https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4WeAR7tctA
So what are your impressions after watching this for a few minutes?
For example the first thing which struck me was that I had thought from reading the media that New York City was very much into anti-Covid measures like masking (unlike redneck America where I live)–but only a small fraction are wearing masks. [but I don’t want this thread to be about Covid]
Looks less crowded than I’m used to there, but that might be day/time of day/neighborhood. Otherwise, typical NYC, in impressive hi-def.
I’m not sure what you’re looking for here.
People are walking outside, it’s a very hot day, of course they will likely not be masked.
Why is this interesting?
In what I’ve seen so far, I haven’t noticed any people entering, exiting, or walking around inside any buildings (or public transportation), which is where masking would be important.
NYC has a nearly 90% vaccination rate among adults and the the state was one the last few to drop masking mandates.
My brother’s wife grew up in NJ, and she said they’d never go into the city underdressed – defined as jeans and anything less casual than that. That would have been in the 70s. So, it’s fun to see all the women in shorts and crop tops and flip flops.
I was in New York City three weeks ago, and I took the subway several times. I would estimate masking on the train at 60%-70%, easily more than half, but not so much that I felt like an ass for not wearing one (I didn’t even have one with me, I’ve gotten so used to being maskless).
It was much less outdoors on the street, possibly because it was outdoors.
My first thought was that, every time I’ve been to New York City, I’ve spent almost all my time in midtown Manhattan, where people walk a lot faster and the sidewalks are a lot more crowded. This actually looks pleasant.
My mother also remembered people dressing more formally when out shopping, and this w in New Haven, so the difference is more about the changes over time than that people dress up to shop in Manhattan.
I’ve done a lot of walking in NYC… partly because I can’t imagine being on a subway. The air down there smelled of viruses long before covid!
I think a lot of people’s impressions of the sidewalks of Manhattan are formed by movies that hire a LOT of extras to give it a crowded feel. And any photographer shooting down one of the avenues is going to use a telephoto which compresses blocks and blocks of pedestrians into one shot. So they look like sardines.
Walking in midtown/lower east side/chinatown/little italy is quite pleasant. And all of that is walkable in an hour, everything’s so close.
Yeah, but we grew up in California, and it wouldn’t have been out of place for us to dress the way the people in the film were dressing but in that previous time period. Sure, you’d have seen some older ladies very “properly” dressed (not many), but people were much less regimented. You’d see a lot of variety.
Looks exactly like NYC has looked when I’ve been there post the worst of COVID on a nice day.
I just sampled some random points in the vid, but he wasn’t concentrating on the busiest areas or the tourist spots. I couldn’t read many street signs on my small screen, and I’m not expert enough on the jillion blocks in NYC to recognize one nondescript block from another.
NYC can be elbow to elbow or actually pretty pedestrian un-dense. The one thing it is everywhere is it’s real walkable, where there’s lots of “stuff” within a walkable distance of wherever you are. Shame about the snow and the traffic noise. And the accumulated filth of 150 years times umpteen million hands and feet.
This:
That’s always my impression of a big city: the filth and stench. I try to be polite when I’m there, but it really is overwhelming.
Looks like they’re walking through Chinatown now, coincidentally I see quite a few masks.
~Max
Weirdly, I feel that way about rural areas - all that mud and bugs and animal byproducts. Ugh.
Out of curiosity, I searched for a recent video from London. This is Covent Garden - very much a tourist area.
That’s a difference due to the time, not the city. People in general used to get dressed up (by current standards) to go “into town”, even if it was quite a small town – I remember changing from pants to skirt to do grocery shopping in the local village of a few thousand. Though I’m mildly surprsed that they were talking about the 70’s – IME the shift was in the late 60’s.
Reminds me of my parents’ friend who lived in Manhattan, but couldn’t sleep at our place in farm country, because of the crickets and bullfrogs. Traffic noise, including intermittent sirens all night, didn’t bother her a bit.
Manhattan, especially the parts of Manhattan where tourists go, can be very crowded. Other areas less so. What I’m seeing right now looks typical for, say, much of Brooklyn in my experience. Did they say what borough they’re in?
And there are sections of Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx where there are actual single family houses. Albeit narrow houses set close together, with maybe space for a driveway between them at most. I can only imagine the astronomical sum such houses sell for.
Archie & Edith Bunker’s row house was in Astoria. When in NYC I’m often staying right near JFK in South Ozone Park / South Jamaica or near LGA in Astoria Heights or Jackson Heights. All those places are in Queens, and all are mostly dense row houses or detached small houses and a few larger apartment buildings. Plus lots of local storefronts and eateries which is really the first order of business on any layover long enough to leave the hotel room. All great areas for walking when it’s not miserable weather.
Manhattan gets all the press, but that’s not the bulk of NYC. Or even the bulk of the interesting parts of NYC.
Looks like Manhattan at the moment, about like I remember it about 15 years ago. God, I can’t imagine driving there.
Heh, I can’t sleep if it’s not the sounds I expect in my house, either. I don’t sleep well in the country, Manhattan (a hotel on 5th Ave was a nightmare), anywhere but the room I’m accustomed to.