#manhattan guide

The Boroughs 

This is very basic knowledge that I'm sure most of you already know, but I'll do a quick review for everyone else. New York City is made out of five boroughs, which are really like self-contained cities. There's Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The Bronx is to the north, Queens is to the east, Brooklyn is to the southeast, and Staten Island is to the south, while Manhattan is the central hub of New York City. New York City is often thought of as just Manhattan, and that's absolutely not true. In fact, many people who work in Manhattan live in Brooklyn, Queens, and even New Jersey. 

Layout

For the most part, Manhattan is made out of Streets and Avenues. Streets run east to west, and Avenues run north to south. Distance between Avenues is much longer than distance between streets - it's commonly said that the distance of 3 streets is equal to 1 avenue. It's pretty easy to get around Manhattan, as it's laid out into a grid. It only gets really tricky when you get downtown, where streets actually have names (like Prince St, Canal St, or Wall St). Then, it's a little bit of a mess and even I need a map to get around. When you're in Midtown, though (anything above 14th or so and below the 70s), it's really easy to find your way around. Normally, I'll refer to something by it's closest cross streets - for instance, my school is on 28th and 7th, and a new Dairy Queen just opened up by 14th and Broadway.

Some Key Neighborhoods

Chelsea:

Chelsea stretches from about 16th Street to 36th Street or so on the West Side of Manhattan, centered around 7th Avenue. I go to school in Chelsea, so I'm fairly familiar with the area. There are lots of tourists around, since it's close to Times Square. Penn Station, a major hub of transportation, is in Chelsea, and Korea Town, a street lined with amazing Korean restaurants, is a short walk away. Rent is very expensive in Chelsea, and you'll commonly see fashion students (like me!) milling around, especially when we're headed up to the Garment District, which sits right above Chelsea. 

Soho:

Soho is a fun neighborhood, and it's where I do almost all of my shopping. It's got a lot of cute cafes, and every major store you could think of - from American Apparel, H&M, and Zara to high end stores like Brandy Melville and Vera Wang. It's situated between the Lower East Side (to it's north) and Chinatown (to it's south). The main draw of Soho is it's shopping, and there's a lot of really cheap options. My favorite is Necessary Clothing.

East Village:

The East Village is a common hangout for NYU kids, as most of their campus falls in this neighborhood. There's a lot of nightlife here, with clubs, lounges, and music venues. There's also a lot of great restaurants, and a great park in Washington Square. It's a nice area to walk around and catch a quick grab to eat with friends in, as there's literally everything you could ever want to eat.

Upper West Side:

The Upper West Side runs from about the upper 60s to the high 80s, west of Central Park. Again, there's a lot of great restaurants and brunch spots, and a fairly good nightlife scene, though it's more bars than clubs. Other highlights include Lincoln Center and the Julliard School of Music.

Upper East Side:

The UES feels infinitely different from Chelsea or the Lower East Side - it has lots of families, babies, and is quieter and, in my opinion, classier. There's a strip of great shopping along Madison, where you can find shops like Alice + Olivia and Theory. There's also a Laduree, which is my personal obsession and makes the best macarons on the planet. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is also located on the UES, along the border of Central Park.

Things To Do For Fun

Here are some ideas for what your character may do for fun: 

Smorgasburg: Smorgasburg is a great place for all foodies. It's located in Williamsburg on Saturdays, and in DUMBO (just across the Brooklyn Bridge Park) on Sundays. It's basically a huge foodie street fair - with interesting and fun things like the ramen burger. 

Eat: Seriously, there are way too many great food choices in New York. A New York classic is a platter from The Halal Guys - a super cheap, super delicious street meat cart. Other things that I love to eat are Thai Food, Korean, Burgers, and brunch. You could literally eat out every night and still not even come close to seeing everything New York has to offer. 

Go to the Park: There are a lot of parks in New York City, though it may not look like it at first glance. Of course, the biggest is Central Park - which is absolutely ginormous. But there's also smaller parks like Washington Square, Union Square, and Bryant Park, all which have their own unique attributes. 

Go to a show: There's free concerts in Central Park every summer, but if you're looking to see a particular artist, there's more than a good chance that they'll be playing in New York. There's also loads of small bands, especially in Brooklyn, that can be found in any number of lounges and bars spread throughout Lower Manhattan. 

Club: I don't have the greatest knowledge of clubs, as I've only been a handful of times, but a lot of girls love going out clubbing. Club culture in NYC is interesting, as there's sort of niche clubs - some clubs will be composed of white, Jersey gym rats, and another will be urban and full of weed-smoking wanna-be rappers. In general, the best way (and only way I go) to club is to know a promoter who can get you in for free and take you to the VIP section, where you can actually sit down and get free drinks. Of course, it's pretty disgusting as they just want you for your looks and to make a more 'exclusive' setting for premium-paying dudes.

Walk the Highline: This is one of my favorite things to do in the city. The Highline, a unique 'park' located on the West Side, stretches from 14th Street to the low 30s, on 10th Avenue. It's an elevated walkway that used to be train tracks, and always has interesting art installations along the sides. It's a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it's absolutely beautiful.

Other: There's literally always something going on in New York - from free yoga classes to a street fair to a parade. Look into interesting and unique events that are happening in New York!

What New Yorkers Like

Brunch: I don't know what it is about brunch, but New Yorkers live for brunch. One of my favorite places is Alice's Tea Cup, which has multiple locations in the UWS and UES. It's decorated and themed around Alice in Wonderland, and has amazing scones. And there's always a little girl's birthday party going on, usually with fairy wings.

A/C: Summer in the city is pretty disgusting, as it's hot, often smells like hot trash, and humid. Air conditioning is a godsend and you can see an A/C unit sticking out of every single apartment building. 

Food: I know I've mentioned food, like, 10 times, but food is such a huge part of New York culture. (Or maybe I'm just obsessed with food...) New restaurants and interesting concepts are always on the rise here. Remember the cronut? 

Black: It may be a generalization, but it is true that New Yorkers wear a lot of black. Not everyone in New York City is a fashionista, but it's not common to see someone wearing the craziest and coolest thing you've ever seen walking down the street. Just be jealous of them and secretly plan to steal their outfit. 

Public Transportation: Owning a car in New York City is ridiculous, when parking is both incredibly expensive and impossible. Everyone takes the subway, as it's pretty easy to get just about anywhere. The hardest places to get by subway are the edges of Manhattan - the farthest east a subway runs north to south is Lexington Avenue, which is further west than 3rd Ave. 

What New Yorkers Hate

Tourists: God, I hate tourists. I know it's a horrible things to say - but tourists who stop in the middle of the street to take pictures and walk super slow on the sidewalk can burn in hell. Of course, I have no anger towards nice tourists who just need a little bit of direction! In fact, I find that New Yorkers are generally very friendly towards people asking for directions - they love to talk about their city!

Times Square: This is in the same vein of tourists. There's always a million people in Times Square, and I try to avoid it like the plague whenever possible. Honestly, I don't see the allure of the place, but it's a quintessential tourist spot. Most New Yorkers never step foot into Times Square unless absolutely necessary. 

Subway Delays: This happens pretty much on the daily, especially with the L train. The L train sucks, guys. Don't ever ride the L train. 

Tourists Gawking over Celebrities: I know, I know. Seeing a celebrity can be really exciting, but most New Yorkers understand and respect that celebrities are people too, and generally leave them alone. That's not to say that they won't sneak a picture or two, but it's a given fact that celebrities live and are often in New York, and most New Yorkers hardly give them a second glance.