Top

Living in New York is just like the movies!

I was recently talking with a family member about our stay in New York. I gathered by this talk and other conversations that most people still think of Manhattan when they think of NYC, even though it’s only one of the five boroughs that make up New York. Not only that: it seems like Manhattan is the place to be, while everything around it is just… what’s around it!

 

Concerned Family Person:

You’re staying in Brooklyn? Isn’t that like a run-down area?!

 

Me:

No! Brooklyn is f*cking awesome!

 

Concerned Family Person:

Oh, ok! Well… as long as you don’t go to the Bronx!

 

Me:

Why not?

 

Concerned Family Person:

‘Cause it’s unsafe!

 

Me:

Says who? It’s not like you’ve ever been there…

 

Concerned Family Person:

I’ve seen it in the movies!!

 

Me:

So you’re gonna believe the movies now?

 

Concerned Family Person:

Well, if the movies show it, it must be for a reason!…

 

Of course! If the movies show the Bronx as a place where I am likely to lose my purse or my life, it’s because this borough is just about that. Just like India is all about slums and poverty (thank you Slum Dog Millionaire). And just like all Muslims are trouble – yeah, Homeland, I am looking at you! Movies and TV shows never lie.
 

Just like in the movies,

this is what our usual days in New York are like…

 

In the mornings, we usually wake up and take the metro out of Brooklyn and into Manhattan. We stop by Tiffany’s and do what any regular person does when visiting a jewellery store: have breakfast! We’ve replaced croissants with bagels, but in good ‘ol USA style, we still take our coffee to go.

Scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's

Scene from Breakfast at Tiffany's

 

Once our tummies are full, we are ready to face the excitement that is wandering around New York City. We walk by areas such as Wall Street, knowing that this is exactly what’s happening inside all the office buildings:

A regular day at the office, according to The Wolf of Wall Street

A regular day at the office, according to The Wolf of Wall Street

 

There’s always something crazy going on around here! And as this city is such a melting pot of cultures, there are plenty of opportunities to meet different kinds of interesting people…

King Kong... the poor thing just wants to be loved!

King Kong… the poor thing just wants to be loved!

 

But as life can be pretty stressful over here, sometimes New Yorkers loose it a little bit…

Hulk going crazy in The Avengers movie

Hulk going crazy in The Avengers movie

 

The problem is not even New Yorkers as such. As I am sure Donald Trump would agree, the main threat to the city’s stability are actually visitors from foreign lands. For instance, Godzilla, is known to visit Manhattan when he gets tired of ramen in Japan. He normally comes mainly for the burgers, but sometimes can’t help but indulge in some tacos too – thanks to the immense Mexican community in NYC, they are everywhere! Godzilla isn’t known to handle spice all too well though, and sometimes we all end up having to endure the post meal fire!

Godzilla

Godzilla

 

Talking about fire, the truth is that lately, temperatures have reached an all time low. Just last week, it was as cold as -17C. And this week has been pretty wet. To be more exact, this is what things have been looking like:

The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow

 

Thank God for realistic movies such as The Day After Tomorrow and Deep Impact that remind us of what New Yorkers have to go through every single winter. It’s not happy to relive hard times on screen, but at least watching films like these, based on real life events, we can learn how to proceed in case of natural disaster.

There's no impact like a Deep Impact!

There's no impact like a Deep Impact!

 

The hardest thing, really, is when unusual creatures show up! But, hey, it does happen all the time, so we better be ready for it somehow.

If this happened in Ghostbusters, it means it can happen any other day too!

If this happened in Ghostbusters, it means it can happen any other day too!

 

If the above scenario happens don’t call 911. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!!

Keep calm and call Ghostbusters

Keep calm and call Ghostbusters

 

Over all, we should all feel grateful that America is full of heroes willing to risk their lives to save ours!

Spiderman: this is how they fight evil, NYC style!

Spiderman: this is how they fight evil, NYC style!

 

We all know that whenever aliens visit Earth, they tend to make New York the first stop on their itinerary. I get that! This is an extremely happening city, so no one wants to miss out!

Independence Day can be any day...

Independence Day can be any day…

 

Thankfully though, ’cause not all the creatures from foreign planets are as friendly as E.T. the local alien fighting teams are well trained and available 24/7. But they do have their moments of distraction…

Men in Black: the men in charge of alien immigration services. Just like Sting, extraterrestrial creatures can also be legal aliens in New York

Men in Black: the men in charge of alien immigration services. Just like Sting, extraterrestrial creatures can also be legal aliens in New York

 

It’s funny how our days in New York never roll the exact same way. Sometimes things get rough…

Die Hard 2

Die Hard 2

 

… and other days we get to eat pizza and chill:

Macaulay Culkin has taught us all how to enjoy NYC in style!

Macaulay Culkin has taught us all how to enjoy NYC in style!

 

If aliens want to take over or if the world is about to end, it’s sure to happen right here, in NYC. Other than that, this is a great place to spend some time in! And, of course, The Bronx might have problems. But that doesn’t mean a person shouldn’t visit.

If we only keep ourselves to the pretty sides of whatever place we go to during our explorations, we’ll never get a realistic idea of what life there is truly like. And that’s pretty much the opposite of what travel is all about.


Subscribe to the Backpack ME Newsletter

Tips, fun stuff, and TONS of inspiration! Straight to your inbox!

4 Comments

Leave a Reply to Anu Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Subscribe to Backpack ME