New York City Sketch

Lay of the Land
Getting Around
About the Author
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So, if you're thinking about moving to New York City and you only want to hear the good stuff, you should probably skip down a few paragraphs. There's lots to say about New York City being the glorious and glamorous "capital of the world," as our hyperbolic mayor, Rudolf Guiliani, likes to put it. But if you're not faint of heart or weak of stomach, I feel obliged to start off with the real dirt:

New York is America's capital of crime, grime, crowds, and rip-offs. New Yorkers are rude and nasty and ... well, rude. You'll have to live in some crammed little tenement and save your pennies every week just to go to the movies. And the subways are so loud and dirty, with all those people begging and harassing you. You'll never find a job, and if you do, you'll have to work so hard that you'll never see your friends. You'll have to make a special trip just to see a tree or some grass. I mean, I'm not saying you can't handle it ... but why would you want to? Why don't you just pick some cool city like Portland? Hey, have you heard they have great coffee out there? Okay, why don't you go look for some information about Portland.

Good. Now that we got rid of those timid little rabbits who are going off to start a new life in Portland, let's get down to business. New York City. Let me tell you right now, up front, it's all true. Yes, all of it. It really is dirty and noisy and dangerous and expensive. Believe me, it's worth it. Not for everyone ... maybe not forever. But you're young, live a little. Actually, if you're going to live in New York, be prepared to live a lot.

It's all here. There is more art, music, food, and stuff than anywhere in America. Everything is here. There is nothing you can't buy, eat, hear, see and probably have delivered for the right price. It can be overwhelming, but it can also be the most exciting place you'll ever live. Just be warned, you may never be able to leave. I wasn't born here, and I didn't grow up here. But after three and a half years here, I know I'm a New Yorker in my bones. Still, those first six months are going to be a little rougher than you think. Especially on the wallet.

Lay of the Land:

The first thing any guidebook will tell you about the geography of Manhattan is that it is based on a simple, numbered grid system. Well, it's true that there's a grid in there somewhere, but there's a whole lot more too. Crooked streets, diagonal streets, streets with names, and streets that seem to have no name. If you happen to live on E34th street, work on E38th street, and have all your meals somewhere in between, you don't have to worry too much about Manhattan's irregular street system. But if you plan on heading down to the Village for dinner, or shopping on Broadway, there are a few things you'll need to keep in mind:

1. Within the "grid," streets run east and west. They run from 1st Street to 212th Street. First Street is not the bottom of Manhattan. There's lots below it. 212th Steet is the top of Manhattan. But, except for a flew blips in the lower numbers, street numbers increase regularly as you move north, or "uptown." Generally, New Yorkers won't think twice about walking between 10 and 20 blocks. After that, it becomes a hike.

2. Within the "grid," avenues run north and south. The numbers go up as they head westward. To confuse the issue, there are some names thrown in with the numbers. In the central part of the grid, they run, from east to west, 1st Avenue, 2nd Avenue, 3rd Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, 5th Avenue, then 6th thru 12th Avenues. Avenues are spaced much farther apart than streets, and a walk from Park to 5th Avenue in the rain can be very unpleasant.

Some "Avenue Exceptions": On the easternmost fringe of Manhattan, avenues are added here and there whenever the Island is wide enough to support them. Sometimes there is a "York Avenue" and an "East End Avenue" to the east of First Avenue.

On the Upper West Side (above 59th Street) the numbered avenues change to names. Ninth Avenue becomes Columbus. Tenth Avenue becomes Amsterdam. Eleventh Avenue become West End. Higher up, Riverside Drive sprouts out along the River to the west.

Central Park really screws things up. Above 59th Street, Fifth Avenue scales the east side of the park, and becomes "Central Park East." On the west side of the park, Eighth Avenue becomes "Central Park West." (Sixth and Seventh Avenues come to an abrupt stop when they meet the park at 59th Street, which is also known as "Central Park South.")

Below 14th Street, all the street directions start to get screwy. This is because downtown is actually the part of Manhattan first inhabited by colonial newcomers, who then built northward. So the bottom part of the island reflects an older, more organic street plan, before the grid was imposed on the northlands in the nineteenth century.

First of all, below 14th Street, you begin to see named streets weeded in with the numbers. The street numbers stop completely below 1st Street, and names take over. The first big cross-street name is Houston Street, which is also the southern border of Greenwich Village.

East of 6th Avenue, the grid (with street names instead of numbers) continues pretty much down to the southern tip of the Island. But westward, the grid, where it exists at all, seems to be on a 30 degree tilt and is riddled with charming but counterintuitive side streets. Really, the only way to learn your way around this part of Manhattan is to spend lots and lots of time there.

3. Some geographic lingo for Manhattan:
Uptown: north, toward higher numbered streets. Also the Bronx, and anything north of 57th Street
Downtown: south, toward Wall Street. Also anything south of 23rd Street.
Cross-town: east/west
East Side: east of Fifth Avenue
West Side: west of Fifth Avenue
The Park: probably Central Park, but could be Washington Square Park or Riverside Park.
The Village: technically, anything between 14th and Houston streets, but a New Yorker would probably be more specific and say the East Village, or the West Village.

Get used to describing directions as uptown, downtown, east or west. These are the words native New Yorkers will use to describe directions. Don't worry if it takes you a little while to learn to catch on.

If that seems like too much geographical explanation for one city, it's only beause New York City pretends to be logical. The streets, you will find, just like everything else in New York, is anything but logical.

Getting Around:

New York is a city for walking. As a general rule, if you can walk there, walk there. The flavor of the city comes through best when you're rubbing elbows and pounding the pavement with the natives. Many of my favorite places I found just by walking around. The city is full of undiscovered treasures, and the thrill of discovery is the surest way to make the transition from visitor to native. Particularly when you are just finding your way around, exploration is invaluable. In fact, take special advantage of the early days when you can judge new neighborhoods with an open mind - before your own hierarchy of places has time to set.

Unfortunately there are a lot of reasons you can't walk; distance and weather are the main ones. In the face of that there are three options.

Buses:

An extremely underrated form of transportation. They can be unreliable and tend to be slow during rush hour. But like walking, taking the bus can be a great way to get to know the city. Pick up a bus map at a subway station and give it a look; you might find a bus route to take you exactly where you want to go. Particularly if you have to go crosstown (east/west), buses can often be your best bet. Buses are $1.25, like the subway, but you have to have $1.25 in exact change or a subway token. You can ask the driver for a transfer which allows you to switch to another bus if you have to go uptown and then crosstown or vice versa. Buses run late, and they are generally safer than the subway.

Subway:

The most common form of transportation, and for long trips the fastest. It costs $1.25 and might go up in price soon. You will learn the subways fast enough, so don't worry. Uptown/downtown trips are fast and efficient; trying to go crosstown is not. The subway runs 24 hours, but don't be stupid; don't ride alone late at night and never past 1 a.m. (maybe 1:30 on a Saturday night) if you are a man. If you are a woman, I wouldn't recommend riding alone past 11 p.m. (midnight on weekends). If you are riding late at night, ride in the center car, which is where the conductor (the person who opens and closes the doors). If you're not sure which car the conductor is in, wait until the train stops and look for the guy sticking his head out the window. If you are on the train late, don't stay on a car by yourself or with someone who makes you uncomfortable. I know they say not to walk between cars, but if you are uncomfortable, go to the next one.

Taxis:

Taxis are ubiquitous and yellow. You can tell when a taxi is unoccupied because the center light on top is lit. Taxis charge you $1.50 for the privilege of getting in, plus 50 cents if it's after 8 p.m. Taxis are metered by distance (and time if traffic is stopped). Taxis are pretty safe, but look at the name of the driver and the medallion number as soon as you get in - just in case. Meter fraud is common, so watch the meter; it should click 25 cents up every four blocks or so (one cross-town block). If the meter seems to be clicking a lot more often than that, you can complain, or just write down the cab number and report it to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. Taxis in New York are a pretty good deal if you have a large group (although you can't have more than four). Taxis can get expensive for very long trips, but late at night, they can be the only option. You're expected to tip taxi drivers the way you would a waiter: 15 to 20 percent. It's a good idea to know where you are going when you get in a cab. Get directions from someone other than your cab driver when you don't. Please don't say things like, "I'm not exactly sure where that is, are you?" to your cab driver. The guy is getting paid for every block he spends "looking" for your destination.

Cars:

If you have one, think about selling it. There is a reason that my 50-year-old aunt has no driver's license; she has lived in Manhattan all her life. The only thing you need a car for in New York is to leave. Traffic is always bad, parking is either scarce or expensive, the other drivers are nuts, and theft is commonplace. It will only cause you grief. Either you will have to garage your car at a minimum of $150 a month (some garages are closer to $500), or you will have to move it constantly to keep it in a legal space for any given day of the week. Until you can afford that summer place in the Hamptons, think of that yellow Chevy with the ever-changing chauffeur as your wheels.

About the Author
Richard Robbins is currently the associate producer of a documentary for the television series "Frontline." A transplanted (but dedicated) New Yorker, Richard was the author of the 1992 Let's Go: New York City.

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