"~THE City so Nice,,They Named it TWICE!~" New York City by Michael_D

New York City Travel Guide: 15,551 reviews and 30,943 photos

New York, New York,,its a helluva town~

Now before all you folks that have BEEN to NYC in the past choke on that title...relatively speaking New York has cleaned up its act to a large degree. EX-mayor Guiliani did a great job on the crime-rate..ambiance..aesthetics and even the demeanor of the denizens of Manhatten Island. The graffitti is gone from the trains...litter an absolute minimum and he even had a campaign to "be nice to tourists" aimed mainly at cab drivers...but ultimately for public consumption.

My last trip there was one of amazement..I heard more "thank-you's" and saw more random acts of kindness than I saw the whole time I lived there. Heck, I even had a bus driver apologise to me for not reminding me to get off when I was trying to find an Indian restaraunt in the East Village. WOW!!! It was then I realised...things had REALLY changed;-)

After 9/11 make no mistake...NYC is back to near normal, almost BETTER THAN EVER.

1-A few years ago...I parked my motorhome/van in Staten Island at 6am and proceeded to cycle 32mi in Manhatten with a firefighter I met on the ferry. Its the ONLY way to see the BIG APPLE!But once we split up and I got to the Brooklyn side I was worried I had the energy to get back to Manhattan. Its more uphill than you might thing getting On the bridge. In the final analysis...whew..made it!(read on;-)

2-Last year,,after losing over 60lbs I cycled AROUND the entire perifery of Manhattan(52mi) TWICE(102mi),,then went over the Brooklyn Bridge then back via the Manhattan Bridge all in ONE day. What a difference 60lbs makes;-);-) LOL

Cycling accross the Brooklyn Bridge

Cyclists,,keep to the right!

(a nice memory)So I park my motorhome at Staten Island Ferry Terminal and this burley guy behind me turns out to be a NYFD guy commuting to work. He looked like a football player and was. It turns out we had a few athelete/friends in common.

One thing about NYers. If they like you, you will never have a better friend nor will you get better info. In the short time it took to take the ferry to Manhatten I was given a crash course on biking in Manhattan, what bike paths to use and how to get on/off the ferry with a bike(not as easy as you think). He was late to the firehouse so sped off and I tailed him long enough to see the west side bikeway and the World Trade Center crater before he drifted off in the horizon. Gotta love those NY/Irish/bigger than life guys!(I just described myself BTW LOL)

the best way to see NYC by far

There is NO shortage of bikepaths in NYC. The bildest of us can hang with the traffic on 5th Ave and smack the side of any taxi that violates our bike lane and weather the occaisonal upright middle finger(sometimes known as the NY salute)...but most would prefer the West Side Hgwy path. Plenty of places to stop, rest, relax and enjoy the skyline on the right and the Hudson River on the left. Its all good!

Pros and Cons

Pros:its always exciting
Cons:Its big and sometimes brusque
In a nutshell:But its home

Last visit to New York City: Jul 2005
Intro Updated Feb 22, 2008
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Comments (69)

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Balam Feb 29, 2008 at 1:02 AM

I have to go to New York one day, Good tips and pics.
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Maria250 Feb 8, 2008 at 2:06 PM

Thanks for stopping by! Hope ya doin' well again? Great NYC page! Funny, I never had the wish to make it any where else than to the extremly kind & lovely SOUTH of the states :-))
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gilabrand Oct 5, 2006 at 9:54 AM

Your rundown on the neighborhoods is extremely helpful. I'm from NY, albeit a long time ago, and I still don't know my way around.
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Bangkokjoe Apr 4, 2005 at 3:15 AM

So much, and you've given me a good taste to want to go. And have a beer! Cheers,Ian
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keeweechic Mar 1, 2005 at 5:28 AM

I need a return visit just to visit the rest of the State I missed... Never a dull moment in the city.. great page.
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Hexepatty Jan 1, 2005 at 8:03 PM

I like your NYC pages. Naturally, the pages of St Patty's Rock.... ; ) Used to go there as a teen after drinking post -St Patty's Day Parades. Yes, a Parade named after Moi....
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Sandi-2004 Dec 5, 2004 at 12:20 PM

Very interesting pgs on NYC. Great photos of the B.Bridge, the doors at St. Patrick's, Radio City & the Guggie. I love NYC. You've shown some spots others have missed.
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bugulma Mar 26, 2004 at 6:20 AM

the brooklyn bridge photo is fantastic
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Christophe_Ons Mar 9, 2004 at 10:48 AM

One of the best NYC pages on VT. Great job !
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shivan Sep 3, 2003 at 6:21 AM

great page! Nice to read about you again!