New York - the city of squalor

Because of its wild nightlife crowned with several thousand (!) of bars, clubs and restaurants, NYC is often referred to as the city that never sleeps. This nickname was first used in the "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra. However, with well over 60,000 homeless people, it nowadays seems more appropriate to call it the city where many people have nowhere to sleep. In whatever area of the city you may find yourself, you are guaranteed to encounter the homeless. They will likely not be begging intrusively, but rather sitting on a sidewalk, sometimes in pairs or with their pet, displaying cardboard signs asking for help. Some of the messages are truly heartbreaking: “Homeless, broke and hungry”, “Mum told us to wait right here – that was 10 years ago” or “Homeless veteran – anything helps”. Although the city authorities are making efforts to provide shelter for these people, many still remain on the street. I used to pass by a homeless woman on University Place during my semester abroad at New York University in the fall of 2013. She would always be around the 10th and the 11th Street. In 2015 I returned to the city. She was still there. In the spring of 2016 she disappeared. Where to? Nobody knows. And nobody cares. 

 

NYC has a population of about 20 million, which makes it one of the largest cities in the world. You can imagine that those many people generate a lot of waste. 12,000 tonnes per day, to be precise. This sheer amount together with the relative carelessness when it comes to waste disposal is the reason for the lovely smells around the city, especially during the summer months when temperatures reach close to 40 °C. On the bright side, these odours make locating the nearest waste bin completely effortless. The NYC subway system is a particular feast for the human olfactory system too. The subway authorities place signs describing that several tonnes of waste per year are thrown onto the rails, causing significant train delays. But passengers do not seem to pay attention. As a result, rats are giant and abundant. Even if you are visiting just for a day or two, chances are you will spot the rodents crawling around. Quite different than NYC in the latest commercial you saw, right? 

 

Here is another tip if you ever find yourself riding the subway in NYC. It gets REALLY packed at rush hours regardless of which line you take. So, try to avoid the subway between 7.30 and 9.30 in the morning and between 5 and 7 in the evening. If for some reason you cannot, you may see that 12 out of 13 cars are packed and one car only carries a single person with plenty of room for another 50 or so. Your first thought may be, “I will obviously not squeeze into the overflowing cars, let me just take the empty one.” You may wish to think twice – there is a reason why people prefer to be packed like sardines rather than travel in the empty car. Let me give you a hint: check the heading of this section. 

 

One travels to different cities and countries to see the sights, taste the food, experience some nature, but let’s face it – it is the local people that make all the difference. So if bad smell and rats do not affect you, New Yorkers will surely ruin your vacation! Everyone who is not a tourist in the city is there on some kind of a mission to succeed. At school, in university, at work, in their own business, whatever it may be, New Yorkers are extremely driven people who are always in the rush. They do not care to sit down for a coffee (most cafés only have a tiny sitting area anyway), they like to eat pre-packed lunch in parks during their 15-minute lunch break and they certainly do not have time to give you directions. So just get a good map, put on some comfortable footwear and head out to tick off the places on your bucket list. And read my next post about some of the hidden gems of NYC!