The Crowds! The Crowds!

One reason I am relieved to be working in Chelsea instead of say, Midtown, Rockefeller Center, or Times Square, is the relative peace and quiet. It's a real neighborhood, instead of a tourist haven. When I set out from the 1 train each morning, I can actually walk down the street fairly unimpeded. Lunch time is quiet too, no lines of businesspeople lined up, and since dinner is busier, there are actually lunch specials. Not only that, there are supermarkets (or a Manhattan version of supermarkets), locally-owned boutiques, and I can run errands during lunch. While riding to and from home in Queens can be hellish, at least my destination isn't. It's kind of nice to feel like a resident of Manhattan for at least a few hours each day. Otherwise Manhattan is out of reach, and feels like another world from the one I struggle in each weekend.

One of the main reasons why the city feels so separate from my world: the crowds. I wish that I could visit Rockefeller Center each Christmas, to enjoy the landmark holiday destination. In fact, I tried to do just that for Christmas 2006. I thought that it would be a lovely holiday destination, and a perfect way for us to spend a few hours. However, instead of pleasant, it was horrifying. My folks, never in the best shape, and I were faced with crowds so thick you could walk across them. They formed an impenetrable wall, and so the legendary Christmas tree was out of sight. I cannot recall whether or not we saw it, or the ice skating. We didn't want to avoid Rockefeller, but we had no choice. My conclusion: this is just one of many destinations in the city that average residents should avoid, for fear of heart palpitations and stress.

Another location to avoid: SOHO...another spot with fairly good shopping. There is something for everyone, and with Muji and CB2 boasting their only locations in New York, it is a great spot for Christmas gifts. However, nearly every store is configured for narrow, older buildings, the aisles are too small. So too are the sidewalks; the original purpose of the neighborhood was not to support the feet and dollars of shopping-crazed out-of-towners. There are a million other cultural and shopping attractions out there like this. Ever been to MoMA? Lines, crowds, pushing, rudeness do not make a resident content. Manhattan, unless you are a tourist (particularly from Europe and Asia), is simply overrated. You can stop and ponder it on the city streets, but you may get trampled.