How to NYC, Lesson 3: Non-Subway Forms of Public Transportation

A Working Guide to Touring / Transplanting to New York from a Midwesterner’s Perspective
When I first moved to New York a few months ago, I was totally overwhelmed and terrified for several days. Having come from a very rural background, I had no idea of what to expect. I’d done my best to do as much research as possible to prepare myself, but none of those materials could have truly prepared me for the experiences and challenges I would face.

So I’ve written this little series, How to NYC, with my fellow Midwesterners in mind. For those of you who have never traveled to a big city beyond Minneapolis or Chicago before (that’s okay!), who have never used a public transportation system before, and who have never not experienced Minnesota Nice, this is for you. (And for those of you who haven’t ever experienced Minnesota Nice, I see a pleasant trip in your near future…)

Lesson 3: THE COMMUTE
can be a serious pain the rear when you're so used to simply hopping in a car and getting to where you need to be. Learning to get around was also the thing that freaked me out the most when I first landed, but it's actually pretty easy, as long as you keep a few things in mind.

Cabs
I don't have a lot of experience with cabs, but here's a few things I do know:

• Be patient with your driver. After all, he's getting you to where you need to be.
• With the above now stated, you do have the right (legally) to be comfortable. That means you can ask for air or heat, no radio, window down, whatever (within reason).
• Credit card machines are in all (I think) of the yellow cabs now, so it makes paying and tipping very easy. 
• The cc machines give tip percentage options - I think the lowest is like 18 - 20%. I've read that 15% is enough, maybe adding an extra $1 or $2 for helping with bags.
• "Gypsy cabs" are unmarked town cars that drive around and honk at you when you stand on a street corner waiting for the light to change. I think they're shady - they only accept cash and I've been told they don't know much about the areas outside of wherever they pick you up from. I recommend sticking with the yellow cabs.

Buses

idk. Just...idk. 

Here's what I actually know about buses:

• They rarely seem to be on time.
• If the bus is not within eyesight of the bus stop, you could probably walk to your destination faster.
• Buses have the same fare as subways - $2.50 per trip.

Walking (my favorite one!)

• Wear walking shoes (duh). At the very least, if you're wanting to look nice, wear sandals. People who wear heels regularly must have a screw loose.
• You will soon come to realize that you have to carry everything with you because you don't have a car to leave it in. You will feel like a pack mule.
• Carry an umbrella, even if it's sunny outside. People will make fun of you until it starts to rain.
• If you wear headphones / earbuds, people are less likely to stop you and ask for directions / change. 
• On that note, don't be afraid to ask for directions. People are generally very happy to give directions if it's a neighborhood they know well.
• Unless you've got a lot of time on your hands, don't stop for people wearing organization-specific tees holding clipboards. They are not going to ask you for directions.

How to NYC, Lesson 2: Subways

A Working Guide to Touring / Transplanting to New York from a Midwesterner’s Perspective
When I first moved to New York a few months ago, I was totally overwhelmed and terrified for several days. Having come from a very rural background, I had no idea of what to expect. I’d done my best to do as much research as possible to prepare myself, but none of those materials could have truly prepared me for the experiences and challenges I would face.

So I’ve written this little series, How to NYC, with my fellow Midwesterners in mind. For those of you who have never traveled to a big city beyond Minneapolis or Chicago before (that’s okay!), who have never used a public transportation system before, and who have never not experienced Minnesota Nice, this is for you. (And for those of you who haven’t ever experienced Minnesota Nice, I see a pleasant trip in your near future…)

Lesson 2: THE COMMUTE
can be a serious pain the rear when you're so used to simply hopping in a car and getting to where you need to be. Learning to get around was also the thing that freaked me out the most when I first landed, but it's actually pretty easy, as long as you keep a few things in mind.

The Subway
The subway gets its own lesson, since it's the most (in my eyes) complex form of transportation for those that have never used it before. But maybe I'm just simple.

• Navigating the subway system is like reading and following signs on the interstate - you just have to know where you want to end up.
• Use mta.info's Trip Planner tool (not Google Maps) to figure out how you're going to get from Point A to Point B. It's also not a bad idea to download the subway map or subway-related apps to your phone. 
• Know if you need to head Uptown or Downtown (in Manhattan), or toward Queens, Brooklyn, or the Bronx. 
• Pay attention to how the stations are labeled before you descend into the deep, dark unknown. Sometimes, you can't always cross over to the appropriate platform once you're down in the tube.
• Some trains are express trains (they skip some stops) and some are local (they stop at all stops). When in doubt, wait for a local train.
• Nights and weekends are filled with rail construction and maintenance, which causes delays and some trains don't even run.
• Again, use mta.info. Their Trip Planner tool factors in planned schedule and route changes. There are also some phone apps out there that can help you with this too.
• All planned changes are also posted in several places in every station, next to the big subway map. They can be very confusing - read carefully!
• Fares / Metrocards
• Unless you are old or have a disability, fares are $2.50 per trip (same for buses). This means that if you have to transfer trains at some point in your journey, as long as you don't exit the station through the turn-style thingys, you will only pay that $2.50 once.
• One 30-day unlimited ride Metrocard is $112. So, if you take the subway (or buses) 11 - 12 times or more per week, you're getting your money's worth (and then some). Same math applies for the 7-day unlimited cards, which are $30.
• When inside the car:
• Minnesota Nice is applicable here. If you're sitting, offer your seat to someone who is elderly, pregnant, disabled, etc. if they are standing. 
• During "peak" (rush) hours, try to make yourself as compact as possible. If you're flying into town with several bags and plan to take public transit to get to where you're staying, consider a flight that lands in the early early morning, middle of the day, or evening, if possible.
• When standing, I find it easiest to stand facing the ends of the train. This way, your body sways with the train and not against it.
• Don't try to be the cool kid that doesn't hang onto the pole while the train's moving. You will fall, and you will no longer be the cool kid. 
• Other general rules of thumb:
• If you have to be somewhere by a certain time, add at least 10 minutes to your planned travel time.
• Except sometimes during peak hours, trains don't wait long. Get there on time or be ready to wait a while for the next one.
• When riding late at night, try to get in the first car, as this is the driver's car. At night, there are generally more people in this car, and there's always at least one person (the driver), so you're less apt to get mugged or whatever. You can also try to do this with the conductor's car (usually the middle one), but it's harder to find when you're in a hurry.
• If possible, avoid the stupid freakin' G train. It is never on time.

How to NYC, Lesson 1 (UPDATED)

A Working Guide to Touring / Transplanting to New York from a Midwesterner’s Perspective
When I first moved to New York a few months ago, I was totally overwhelmed and terrified for several days. Having come from a very rural background, I had no idea of what to expect. I’d done my best to do as much research as possible to prepare myself, but none of those materials could have truly prepared me for the experiences and challenges I would face.

So I’ve written this little series, How to NYC, with my fellow Midwesterners in mind. For those of you who have never traveled to a big city beyond Minneapolis or Chicago before (that’s okay!), who have never used a public transportation system before, and who have never not experienced Minnesota Nice, this is for you. (And for those of you who haven’t ever experienced Minnesota Nice, I see a pleasant trip in your near future…)

Lesson 1: Common Myths and Misperceptions

Many of the people I talked to "back home" before moving to New York seemed to carry a lot of the same (usually) untrue beliefs about the Big Apple. I'd to discuss a few of them here:

• Crime rates are outrageous and you will die. Clearly not true, since I am still here to grace you with my unending blabber. As is true of most everywhere, you need to stay alert and keep your wits about you, and there are some areas it's wise to stay away from, but there's no need to be paranoid. Most everyone is here to make an honest living for themselves, and no one wants to harm you anymore than they want to be harmed. 
• Everything is too expensive. Not necessarily true. While there are definitely many incredulously expensive places to shop, wine, and dine around here, there are also just as many places to find a super cheap bite or affordable clothes. You may have to look a little harder for them, but they're there (and they're usually more fun!).
• The people are rude. Just because they're ignoring your presence doesn't mean they are rude. Most residents of New York are in a rush, and don't have time to look up and smile at every stranger they meet. But if you were to ask one for directions or for suggestions on a good place to eat, most all will happily point you the right way.
• The city will eat you up and spit you out. This can be true, but only if you let it. If you're moving here looking for opportunities, know that they are endless, but you've got to work your ass off to find them. 

This is a small start of a list that will continue to grow as I encounter more busted myths. Stay tuned for more lessons to come!

Ironic update: Since this post was written and scheduled to be posted, my purse was stolen right from underneath my nose. No, I was not mugged, nor was my purse snatched from my hands. I just wasn't paying as close attention to it as I should have been. While I still believe that crime in New York is often exaggerated, it's been a good (hard) reminder to me to keep my belongings close to me at all times!

Stone's 50 Greatest Live Acts

Just finished reading Rolling Stone's list of 50 Greatest Live Acts Right Now. Performers were eligible to make the list if they have toured in the past 5 years and have not yet announced retirement, and were picked by a panel of writers, industry leaders, and artists.

SPOILER ALERT: I was pleased to see artists like RHCP, Janelle Monáe, and Tool make the list, though many of the listed artists could have been placed higher or replaced others. Naturally, Bruce Springsteen takes the cake at #1.

I was not pleased to see that Imagine Dragons didn't make the list - I just saw them last week at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY. They had an incredible performance - both visually and aurally - and were generally pretty tight as a live group. It was also wonderfully refreshing to see such a humble band perform and actually appreciate their audience. Fortunately, the band is still relatively young and while have plenty of time in the years to come to make the list.

What do you think of the list? Who would you have liked to see on it? Who do you think should have been left off?

Torn

Shame on me. Why did I not research what a copywriter actually does a loooooong time ago?

I could have had a job by now.

Naturally, I assumed (you know, the whole you, me, and ass thing) that a copywriter has something to do with copyright. So I would see all these copywriter job postings for places like ad agencies, department stores, and other non-government offices and think, Why do all these businesses need copyright so often? Duh.

So, while I've got a new job search idea, I'll keep plugging away for the next couple weeks. If I haven't set up anything solid in NYC by August 16th, I'll begin making arrangements to move back home. This could mean moving back in with my parents (I'm not ashamed...yet) and continuing a job search in a different large city, or moving to Mankato and working at Hy-Vee for another year or so (also, not ashamed) while pursuing other side endeavors.

To be honest, I'm not totally heartbroken at the prospect of leaving New York right now. It's been fun and a wonderful experience, but the big city life just isn't quite for me yet. This is where I'm torn: Stay because so many people say the jobs are here, or go back and enjoy the peacefulness a little while longer and make my own opportunities?

I kind of like my own opportunities.