Feeling The Energy While Walking In The Big Apple
The first time I went to New York City, a friend who lives there had advised me against doing one particular thing common to first-time visitors to the Big Apple. when walking down the streets, don’t gawk up at the tall buildings.
The reason for this, he explained, was that it marked you as a tourist and made you an easy target for any thieves or pickpockets who might be in the area. That was very sound advice.
So when I first walked the streets of New York City, I made it a point to look straight ahead. And I immediately noted that this is a good idea besides alerting any pickpockets to one’s presence. There are so many people on the sidewalks that if you’re looking up at the buildings, you’re going to get trampled.
Walking around it not a simple stroll in NYC; it’s a stampede. I have never seen so many people on city sidewalks. It was like being at a sporting event or a concert. Plus, they were all walking fast, in one heck of a hurry as if the place they are going to is about to close and they had better get there NOW.
I only move that fast when I hear the words “last call!”
What really amazed me the most – still does, actually – were the crosswalks. When they were red, people piled up against the curb like a great flood behind held back by a dam. When the light changed, the floodgates opened and people poured out onto the street.
They crossed at a furious pace and I’m telling you, if you were not moving with them then you would be swept away like a stick in a fast-moving river.
Here’s another thing I quickly discovered about walking in New York City: nobody looks at you. There is zero eye contact with anyone. The people are staring off into the distance and walking as if they are on a mission. I’m from the South and live in Southern California, so I’m accustomed to exchanging glances, smiles and heck, maybe even a “hey how ya doing” every now and then.
But not in the Big Apple.
Overall, I found New York City fascinating. Sure it moved at a fast pace and if you were to go up to someone and ask them the time, they might say something like “what do I look like to you, a watch!?”
But I’ve never felt such energy in a place. New York City is alive! I felt completely jazzed and fired up just by walking around the city.
I just knew to be sure to not look down when I walked, but straight of me.
Cheers!
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