PAN HANDLERS Every city is going to have their fair share of them. It's unavoidable. Boston's population is over 600,000--compared to New York's 8 million--so of course there are going to be fewer panhandlers. What really makes a difference, though, is the T. Passengers do not move between trains. I assume it is possible to do so, in the event of a fire or emergency, but I have not seen one person do it yet. Thus, T rides are incredibly pleasant, as I am guaranteed to get on and off without a soul crushing guilt trip when a guy with both of his legs amputated above the knee drags himself across a subway car floor on his way to the next car. It has diminished commuter stress immensely.
My T stop is the Porter Square stop. In New York, it was the 96th street station. On rare occasions, there would be a rather talented musician at the 96th street station. Though, stations like Times Square and Penn Station are the headliner venues for Subway performers. I recall one December day last year when a guy was playing Christmas carols on an acoustic guitar in the 96th street stop. It was beautiful. Porter Square has talented musicians playing every day of the week. I'm pretty sure this has to do with the fact that T performers are required to get a permit to play. I believe it's about $25 dollars for the year, but it has a profound effect on the mood of a T station. Many a morning I briefly consider waiting for the next train so I can hear a banjo player finish a song. In New York, there is no permit requirement; riff raff ensues.
PEDESTRIANS Boston pedestrians make kamikaze pilots look like cowards. I had lunch with my boss last week and about 5 minutes after telling me very sternly that I was not to walk through Cambridge Common at night, he weaved me through moving traffic without batting an eye at the rather swiftly moving cars. I'm already a nervous city driver, so adding these crazy pedestrians into the mix when I drive around Boston is almost too much to bear.
RUNNERS There are plenty of active people in NYC. I consider myself a runner now and racked up decent mileage in both Central and also Hudson River Parks. Boston, however, takes it to a new level. People run here in all kinds of horrible weather. It will be 19 degrees and snowing, but these die hard runners will don their under armor and head out. The worst part is that Boston runners are the ultimate kamikaze pedestrian. Not only will they weave through traffic, but they come out of nowhere. I get quickly annoyed when I see someone running under certain conditions; mainly when it's cold, raining (cold AND raining), and when it's Sunday. Sunday is really my biggest anti-running day. It's SUNDAY people! Go put your feet up and read the paper!!!! God forbid it's a rainy cold Sunday and I see someone running here. I suppose I'll have to get used to it.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Boston
Although this is technically an entertainment blog, I need to regroup for a few posts to discuss not choice amusement, but a recent life decision of my own. Within the last month, I made the leap from New York to Boston. I went from the Upper West Side to Cambridge. I am experiencing the standard culture shock that comes from not only moving, but also moving out of my parents house. There's also the culture shock of the sudden immersion to the greater Boston area. Stay tuned for more observations as I make my transition. Here are my first impressions.
THE ACCENT Alright, we've all mocked the accent at some point. "I pahked the cah in Hah-vahd yahd." Frankly, it happens with all accents--New York's is not excluded from this group. ("I bet the Chinese food is tehrrible.") The Boston accent, however, has really thrown me for a loop. In New York city, the accent basically doesn't cross into Manhattan. Unless you wander around the Bronx or Queens, you're really not going to get much exposure to it. (Side note: in a recent job interview in downtown Manhattan, the interviewer, a New Yorker, commended me--another native New Yorker--for not having an accent. I was thoroughly confused, as I haven't met any native Manhattanite who has spoken with an accent.)
I know I will quickly get accustomed to it, but the Boston accent surprised me because when I think of strong prevailing regional accents in America, I think of the south and the midwest. I never thought that I should throw Boston on that list too.
THE SOX My first visit back to New York, I will keep a tally of all the Yankee gear I see. I think it may have become white noise to me, because the sox paraphernalia I see day in and day out is overwhelming. Part of the shock comes from the fact that I definitely see Yankee baseball hats in the spring, summer and early autumn. I don't really remember seeing Yankee winter gear all over town. Obviously, Boston has a longer winter, so fans are forced to buy winter seasonal fan gear. I am pretty sure that it will take me a year before I grow accustomed to seeing Red Sox stuff everywhere. I'm sure I'll have more on Red Sox culture once the season starts, too.
THE T New York's subway system has many superior characteristics to it than the T. Bostonians love to hate the T. So far, I have found it reliable and clean. Sure, it closes early, is prone to delays, and is basically pointless when it doesn't run underground. But, one aspect almost makes up for all its shortcomings: the Charlie Card. I would say 4 out of 5 days when commuting to work in New York City, I'd get stuck behind some idiot who didn't know how to properly swipe their Metrocard. It requires skill to smoothly execute the Metrocard swipe as you walk through the turnstyle. The Charlie Card, however, allows you to wave it near an electronic sensor and you're on your way. Not only does this allow for a great margin for error because you don't have to get a magnetic strip in just the right spot, but you don't have to remove your Charlie Card from your wallet. I cannot even tell you how great that is. So many times this winter, I had forgotten to properly replace my Metrocard back into my wallet. This usually occurred when a train was in the station and I would quickly put my card in my pocket in order to run to catch my train. I would realize this the next day, when I would be wearing a different coat than the day before. Cursing ensued.
Will I love Boston more than New York? Probably not. My loyalty to New York runs thick. I also think that on a point of pride, I could never admit to liking Boston more. So far, however, Boston has welcomed me warmly and I find myself feeling very much at home.
THE ACCENT Alright, we've all mocked the accent at some point. "I pahked the cah in Hah-vahd yahd." Frankly, it happens with all accents--New York's is not excluded from this group. ("I bet the Chinese food is tehrrible.") The Boston accent, however, has really thrown me for a loop. In New York city, the accent basically doesn't cross into Manhattan. Unless you wander around the Bronx or Queens, you're really not going to get much exposure to it. (Side note: in a recent job interview in downtown Manhattan, the interviewer, a New Yorker, commended me--another native New Yorker--for not having an accent. I was thoroughly confused, as I haven't met any native Manhattanite who has spoken with an accent.)
I know I will quickly get accustomed to it, but the Boston accent surprised me because when I think of strong prevailing regional accents in America, I think of the south and the midwest. I never thought that I should throw Boston on that list too.
THE SOX My first visit back to New York, I will keep a tally of all the Yankee gear I see. I think it may have become white noise to me, because the sox paraphernalia I see day in and day out is overwhelming. Part of the shock comes from the fact that I definitely see Yankee baseball hats in the spring, summer and early autumn. I don't really remember seeing Yankee winter gear all over town. Obviously, Boston has a longer winter, so fans are forced to buy winter seasonal fan gear. I am pretty sure that it will take me a year before I grow accustomed to seeing Red Sox stuff everywhere. I'm sure I'll have more on Red Sox culture once the season starts, too.
THE T New York's subway system has many superior characteristics to it than the T. Bostonians love to hate the T. So far, I have found it reliable and clean. Sure, it closes early, is prone to delays, and is basically pointless when it doesn't run underground. But, one aspect almost makes up for all its shortcomings: the Charlie Card. I would say 4 out of 5 days when commuting to work in New York City, I'd get stuck behind some idiot who didn't know how to properly swipe their Metrocard. It requires skill to smoothly execute the Metrocard swipe as you walk through the turnstyle. The Charlie Card, however, allows you to wave it near an electronic sensor and you're on your way. Not only does this allow for a great margin for error because you don't have to get a magnetic strip in just the right spot, but you don't have to remove your Charlie Card from your wallet. I cannot even tell you how great that is. So many times this winter, I had forgotten to properly replace my Metrocard back into my wallet. This usually occurred when a train was in the station and I would quickly put my card in my pocket in order to run to catch my train. I would realize this the next day, when I would be wearing a different coat than the day before. Cursing ensued.
Will I love Boston more than New York? Probably not. My loyalty to New York runs thick. I also think that on a point of pride, I could never admit to liking Boston more. So far, however, Boston has welcomed me warmly and I find myself feeling very much at home.
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