Binnsy's Hovel

The following post is adapted from an email I sent to my family today, three days after first landing in New York from Sydney…

My flights over were good, though I didn’t get any sleep on either of them. United took good care of me, and we touched the ground at JFK half an hour earlier than expected. The descent was somewhat anticlimactic, as you can barely see the Manhattan skyline through all the smog.

I was accosted at the airport by a few shady characters who claimed to be taxi drivers (when they weren’t kidnapping small children and defenseless animals), but then heard one particular Italian New York accent ring out above all the other ones. I found the source of it, whose name was Freddie (and looked like a henchman from the Godfather), and decided he was my guy.

The cab ride to the hostel was unforgettable. Not least of which because we didn’t go below 75-80mph (about 120kph) the whole way, and that road markings mean nothing in New York. But I got the full tour – the tower where they shot part of Men In Black, the venue of the US Open, and as we went over RFK Bridge, that magnificent skyline in full view.

The cab wasn’t cheap, but worth it to get to the hostel safely and comfortably after so long in the air. The hostel is a massive five-storey edifice on Amsterdam Ave by 103rd St. It’s undergoing renovations at the moment, but it’s still relatively comfortable, and the showers are hot. And for convenience, there’s no better budget accommodation. Broadway is a block over, and the 103 St Subway is a 2 minute walk.

I didn’t get a great deal of sleep Monday night, if any, but I was keen to get out and explore on Tuesday, and to get my bearings. I walked down through Central Park to the Museum of Natural History (still haven’t gone there yet, waiting til after my side-trips) and then kept going down Central Park West until I hit Broadway again, and then Times Square.

Nowhere else is there such a collision of architecture, grandeur, and capitalism than in that boulevarde. There is just neon and people everywhere. They’ve just cordoned off a section in the middle of the square where you can grab a coffee and use the internet, but I just sat and tried to take it all in. Much like Sydney, there are little souvenir shops run by Asians, and the obligatory Starbucks on every corner (there are more Starbucks than there are McDonalds, I’m certain of it).

I also visited Central Park Zoo on Tuesday, and saw the seals, polar bears, penguins, marmosets, among others. Good fun!

Rob was right about the food, for the most part. If you’re north of 42nd St there’s not much choice apart from pizza, bagels, pastries or crazy deli sandwiches made of pure carbs with a sprinkling of lettuce (and beer, which you can buy almost anywhere, and cigarettes, which you can buy from the chemist). Yesterday, though, I jumped on the subway down to 14th St, eager to visit Greenwich Village, which I’d heard was the cultural centre of New York between 1945 and 1970. Much of that old vibe is gone, now, sadly, replaced by large brick monstrosities and trendy yuppie types. But walking down Bleecker St – with Simon and Garfunkel ringing in my ears – I came across a few old record shops, tattoo parlours and bookshops, reminiscent of more socially aware times. On MacDougall St, just up from Bleecker, I found the Esperanto Cafe, a warm and inviting little place that served the only good cappuccino I’ve had in New York thus far.

From there I explored the East Village, and it was in these areas that I found the most amazing food… authentic Spanish and Mexican, proper Italian food, noodle bars. It was refreshing to know that it wasn’t all bagels and hot dogs! I think somewhere between the East Village and Greenwich lies my favourite spot in New York so far.

As far as landmark spotting goes, I saw the angels in Central Park, and the composers/writers in the mall, the Washington Memorial in Washington Square Park, the building where John Lennon was killed, and the various museums, only a couple of which I’ve been in (the Metropolitan Museum of Art is unbelievable). The only things more numerous than Starbucks are the squirrels – they’re everywhere, and very cute!!

Today I flew to Boston, which was such a short flight it was almost pointless (35 minutes from La Guardia to Logan). Grabbed my bags, jumped on a shuttle to South Station Subway, and traversed the crazy Boston subway system to Northeastern University, where I weaved my way around Hemenway Street to the hostel. After checking in with the crazy young hostel staff, I dumped my bags and headed out for a wander. Boston is truly beautiful. After the hustle, bustle, smog and debris of New York, Boston is almost refreshing. There are streets full of beautiful red and tan-brick four-storey apartment blocks, leftover from the 18th and 19th Centuries, and the older buildings down Massachusetts Avenue are breathtaking.

But it gets dark and cold real quick here! It’s 4:40pm and I’m rugged up inside, afraid to leave for fear of frostbite! There’s a nice-looking pizza joint I want to try out, though, just down Hemenway Street – and having had my first cup of tea here at the hostel, I can’t wait to taste my first Sam Adams here in Boston.

Will report in soon.

Until next time…