Today’s blogpost will be a little different. I interviewed five people I met in New York City, asking them questions about the city and requesting some recommendations for places and restaurants to visit. I decided not to translate this blogpost into German. I really like the way Vin, Scott and Justin answered the questions and don’t want to ruin the context by translating it.
Vin
My name is Vin, I’m 27 years old and I manage social media for a startup based in NYC. Thats also probably the most millennial sounding thing I’ve ever said, ha. I grew up in New York about two hours north of Manhattan and have lived in NYC for 5 years. Currently living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
// What has changed the most since you moved to New York City?
It’s not really until you live here, that you realize just how fast paced the city is and how things can change so quickly. I think what I’ve noticed change the most are the relationships I’ve created while here. Your social circle changes constantly—you meet new friends all the time, watch some of them move away, but you always try to keep the relationships going with the ones you care about most.
What I love about New York City is… the diversity.
What I don’t like about New York City is… that it’s expensive af to live here. My friend Morgan just rented a beautiful new apartment in Washington D.C. and basically paid for it in buttons. I’m over here in BK paying a small fortune to live with two other people in a 3 bedroom apartment. But, its 1000% worth it. So, I’ll stop complaining.
// Which area or street is your favorite and why?
Ah, it’s hard to name just one. I have so many—I have all of these great memories in different neighborhoods. I love walking through Gramercy Park because it reminds me of my best friend’s first apartment in NYC. I’ve been in Williamsburg for a little over a year now and its by far the best place I’ve ever lived. The nightlife in East Williamsburg/Bushwick is so over the top weird and fun. The LGBTQ history in the West Village. Even Times Square! Which is usually the last place you’d ever catch me. But, there use to be this party that happened up there every Saturday night during summer 2015. We would stumble out of this night club at 3:30am and Times Square would be completely lit up and totally deserted. It was such a surreal thing to be standing in.
// We all know about places like by Chloe, The Butchers Daughter and Cha Cha Matcha – thanks to Instagram and co. I’d like to know about the hidden food-spots and bars. Can you recommend any cafés, restaurants and bars that many people (especially tourists) might not know of?
Cafe Colette is one of my favorite brunch spots. Lorde sat down at the table next to me one weekend and I turned into a 16 year old girl. Also, check out Egg, Llama Inn and the roof at Sunday in Brooklyn. For night life, my favorite place to see a DJ is this spot called The Good Room. There’s also a club called Output that probably has the best sound system in NYC.(These are all in Brooklyn, BTW.) Oh, and drag shows in Chelsea and the West Village!
// New York is a very international and multicultural City that welcomes many tourists every year. In what way does that affect you?
I see it as a positive, but I don’t really feel directly affected by it. To be honest, as I’m writing this out, I realize that I don’t meet a ton of tourists living here. It’s only really if a friend has someone visiting or NYC nightlife. I’ve met a bunch of people visiting NYC while out at night clubs or concerts. It’s funny how music can resonate with so many people and create commonality like that. It makes it so much easier to strike up a conversation in that type of environment.
// Have you ever thought about living in another state or outside the city? If so, why would you want to move?
I’ve lived my entire life in New York and I’m really happy here. I’m not opposed to moving though! I think if the right job opportunity came up or I met a boy and fell in love I would move. Even then, I could only see it being short term. I think it would be cool to do it for a year or so, but I know NY will always be home. Oh, and if I were to go anywhere, it would probably be California simply for the good weather.
Scott
My name is Scott, I’m 28 years old. I’m the chief of staff at a fashion ecommerce app called Spring. I’ve been living in nyc for 10 years, almost entirely in the east village.
// What has changed the most since you moved to New York City?
NY has been going through a rapid influx of gentrification for the past 100+ years. But, I feel like more than ever, the pace by which money and now social media are stripping away the raw, gritty nature of this city has quickened beyond a natural pace. And in the wake of this evolution we’re leaving behind a more plastic, less authentic version of our city. I probably sound jaded. The book Vanishing New York, has put much of my feelings into words.
What I love about New York City are… those awesome moments of anonymity, coexisting in close proximity with your fellow New Yorkers in a city where no one really belongs.
What I don’t like about New York City are… all of the lights.. in Times Square :)
// Which area or street is your favorite and why?
Orchard street in the LES – home of classic NYC tenement brick buildings, once known as “Little Germany” from its former immigrant population, and a haven for cool (and now fancy) boutiques, cafes and other clothing shops. Orchard street is closed to traffic every Sunday, which makes it a fun weekend spot.
// We all know about places like by Chloe, The Butchers Daughter and Cha Cha Matcha – thanks to Instagram and co. I’d like to know about the hidden food-spots and bars. Can you recommend any cafés, restaurants and bars that many people (especially tourists) might not know of?
- Via Quodronno – best coffee and paninis in NYC, period.
- St. Mazie – cool downstairs cocktail bar in Brooklyn, great for dates, food is awesome too.
- Cafe Dante – probably touristy now, but still great for coffee.
- Venieros – old school ny italian pastry shop. cannoli and espresso.
- Why Not Cafe – cozy, modern cafe. Good to work or just hang out
// New York is a very international and multicultural City that welcomes many tourists every year. In what way does that affect you?
NYC lives within it’s own bubble in the U.S. – it’s not even possible to compare this city with the rest of our country. So in many ways its like we’re living in a small “world” vs in the “United States”. NY has forever drawn in the misfits. It’s a city built around a diversity of cultures, races, and personalities. The more diverse and open the better.
// Have you ever thought about living in another state or outside the city? If so, why would you want to move?
New York was my first love. This will always be my home. But a part of me feels like I need to leave for a little while possibly to europe to live or maybe to just travel the world for an extended period. Some say distance makes the heart grow fonder, leaving NY even for a little makes me appreciate this city that much more.
Justin
My name is Irrelevant with a capital i and I have 0 followers on social media. I am right at that age where I have realized ‘shit I am suppose to be a grown up’ and right at that age where I am grown up enough to say ‘fuck the idea of being a grown up.’ I regretfully do nothing of meaning at the moment. I have lived in NYC my entire life with a few years abroad.
// What has changed the most since you moved to New York City?
I never moved to New York. New York and I have had an intimate relationship so I’m always coming in and out of the city. New York has changed exponentially in the past 15 years, post Bloomberg New York is very different than pre-Giuliani. It is a different city, I can’t begin to reliably tell you the changes. Read Luc Sante’s Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York, that will help you understand NYC from its birth to now.
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// Which area or street is your favorite and why?
Favorites are tough, they can change seasonally, I have weird favorite things, like a favorite bush behind the Peter Pan statue in Carl Schurz Park because its the first place I smoked grass. You know, favorites are too subjective. I can’t answer questions like that. I can recommend though to go to the steps of the MET at midnight, or the east river, and only at night because it is empty then. Bring a bottle of Champagne its like MontMarte except completely empty and not as a good as a view so maybe its nothing like Montmarte. Bring a radio, you can listen loudly and almost no one will bother you, just don’t go in the fountains, or go in them and see if you’re caught.
// We all know about places like by Chloe, The Butchers Daughter and Cha Cha Matcha – thanks to Instagram and co. I’d like to know about the hidden food-spots and bars. Can you recommend any cafés, restaurants and bars that many people (especially tourists) might not know of?
By chloe started in what? 2015? The Butchers daughter is from LA. Cha Cha Matcha opened in 2016. There are too many good looking people in these places, it makes me feel uncomfortable. None of these places really embody New York, they embody a physical store front of online culture. New York was named New York in roughly 1664, its first europeans touched down in 1525 that makes, and I don’t have a degree in Math so I asked a 7 year old on the 6 train, 353 and 492 years respectively. It is tough to talk about restaurants and bars in NYC because they are like men and women in New York, there is always a more attractive one on the next corner. Go check out a shitty dirty dive bar in the east village or lower east side. They have almost no lights and no air conditioning but somehow have a jukebox and $7 dollar shot and beer specials. Bring Cash. Do that. Get the night started; These bars are reliable, like an average lay. Intercontinental is one. Then head somewhere fancy and really make a statement.
// New York is a very international and multicultural City that welcomes many tourists every year. In what way does that affect you?
If you don’t like that affect, leave New York City. You really don’t have a choice in this option. The international mentality will never be dug out of NYC and NYCs roots are deeper than yours, much deeper. NYC was raised and founded on immigrant international lifestyle and will always be, New York is all about who wants it the most and typically people already 3,000km from their birthplace want it more than you. To appeal to you German speakers by 1855 manhattan had the third largest German population and German speaking population outside Vienna and Berlin. Now there are 800+ languages in NYC spoken daily.
// Have you ever thought about living in another state or outside the city? If so, why would you want to move?
I would live in Tokyo, Stockholm, Berlin, Seoul. I like cities where you can feel the pulse of its youthful inhabitants; I think New York has plateaued. If you’re from New York, though, you don’t regress and by that I mean you don’t move to another domestic location unless its the the west coast–to fulfill Manifest Destiny–the rest are what some pretentiously call fly-over states. Who knows though my views may change, some New England towns are lovely too but thats a place embodying original American history as well. New Yorkers are New yorkers. They stay in New York, and if they are moving they move close by, the tri-state area, and that sucks because that means you have kids, or worse you sold out for cash. Plus have you read the news? I’m not gonna go live with neighbors that have tiki torches in their backyards.
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