Going solo in New York City

Manila, Philippines -  Traveling alone is a terrifying thought. It can feel awkward eating alone in a restaurant filled with holiday couples and families. No one to watch your shopping bags during pee break. Having no one to share the cost of a hotel room is a disadvantage. Photos of yourself are taken from a high angle with your hand cut off. Taking a holiday solo is not really a Pinoy concept. 

But I did just that. I had a fortnight to go solo, and thought it would be just enough before solitude would set in. And I went to a place where it was best to travel alone: New York City. 

It’s huge, complicated, loud, dizzying and inconvenient. But it’s a great psychological boost if you’re able to manage the city. 

NYC sits amid a cluster of islands where everything is of great abundance. It’s tough to get the lay of the city, to get what New York is all about, when you don’t have that absolute freedom. You have no one’s wishes to consider when all you want is to spend the whole day in Central Park. You want to master the subway system, something that may be intimidating to a travel companion? You do just that. You want to see every art gallery in Chelsea? You do that at your own pace. You want to wake up late to recover from walking dozens of blocks in Manhattan the previous day? Take it slow, if you must.

I made the trip, in part, to satisfy a craving for freedom from life in Makati — the machines, the rush at work and the connections, online or otherwise, that just overwhelm me. It’s quite ironic that I had to take my break in the craziest city in the world. Yet, it is liberating to be in New York. It’s an eccentric sabbatical. Exploring New York sharpens your brain and gives you emotional clarity even as you wade through the thick crowds in Times Square. It’s an education, like any journey ought to be.

Emracing diversity

New York’s landscape has been shaped by its migrant population. Immigrants account for 43 percent of its workforce. So, no matter where you’re from, there’s always a neighborhood that will welcome you. Within a few blocks in East Village, you’ll find Little Italy where an extensive array of Italian food is served, including Tuscan, Venetian and Sicilian. A short walk from there, I sampled dimsum along Canal Street that could compare with my fave noodle houses in Ongpin. Falafel is found on every corner in Greenwich Village. Burritos are served in very generous servings all over uptown Manhattan. In Elmhurst, Queens where I lived for several nights, there were Thai, Indian, Malaysian, Chinese, Vietnamese restaurants and takeout counters right next to each other. I liked the Cuban tapas in West Village where I spent the rest of my stay. The Ethiopian wat, a hot and peppery beef stew, sold in a tiny shop next to my Greenwich apartment, was great with Heineken. I even had perfectly fried lechon kawali in Roosevelt, Queens, when my Kapampangan taste buds started longing for familiar toyo-laden fare. It was good to look beyond Sabrett hotdogs, for New York is truly one global food village.

The overlapping cultures are also heard and seen on Broadway. Dozens of languages are spoken all at once in the mad scramble for discounted tickets to Lion King and Wicked. It didn’t get any quieter when I sought refuge at the Starbucks close to Times Square. Cacophony over cappuccino.  

You have to take it all in. The energy from the diversity fires you up. You know you’re really alive, your heart beats faster as you struggle to get the closest seat to the stage in a theater on 42nd, or the last few cream cheese-flavored bagels on Sixth Avenue. Your world has gotten bigger, with hundreds of other hearts racing just as rapidly.  

The rudest city in the world?

Certainly not. Do not believe lists on Yahoo and in travel magazines where New York consistently tops the “worst attitude” lists.  Disabuse your mind of images of foul-mouthed and unfriendly Robert De Niro/Travis Bickle types.   New Yorkers are a misunderstood lot (what’s a true-blue New Yorker, anyway?). Yes, they’re very direct. Yes, they’re always rushing to get their java fix or the next train. And, yes, they’re polite. They may not linger in a corner smiling and waving at tourists, stopping at Central Park to smell the roses (they grab the tulips sold in the Village, and smell them while they tinker with their iPhones in the subway).   But they are not rude. I stopped a tall white woman who looked as fiercely as Christine Baranski on Park Avenue. She was walking her three large dogs. I couldn’t find the nearest subway. She smiled at me and said, “Oh, darling, I’ve got two options for you to get to Lexington Avenue…”   Hers were the most specific instructions I’ve gotten since Google Maps. 

I got lost on the bus and train on several occasions after that. I only had to turn to my seatmate — white, black, Asian or Latino — for help. All of them were helpful. All of them still looked in a hurry. 

They really heart NY

We’ve often heard Americans declare New York as the greatest city in the world. The greatest food capital. The greatest walking city. Most people who’ve visited New York would agree. I would, too, if greatness were measured by scale and the profusion of sights, cuisine, culture and activity. Fans of Paris and Tokyo may think otherwise. But one thing is certain: New Yorkers are proud of their city, and proclaim its number one status so loudly that it eventually becomes a truism. 

I saw the most magnificent example of urban renewal in Chelsea and the meatpacking district. There’s the Highline Park, an elevated park that used to be an overhead rail system. Residents fought to save it from destruction and now maintain it for the city government. (Eating gelato at the Highline, while watching boats cruise along the Hudson on a sunny but windy April afternoon, was priceless for me.) Old, decaying slaughterhouses and factories were spruced up into beautiful retail and residential addresses.   New Yorkers seem best equipped to deal with the perpetual cycle of change and adaptation. The old changes to new, but adapted for New Yorkers’ love of style and verve.

By the way, other than the Highline, the Chelsea Market is a must-see. The winding halls and exposed brick halls of an old factory take you to stalls filled with fresh meats and produce, breads, pastries, frozen desserts, chocolates, cheeses, wines, home stuff, 12-dollar lobsters, Thai take-out, even paper products. Its culinary importance is underscored by the Food Network taking up residence there. If you only have a few hours to spare in New York, go all the way up to the top of the Empire State Building, then quickly get a ride to Chelsea Market. 

Have a New York state Of mind

For first-time visitors, here’s a tip: get to all the sights with the New York City Pass for $89. The booklet lets you in to several popular attractions at a discount. Even returning tourists should revisit the Empire State, the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum, Guggenheim, Top of the Rock and the iconic Statue of Liberty. They’re a great way to be introduced or re-introduced to NYC. For one, the Statue tells you that no other city gives a better welcome than New York. Or you can take the Water Taxi where you can hop on and hop off to major destinations like Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park, Ground Zero and SoHo. When you’re done with all these, start living like a New Yorker.

By my lonesome self, with no guidebook in hand, I was able get New York and learn the ways of the New Yorker. Only through a lot of walking could the city speak to me. Jaywalking is an art form. I mustn’t harass Alec Baldwin for a photo op while we’re both crossing the street. Give a standing ovation to actors in Broadway performance even if they’re second rate — you must support the arts and not feel cheated for paying $120 on a ticket. Dress up for Lincoln Center — you’re a genuine art lover if you do. Do not take pictures of gay people making out in Washington Square. Tolerance is a New York trait. Ignore the rubbish in the subway, lest the perils of recession get to you. “Pre-walk” in the subway — walk to the exact right spot on the platform to board the train car that will save the most time upon exit. Say “Hi!”, “Good morning!” and “How ya doin’?” all the time.

It’s okay to strike up a conversation with anyone. Traveling alone forces you to interact with strangers. I was happy to go solo in the company of beautiful strangers.

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E-mail boboyconsunji@gmail.com.