People of New York

This city is home to 8 million people, and already I have seen so much diversity in the population. Everywhere we go there are Italians, Asians, Latinos, African Americans and Russians. In fact, there have been many times on the subway or in the street when I have felt in the minority as a white European which i think is really cool.
It's not uncommon to hear people speaking different languages or in strange accents. Everywhere you go there are corporate suits, skinny mile-high legs on Louis Vuitton heels, hipsters, gangsters, plastic surgery faces, old, young, rich, poor. All jammed together in a subway train or on the street. Of course certain areas are mostly inhabited by certain types of people, it seems to be a real melting pot around the whole city.

The subway is not too different to the systems in any other big cities. The underground stations are grimy and smelly, the cars are lit with blinding florescents which sometimes flicker. The subway system is over 100 years old and they are constantly trying to fix it, never able to keep up with the wear as millions of people use it every day. It's pretty easy to navigate, I have pretty much mastered the grid system and it's fairly hassle-free finding your way around in the main areas. It doesn't take long to get around either, Manhattan is actually not a huge area and it's all flat so walking or biking is easy and often quicker than waiting for a train. I can't imagine why anyone would want to sit in one of the many cars that are constantly backed up in traffic jams and having to stop for pedestrians, trucks, police and roadworks.

In the subways and the stations there is always music, and not the recorded kind. There are so many buskers and performers, such as these young men from the Bronx who put on a jaw-dropping show of break dancing.

There were three guys playing the saxophone, violin and singing on a train, not asking for any money. I have heard several people break into unabashed song in the stations, and most of them have incredible voices. People here definitely aren't shy, which I think is cool.

I've been approached by several people in the street. One was a very well-spoken young man collecting funds for his basketball team in the Bronx. One was a doorman who greeted me and told me I was beautiful. And another was an old drunk guy who smelt terrible and wanted to shake my hand and introduce himself. They say New Yorkers are often abrupt and short tempered, but I have found many people here to be very friendly and helpful. Locals and tourists alike commonly ask each other for directions or subway stops, and everyone is very willing to help and gives you specific directions. I think it wouldn't be so bad after all to live here.