The First Day: New Home, New Places to Explore

So, the morning my family and I drove into New York we almost got arrested. Turns out the minute difference between having your EZ pass on your dash and in your glove compartment is enough to trigger the cops. Luckily, we made it through and made our way down through Harlem to my new apartment.

Not too shabby, right? I think my neighbors will like me more once my Dad stops creeping on them from the back window.

So my apartment is in East Harlem, which originally scared my mom to death, as shown by the amount of times she tried to lock the doors when we drove through it. But, in all honesty, the area is super nice and really friendly. It's mostly a hispanic neighborhood, so really good food and a lively neighborhood are pretty much a guarantee. I got a taste of the liveliness while my parents were still here when a parade made it's way down 3rd Avenue while a children's choir sang hispanic children's songs.

So, after a farewell lunch with my parents, I decided to figure out the parts of the city that I would need to get to on a pretty regular basis. First stop: work. CollegeHumor is located at pretty much the opposite end of Manhattan from me, so it takes a good amount of travel time. After a few mishaps on the subway, I made it down to Chelsea. I found my work, got lost, then found one of the coolest things in Manhattan, The High Line.

It's an old elevated subway line that they converted into a long walkway with trees, yards, and other park-like elements on it. Also, it has this thing painted on the side of a building along the way, so you know it's a good time.

But, alas, I had other places I needed to find. Next stop was Riverside Park, a beautiful strip of greenery along the Upper West Side.

It's one of the best views of the Hudson River, and it reminds me a lot of the North Side River Walk in Pittsburgh. I mean, New Jersey even looks a little like Mt. Washington across the river! I came here to find a soccer field that I had an ultimate game at the next day, and sure enough, there was a field right underneath a major highway next to the river. I'm amazed at how New York adapts to its urban environment.

As I was about to go, I heard heavy electronic music with a weird twist coming from somewhere outside. Curious, I followed the sound along the river until I found quite a strange sight: a Middle Eastern/Reggae rave. On a pier. At 5pm. On a Sunday. Needless to say, I was in awe at the events you can find in New York at any point.

So, that concluded my first day. New York is definitely leaving an impression on me already, and I can't wait to see what it has in store for me the next couple days.

And, of course, you know I joined the rave. Come on, when's the next chance I'll stumble upon something like that again?!