NYC Research Help... Please

[Elianna]

I'm writing a story that is in NYC. Problem: I've never actually been there and though I'm looking at road maps and subway maps, reading the tourist guides... it's not the same as hearing from the mouths of experience.

So here it is; my plea for your HELP!

1) Where would I most likely run into problems of the illegal nature (gangs, guns, drugs...)?

2) I'm assuming the subway is similar to the Tube in London? Anyone have any links, pictures, visuals? How long does it take to go from 164th street to 59th street by subway?

3) Any anectdotes about the city that would give me a "feel" for different pockets in the city?

4) Any pertinent information about the city that would help a blundering writer?

Thanks so much!

-E

 

[Varian P]

Though I've been a few times, I'm by no means an expert on NYC. I'm sure others here will help you out, but my best bit of advice would be to pick up a novel or two, by NYC locals, set in the city in the time period you're thinking of (contemporary, it sounds like). Reading the book flap and skimming a few pages should allow you to choose a book where the city is a character in the story, and it'll probably give you a fairly intimate sense of what the place is like.

I read a lot of literature set in Russia before I lived there for a year, and I had a pretty accurate image of many aspects of the place before setting foot there.

Good luck.

-V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I'm right across the river, but avoid the city as much as possible. Crimes happen everywhere. I have never been in the subway.

Central park is a good place to get a giant soft pretzel though (or it was the last time I was there ten years ago).

 

[_Lynn_]

My only trip to NYC was right after 911 over Thanksgiving. It wasn't typical of what the city is like on any normal day or night now, for sure. I'd love to go back, though.

 

[Varian P]

2) I'm assuming the subway is similar to the Tube in London? Anyone have any links, pictures, visuals? How long does it take to go from 164th street to 59th street by subway?

For pics of the subway, just google "New York Subway" then click the "images" link at the top of the page.

There's also a web site, hopstop.com or something like that, where you can plug in an origin and a destination, and it'll give you a route and a guestimate of travel time.

 

[desertslave]

I haven't lived in the area for 20 years, but I did time there in the early 80s. My daughter spent last June there, as well, doing a special summer course. (She's in love with the city, lord help her!)

The northern Central Park area is risky. So are parts of Harlem and Morningside Heights (especially gang stuff). The west side around the docks (in the 20s) is rough after dark. The Lower East Side can also be rough after dark. When I lived there (lived in Brooklyn, worked in Manhattan) the "alphabet soup" neighborhoods were bad, but have gradually been improving. Chinatown also has a lot of crime and gang problems.

The subway is similar to the Tube (I've been on both) but many stations are absolutely filthy, though even that's been improving over the past 20 years. West 4th Street (in Greenwich Village) is and probably always will be disgusting in the summer...there's a "landing" area between northbound and southbound trains that's poorly lit and is basically one huge toilet without plumbing for the homeless. The stench in the summer is unreal. I've been told even that's gotten better, but my imagination just isn't that good.

As far as timing goes from 164th to 59th, it depends on what time of day or night, and whether you're staying on the same side of the city or not. Cross-town is tough, regardless. On the west side, during the day, it's probably about 15-20 minutes. Longer on off hours.

Here's a great gallery for subway photos and other info: http://www.railfanwindow.com/

What kind of anecdotes do you want? I can tell you lots of stories.

My favorite "I love this city" story: It was a muggy summer evening. The BF and I had gotten together for a Saturday of 'poking around The Village,' browsing in shops and people-watching. We had dinner in a great little restaurant off Washington Square Park featuring Middle-Eastern food and a large-screen TV in the back that ran non-stop silent movies. Chaplin's Gold Rush was on that night. After dinner we wandered into the park itself. In one corner the chessboards were set up, and some hot game was going on, judging by the crowd. In another corner someone was reciting poetry and juggling. The magical part was under the Arch. Some grizzled hippie guy had a stripped-down piano (reminiscent of a scene from a Marx Brothers film) and was pounding away at some ragtime piece. The acoustics in the arch made the sounds bounce around and echo, and it was wonderful! I looked around at the people watching and listening. You couldn't have found a more diverse group if you tried: mixed races, genders, and couples of all sorts, all enraptured for a few moments of free music. Just a little piece of magic.

For more pictures of NYC in general, here's a great place to start: http://www.mcny.org/

 

[DarlingVivacia]

Lower East Side is pretty trendy these days. Dangerous in a, "too many young drunk high school and college kids" sorta way. And a lot of Harlem has been gentrified, though I don't spend much time up there to talk to specific threats.

I do believe that the South Bronx is still a mess as is East Flatbush (Brooklyn) and Brownsville (Brooklyn). There is a strip of seedy strip clubs and sex shops in Sunset Park (Brooklyn). A few years back, there was a lot of gang activity in Coney Island that spread to the Q and D trains.

A lot of Manhattan these days is like Disney World. Sure, there is still trouble to be found, but it is pretty squeaky clean. I do agree that the W4th Street subway stop is a pit. It is also a very busy train station at all hours of the day and night.

Parts of East Williamsburg (Bed-Sty/Bushwick) might be interesting to explore as far as grungy, edgy areas. There was a great article a few months back in NY Magazine about the "Brooklyn Wars" that touches on some of the challenges facing old timers and new timers. Plus, there are a lot of buildings under construction and I am not sure what the time table is for completion given the current mortgage crisis in the states. Not sure if some of those companies lost their ability to secure construction loans. So it adds an interesting apocalyptic flavor, all these half built buildings. To top it off, I know of folks who are having precious metals stripped from the outside of their homes in that area given the street value of the raw materials. Check out brownstoner.com to get a sense of gentrification in Brooklyn.

The old subway trains that run on the 2/3 line (they are red on the outside) have terrible if no HVAC systems. The windows open and they rattle and bang a lot. Plus the seats are long flat and hard. And usually there is something wrong with the intercom system so there is a constant buzzing sound that ebbs and flows in loudness. Riding those trains is a miserable experience.

Obviously, I could go on and on. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me.

V.

 

[impressive]

There is always -- always -- scaffolding over some the sidewalks. Something's always under construction.

The first time I visited NYC (about 30 years ago), I remember thinking that I would've preferred to wait 'til the construction was "finished" before visiting so that the city would look nice. It's never finished.

Steam (sometimes foul-smelling, but usually not) rising from the grates in the sidewalks ... WIDE sidewalks.

Sidewalk vendors of all sorts -- food, magazines/news, impostor handbags & watches, etc.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

IMHO, your best bet is to cut the place down to size. TGP's attitude, not crossing the Hudson in years, is pretty typical. Once my mother-in-law left the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the early 50's and journeyed across the East River into the Flushing area of Queens, she very, very, very seldom went back into "The City" which is how most residents of "Archie Bunker Country" refer to Manhattan.

NYC residents, especially those living outside of Manhattan, tend to stick to their neighborhoods. So unless your story requires a character or two who moves all around the five boroughs, concentrate on a few locales.

Just a tidbit or two: The only time any reasonable person would choose to make an extended stay in NYC is from around late September through New Year's Day. Winters in the city are crappy, springs so-so, and the summers are always hot, muggy, and just no fun at all.

Old NYC joke: Q: What's the best way to get to the West side? A: Being born there.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Elianna]

You guys, this is incredible.

Who would have known how the windows rattled on the subway, or the putrid smell of the W4 subway stop? These are the details I haven't been able to find on the internet and the tour books. These are the details that make stories real, too!

Thanks for the links Desertslave!

In order to cut it down to size as the good Reverend suggests (Sorry, forgot that the small type was difficult for you to see. Hope you're feeling better)...

I think my characters are going to get there via I-95. At some point they'll turn off, heading towards Manhattan. After abandoning the car they're going to have to make their way on foot via subway. I envision them hopping in and out of the subways. (I really like the atmosphere of scaffolding around) I seem to remember that people lived and hid out in the subways. Anyone know about this?

Time of year: October-ish. Time of day: After sunset



Thanks

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

Sister E, thanks for asking about my old eyeball. It's getting better each day. BUT, as it heals it keeps changing shape so my glasses are never the right perscription. But it won't be long before I'll be using the same size font as all the "normal" folks here at the AH.

About subways. Unlike what I recall about the Paris and London systems, getting from point A to point B in the NYC subway can be VERY confusing. If your out-of-towners are new to the city, odds are they'd be more likely to take a bus heading downtown. While it'd be a longer trip, they wouldn't know that and it would let them see where they were going.

You might check out the first chapter or so of "Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolfe to get a feel for Manhattan back in the 80's.

The Right Rev Rumple Foreskin http://bestsmileys.com/religous/1.gif

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Also remember that there are tolls for all automobiles crossing from Jersey into the city. The toll is higher for trucks and buses.

It is also my opinion that the city being an island is what makes the place so annoying to me. They have a superiority complex that the city is the greatest place ever, and people that live there never come out (one of the reasons I don't like going in, another is the tolls ).

 

[Elianna]

Also remember that there are tolls for all automobiles crossing from Jersey into the city. The toll is higher for trucks and buses.

It is also my opinion that the city being an island is what makes the place so annoying to me. They have a superiority complex that the city is the greatest place ever, and people that live there never come out (one of the reasons I don't like going in, another is the tolls ).

They don't have tolls in AZ. I noticed that one of the maps I found pointed out all the tolls. SHEESH! I pity you all over there. We just go 75 mph, never stop (except during rush hour in the city) and never ever pay.

Rev: My characters only travel at night. Do the buses still run late into the night/morn?

 

[R. Richard]

I'm writing a story that is in NYC. Problem: I've never actually been there and though I'm looking at road maps and subway maps, reading the tourist guides... it's not the same as hearing from the mouths of experience.

So here it is; my plea for your HELP!

1) Where would I most likely run into problems of the illegal nature (gangs, guns, drugs...)?

The far North end of the 1/9 subway lines is a Dominican area and it's not a place you want to just roam around at night, unless you're a Dominican local. The area from [a bit hazy] 164th street to 50th street on the west side is upper crust. Once you get below 50th on the west side, you get into 'hipsville.' Lots of young, drunk assholes. Below 50th in the center if Manhattan is shopper's heaven. The lower East side is China\town and the Bowry. The upper East side is Harlem, not all that bad. If you want trouble, you go to the lower end of the Jackie Robinson Expressway. Bedford Sty is also a nasty place. If you take the A train out to JFK, you go through some very nasty neighborhoods. The South Bronx used to be bad, especiall the areaq around Banana Kelly, but they're pussycats now.

2) I'm assuming the subway is similar to the Tube in London? Anyone have any links, pictures, visuals? How long does it take to go from 164th street to 59th street by subway?

There are two main separate subway systems throught Manhattan. Rgwe 1,9 and 3 lines run up the west side. The 4,5, and 6 lines run up th center and then up the East side. There are local trains that stop at each station and express trains that only stop a major stops. ou can get maps and travel info in the NYC subway web site.

3) Any anectdotes about the city that would give me a "feel" for different pockets in the city?

Manhattan is mainly business in the center, below Central Park. Lotsa shops, with whole blocks almost completely devoted to one specific industry. West 42nd is the diamond industry. West 30th has a lot of fur shops. The Flatiron district is clothing.
The Bronx was settled by workers who could no longer afford to live in Manhattan.
Queens was settled by managers who could no longer afford to live in Manhattan.
Brookln was settled by immigrants.
Staten Islands was once farmland and is now a quiet residential place.

4) Any pertinent information about the city that would help a blundering writer?

Checkout the subway maps/info in the 'Net. Check out the ferry schedules, routes. The Staten Islands ferry goes past the Statue of Liberty.
Hoboken, across the Hudson Rover is a lower cost Manhattan accessible via the PATH [Port Authority Trans Hudson] trains.
If you come into town from Long Island, via the LIRR, ou wind up at Madison Square Garden.

Thanks so much!

-E[/QUOTE]

 

[TheeGoatPig]

They don't have tolls in AZ. I noticed that one of the maps I found pointed out all the tolls. SHEESH! I pity you all over there. We just go 75 mph, never stop (except during rush hour in the city) and never ever pay.

Rev: My characters only travel at night. Do the buses still run late into the night/morn?

The Path is a train that gets people on foot into Manhattan from Hoboken New Jersey. It stops running at 1:00 am. This could be used for where and when they ditch the car.

I'm pretty sure buses run all night long, just less often than during the day. I know the bus schedule in Las Vegas better than Manhattan though, and I've only been there once...

 

[DarlingVivacia]

Heading South on I-95 would take you to the GWB. If the car broke down before the on ramp there, you would find yourself in Washington Heights, which are serviced by the A C E trains. There is also a park there called The Cloisters, that sits at a very high point with breathtaking views across to the Palisades. Washington Heights is featured in some movie about a strange family with a lot of kids. (Sorry, the name of the movie escapes me, someone on this forum will know the movie I speak of). The movie gives you a good sense of the vibe of Washington Heights (even though most of the movie was filmed in Park Slope Brooklyn).

One of those trains that travels down the from Washington Heights is express and can get folks to midtown pretty quickly. I am not sure which one, again someone will know or look at the subway map.

October is arguably the prettiest time in NYC. Crisp and clear and still in the low70's and high 60's.

 

[Tcoyote]

1) Where would I most likely run into problems of the illegal nature (gangs, guns, drugs...)?

Gangs, drugs, guns are hard to see these days in NYC. You have look into parts of the Bronx, East NY in Brooklyn, anywhere there are housing projects.

2) I'm assuming the subway is similar to the Tube in London? Anyone have any links, pictures, visuals? How long does it take to go from 164th street to 59th street by subway?

45 minutes...depends on the time of day

3) Any anectdotes about the city that would give me a "feel" for different pockets in the city?

It was more gritty in the 80's before Disney and Time Warner cleaned up Times Square

4) Any pertinent information about the city that would help a blundering writer?

Come visit. The dollar is cheap. Stay in neighborhoods not just Manhattan.

I'm writing a story that is in NYC. Problem: I've never actually been there and though I'm looking at road maps and subway maps, reading the tourist guides... it's not the same as hearing from the mouths of experience.

So here it is; my plea for your HELP!

1) Where would I most likely run into problems of the illegal nature (gangs, guns, drugs...)?

Gangs, drugs, guns are hard to see these days in NYC. You have look into parts of the Bronx, East NY in Brooklyn, anywhere there are housing projects.

2) I'm assuming the subway is similar to the Tube in London? Anyone have any links, pictures, visuals? How long does it take to go from 164th street to 59th street by subway?

45 minutes...depends on the time of day

3) Any anectdotes about the city that would give me a "feel" for different pockets in the city?

It was more gritty in the 80's before Disney and Time Warner cleaned up Times Square

4) Any pertinent information about the city that would help a blundering writer?

Come visit. The dollar is cheap. Stay in neighborhoods not just Manhattan.

Thanks so much!

-E