As for Manhatten, there are too many people there, both residents and tourists. It's probably good we are leaving. Everywhere you go you are among crowds of people. For everything you want to do, you must stand in line and wait, wait, wait. I can see how the city would be energizing for the young people. There's so much to see and do. Thousands of restaurants and many theaters and clubs. On the other hand, I found the hoards of people stifling. I yearn for my ranch and animals, which I will see soon if all goes well on the trip home.
And the diversity! We took taxi cabs most of the time (the subway only once) and each time our driver was from some other country. We had a driver from Senegal who only wanted to earn enough money so he could go back home to his farm. He said he bought the equipment he needed for his farm here in the states because it wasn't available in his country.
Another driver was from Romania who had been driving a taxi in New York for 15 years. And another driver from Ecuador was more well versed in international concerns than any American we know, including me. We encountered no American born taxi drivers. Even the limo driver who took us from the hotel to the airport had some kind of accent. We didn't ask. He was very concerned about immigration at the Mexican border. These taxi drivers hear and participate in a lot of conversations. They know a lot. If you are in New York, just ask your driver whatever you want to know.
You can't walk down the street without encountering people of many different cultures and races. It's good, I think. Fairly soon you get used to the different language sounds and looks of people different from you.
One thing that crossed our minds was how most people could afford to live in the city. On the subway, we talked to one girl who was in her 20s. Dennis asked her how she could afford her apartment. She told us her boyfriend's family owned their apartment and he inherited it. Otherwise the high cost of housing would be a problem.
Everything in the city is expensive. You have transportation costs if you drive, ride the subway, take a taxi, or ride a bus. Maybe that's why you see so many people walking. Food is expensive. One of our taxi drivers was telling us that the people he knew ate Mac & cheese every night and paid the rent. That's all the money they had.
But if you have enough money, like millions, You can live across from Central Park and never go out. Then life could be good. As foe me, California here I come.
