I often bike through nice parkland at home. So I headed for a path near the river that pretty much hugs the perimeter of the entire island of Manhattan. Also toured some neighbourhoods from Lower East Side to Harlem. Went as far north as 124th Street. Some streets had bike lanes. Some were pretty busy. But as long as you drive defensively and have some experience with busy city streets, it wasn't crazy. Many locals travel by bike, completely ignoring lights and traffic laws.

Football game

New Yorkers take their recreational spaces where they can find them. I saw basketball courts and practice tennis courts underneath highways, and a war memorial used as a touch football field. As I cycled past the enormous war memorial on the Upper West Side, I noticed a group of Hasidic boys, about 12 years old, playing touch football on it -- four or five a side, five downs to the field. The field included two flights of steps, which were taken literally in stride. Turns out the boys were from a school across the street. I took a few photos and spoke with their teacher, who was watching from the sidelines. He eventually invited me to play. I quarterbacked one series, going just one for five. I like to think that all of my incompletions were because I was at the bottom of a flight of steps, while my receivers scampered to the top. It was hard to adjust to the different levels. The game was perhaps the most memorable episode of our trip.

Overheard

Many arguments.
-- Vinnie and the stones: workers doing stonework at a fancy residence. "I told ya it wouldn't work, Vinnie. But you wanted to do it your way. So I said fine, go ahead. Now look where we are."
-- Guy on cell phone: "He set me up!"
-- Supervisor and staff at Macy's having a stand-up meeting, arguing about schedule.
Speaking one's mind seems a very New York thing to do.

Popular ways to get a message across

Shouting and honking. Each time I heard shouting, it startled me. But it seemed to be almost always good-natured. On Fulton street, it was usually preaching or pitching "free cell phones."

Break time

Young men operating neighbouring fruit and hot dog stands took advantage of lull between customers to kick a soccer ball around on the sidewalk.

Subway poster

Lived there? Worked there? You deserve care. Then a brief profile of someone who was close to the twin towers. The call to action was for counselling services. Eight years later, people are still hurting.

Subway ads

The most common type of ads had to do with education and training.

Parking Lot

Some spaces in the only parking lot I remember seeing had a hydraulic lift, creating double decker parking spaces.

Pets

Many dogs were the size of cats. Speaking of cats, I don't think I saw a single one.

NYC, a friendly giant

People I remember:
-- young black man on subway platform wearing flat-brimmed ball cap at 45 degree angle...helped me take a photo of a guy singing opera.
-- Philippino delivery man pushing a hand truck, who I chatted with as I walked down the street.
-- people in line at the a comedy club with an outstanding name, the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Overrated

-- skyscrapers

Underrated

-- smaller buildings everywhere...lots of detail...beautiful stonework

Great Hotel

Marriott in Brooklyn Heights. Great location, good value. View of rooftop school playground from our room.