I wouldn’t want to drive around New York. The traffic is horrible, the maze of one-way streets is confusing, pedestrians jaywalk constantly and the flow of taxicabs means one stops and starts frequently. Thankfully, since I don’t have a driving licence of any sort, I don’t have to make that choice about whether to drive around here. I’m going further, though; while I’m here, I refuse to catch any private transport at all. That includes taxicabs, shuttle buses, and those damned tourist buses that Gray Line staff hawk along the streets of Times Square.

Thus, there are the two main ways I traverse this city: the subway, and on foot. (There’s an extensive bus network too, but since it involves using the crowded roads I’d rather not use them if I don’t have to.) The subway’s good for 80% of the way, and I’ll talk about the subway in a later post. However, I’m going to talk about the walking experience, and the awesome things I’ve stumbled upon whilst wandering the laneways.

There are two halves of Manhattan: the East Side and the West Side. Roughly, it’s divided that way by Central Park and Fifth Avenue.

Brooklyn Bridge connects Brooklyn to the East Side.

Anybody who’s been tracking my movements (Hi Mum!) has probably noticed that I’ve spent the great deal of my time on the West Side. There are a few reasons for this. One, it is the side serviced by the 1 train (the subway line that goes right past this hostel). Two, it is the friendlier side of town, with less dark and foreboding alleyways. Three, the majority of shops that I can afford to buy stuff in are here. (Walk down Lexington Avenue and you’ll see what I mean.)

It’s a bit of a shame, since the East Side (and more specifically, the Lower East Side) has its own distinct and interesting character. Yes, it’s a little run down, but no more than, say, Cabramatta. It’s probably unsafe to walk around there at night. Yet, there’s something about the ethnic diversity and the feel of the place that makes one want to keep going back, to find another hidden gem in the rough.

One such gem I found is Economy Candy, located in the tenements of the Lower East Side, that specialises in stocking both modern and nostalgic candy from the past 50 years or so. Walking through this is like drinking from the fountain of youth:

SUGAR!

More sugar!

I’m too lazy to post more, but here’s a couple more photos from the “street wisdom” category…

All this walking makes my feet hurt. Where are those Russian and Turkish baths…short post so I can take a break =)