Chinatown

One day I was going by subway somewhere downtown. There was some advert saying "better deal than on Canal street", didnt get it that time but when I decided to go there all what I found was selfie sticks for 5 dollars, NY t-shirts for 3 and cheap street food. Well thats the Chinatown.

Millions of Chinese people, good deals, food on the floor, strange smell in the side streets. It does fell like China. Or Honkong maybe /which is part of China now/. Brick facades full of neonlights and ads, all the wires somehow make you feel more like that.

First time I came to this part of Manhattan I decided to eat some Chinese. I went to first place which was looking like a restaurant. I opened the door, made a few steps then stopped and looked around. I was the only white person there and everything was written in Chinese alphabet and this place was just packed. I ended up back on street waiting in a long line for some cheap street food which was basically fried chicken and spring rolls filled with cabbage. It wasnt bad, I mean for dollar or two come on.

I know I made a mistake because if some place is full of natives it means its gotta be good and authentic. Wasnt really up for it really. I need to find a Chinese friend and come back there.

Second time I came there I decided to try some restaurant tho. Something more tourist-friendly and cheap. I just choosed some random soup I didnt know how to pronouce correctly and a bun. Bun was filled with pork and soup also plus some gren stuff. It was actually Wonton noodle soup  馄饨.

It was good and so different than anything Chinese that I have tried so far. Well and for 6 dollars. There is so much stuff you can buy and try out that you wouldnt find elsewhere in the city.

In the middle of Chinatown is small park which is way too small for crowds of people who meet there. Board games, chess and Chinese music. And then there was this old guy on a wheel chair playin on his small drum.

After Chinatown I headed down to Astoria.

One of many Greek Orthodox churches in this part of New York, some people believe that Astoria is most multicultural place in the whole world.. I will find out about this next time.

The worst thing about coming home late at night in NY are the rats and strange people. On subway, you meet rats whole day. I mean I am not scared of them, but we are not friends either.

High all the time

Theres always so many contrasts in the city. This place is one of them. Streets full of cars are just a block away, but here people just come to relax and walk around. You get this strange feeling, many construction sites and buildings rising around it and then there is this wilderness.

 Its not just about to walk this whole 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) path high above the street, you have to come back, and stop every few meters. Every single time you will find something there. You get to see the buildings from different angles, discover all of the hidden pieces of art. It feels like museum in the city, where actually it is the views which are part of the exhibition.

This image from the early 1930s shows the intersection of 10th Avenue and 14th Street. Look closely and you’ll see tracks in 10th Avenue that freight trains ran along before the High Line was completed. Photo from Kalmbach Publishing Company

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Friends of the High Line (@highlinenyc), Apr 17, 2014 o 2:16 PDT

Do you remember the Northern Spur Preserve photo we shared yesterday? This is what that section of the High Line would have looked like in the 1930s. This spur – like many others along the High Line – allowed trains to enter buildings directly from the elevated tracks to load and unload their freight. Here, a train can be seen peeking out of what was the Merchant Refrigerating Building, a huge refrigerated warehouse that stored meat, dairy, and produce. #tbt

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Friends of the High Line (@highlinenyc), Máj 8, 2014 o 1:55 PDT

Inspired by the transformation of an abandon elevated railway, The #Highline - photo by #joelsternfeld, spring of 2000 ... New York City is ✨

Fotka uverejnená používateľom Plant-in City (@plantincity), Apr 19, 2015 o 8:50 PDT

Joel Sternfeld «Walking the High Line» #фотография #фото #foto #portraits #pictures #photography #gallery #professionalphotograhy #masterpiece #art #JoelSternfeld #искусство

Fotka uverejnená používateľom @the_vast_world, Máj 12, 2015 o 12:02 PDT

Park itself was built on railroad which was elevated above the street level and used for cargo. Most people were for demolishion of the old track, some parts were demolished even earlier but finally in 2006 they decided to transform it into a park.

I just cant help it.. this place. This is one of the best places in NY for me. The way they transormed this place. I mean, you can still feel the old spirit, the tracks, industrial architecture but there is this there is this totaly opposite side of it. High Line has brought so much life into this rather run down area, sometimes it may even feel way too turistic but still. 

I cant really get deep enough into New Yorkers souls and minds. I havent spent here so much time so far. I guess this is just a place for them tho. Its the same like this whole place get sometimes, it is a park with tons of people, during the day crowds take you all the way down and it can get really anonymous, you just fit into crowd and flow with it.

And then there are these people, just chillin or speaking to strangers, makes you feel you are in some small town. There was this guy writing poems. Poems on demand, just choose what you like. Might meet him next time.

Just calm down and enjoy the High Line. Watch other people, what they do, get involved, check out all the art, try to understand it, lean on, sit down, enjoy the views.

This is not the first time area has changed. Before they built this train track high above the road, there used to be a track in the middle of the street and trains were slow and causing crashes and deaths so often that there even used to be so called "cowboy" riding infront of freight trains getting the cars and pedestrians out of the way.

 They placed there two big windows, so you can watch the street and street can watch you. Whole world under your feet /literally/, sat on a bench leaving NY just a bit behind but still so close to it. People driving these cars must envy. I believe.

It looks kinda a big TV screen. In this TV adverts are funny and cool tho.

I spent good half an hour at this place and new people were coming all the time having fun trying to kiss this girl. Most just got their clothes wet, giggled, said caliente /hot/ and walked away.

Then there was this guy who helped this kid while his mother was taking a photo, then he came back to his wife, sat there next to me and carried on with their chatting.

Next day we came back to High Line. Went to Chelsea market, bought some fresh and sweet tomatoes, feta cheese, hummus and bread. Took one table, found a bench and enjoyed the High Line at its best. It was already dark but still hot and humid, however Hudson river is really close. It was windy and some old New Yorker kept playing Jazz all night long.

the heat is on

When you end up in a city, the heat is on and humidity is something what you are not really used to, all you want to do is just get out of this urban heat island and head down to the beach. This city has one great advantage, it lies on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean which is cold enough to cool you down.

And the best thing about it, you don't really have to think too much how to get there. It's the subway which takes you there. If you have your week pass /31$/ it's all good, trains take you right to the beach. There are not many big cities like this around the world, at least I can't think of many. Maybe Rio and Barcelona, Dubai.. But if you think about real megapolis I don't think you would find any as big where all you need is to jump on a subway train and make your way down there.

93 F /34C/ hit the city today so everybody decided to take the subway to the beach, we had to take uber with 5 random Chinese guys because it was impossible to change trains at #JFKairport #newyork #subway #rush #train #crowded #rockaway #beach #summer #hot #day #humid #weather #weekend #city #ocean #atlantic #longisland #queens #sea

Fotka uverejnená používateľom simon_misk (@simon_misk), Júl 19, 2015 o 7:20 PDT

It's weekend and train is quite packed tho. It's about one hour train ride from Midtown Manhattan and up to like 2hrs if you live in Bronx and decide to leave the hoods. On weekends trains are full of people taking their sunbeds, toys, newspapers, tanning oils, crying kids with little surfs and random people falling asleep.

For some reason, it's really easy to get some nap in these silver cars. I guess it's a combination of factors like the sounds of wheels and rail track, sauna-hot stations and extremely cold trains, then after you fight for your seat you fall a sleep and your head keeps falling on one side and another almost hitting this black guy who would like to punch you in the face.

Rockaway beach #queens #nyc #beach #friday #was #a #good #day #newyork #food #seaguls #summer #windy #afternoon #sunset #blueskies

Video uverejnené používateľom simon_misk (@simon_misk), Júl 18, 2015 o 5:15 PDT

Rockaway is indeed one of the most popular beaches in the states or in New York for sure. Back in 50s they built the world biggest car park and the development went on. The Island itself is full of houses and some ugly condos aswell but it is not as bad as so called Little Odessa which is full of Russians, Ukrainians and all these rather ran down 20fl high rises right on the beach.

I find these buildings located right on the beach even much worse looking than commie blocks back in Slovakia, however grass around them and surroundings look well-maintained tho.

they found a good spot indeed

The sea /ocean/ itself, isnt as great but come on, I mean, we are just on the outskirts of the city, its great there is any beach at all! But it is somehow green rather than blue, full of green stuff which will get around your ankles. Compared to European beaches, there are almost no cafes or restaurant and of course you shouldnt drink so much alcohol at the beach like back home /oh yes, remember this for your stag parties/.

going back to Manhattan, more than 1 hour ride

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Oh yes, you know its like in the news on telly, I need to wrap this blog up with something funny, possitive and if it is including cat, thats ideal! These days most New Yorkers feel like this -