Thursday 11 May 2017

Last Day in NY - Just Chillin'

It was our last day in New York before we would pack our bags and go to our final destination, Boston, where we will meet my good friends Al and Hilary. As a consequence, we were just chillin' a bit.

While we made our way to Central Park one last time to have a packed lunch, Isi and I reflected on our stay in New York. NY is kinda awesome and kind of not. The city is a lot of fun and as a student I am sure it is great to be here, as there is always something happening, but it is also a very good way to do a deep dive into debts.


A very pensive lunch with my love, Isabel... Yes, I know, I look as sophisticated and sharp as ever.

The place is completely overpriced in every aspect you can think. We went to the Museum of the History of the City of New York and one of the first sentences of the museum guide hit the nail directly on the head.

"New York was from the very beginning, more than 400 years ago, about making money, and this has not changed to this very day."

You could not be any more correct. Yesterday's tour guide for the movie tours casually talked about rent control and how to do it here in New York, because of the unrealistic living arrangements of the friends in "Friends". She casually dropped that she paid $3000 each month for rent and that is a good deal, because her neighbour above her pays triple that.

The four things that make New York New York - Check it, Money is right on the top

Apart from that, during the museum something was confirmed that we sadly already knew. The British were during their colonization heyday a big bunch of bullies and dickheads. The Dutch arrived in New Netherlands and formed New Amsterdam and rose to success under Petrus Stuyvesant. The Dutch were the ones, who bought the land from the native Indians for ca. $24.

Their success was so enormous, that the British who settled further up North thought to themselves, I'll have me that and then let's kill the natives, too, for good measure and take all the riches back to Mother England...
If this sounds familiar, it is possible because they did similar things most notably on the subcontinent of India, South Africa and I believe Australia, too. In New Zealand they tried, but encountered such heavy resistance from the Maoris, that they decided to make contracts...

In hindsight, while we were having our lunch in the park watching the far too comfortable squirrels and birds run and fly near humans to get food, we figured that the New York experience was very cool. Something that you need to have done, but we would not want to live here. As we said, it is too expensive and what is probably just as bad, there is no real nature within a 2 hour drive from the city. Our sweet deal with a house in the country side with cows behind the fence is not exactly possible here. For that sort of stuff, you would easily pay a rent of $40000 here in NY.
These squirrels are absolutely everywhere. They are much keen and less fearful than their European red-haired cousins

Kinda proud I got a shot like this...

Having said that, I would not miss it for the world that we have watched Cats, that we walked through Time Square at night with all its madness and that we have been to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on a sunny day.

Good times, but I don't think we will plan to come here again. Never say never, maybe there will be a congress here or something along those lines, but I think we will focus more in US countryside for vacation if at all.

All Aboard! Next Stop... Boston!!!



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