I came back in Rome yesterday from New York and between a suitcase to unpack, a washing machine to do and a rollout, I managed to write this post with which I want to share with you some thoughts scattered over the city, seasoned with information on New York.

New York is a decidedly chaotic city. What you imagine and see in the movies is nothing compared to reality! The traffic is crazy, worse than Italian cities like Rome and Milan and London (who knows her knows how chaotic and crazy the English capital can be).
For this reason, it is often better to avoid buses and taxis (say “road transport”) because you would take three times to reach a place! (taxi fares, if not for traffic, would still be quite cheap).
In the afternoon, at the offices closing time, you must forget the taxis: you can not find one free even begging! Just on Saturday and Sunday, maybe, you can get one between 4 pm and 8 pm.

CVS Pharmacy: it is a pharmacy with adjoining minimarket where you can buy anything you can use during your stay regarding food and drinks (we went there to buy water to take us to our room at night and something to eat during the day as snacks and sweets);

To go from JFK International Airport to Manhattan: you have to take the train that goes to the Jamaica center (for this they call it the “Jamaica train”) and from there take the metro (line E takes you to Lexington Avenue, to the Grand Central station and at other useful points in Manhattan). The train ticket costs 5 dollars.

Underground tickets cost 2.75$ and bus tickets 2.50$. Not to pay every time you can take the MetroCard: the one for a week costs $ 31 (one is for the purchase of the rechargeable card) and allows you to use public transport whenever you want within its validity period.

It is not easy to understand the subway: there are several lines (a lot!!) indicated with letters and numbers. Often three lines have the same colour (A, C, E are blue, and 4,5,6 are green and go to opposite sides of Central Park), follow in part the same path dividing at a certain point, and it is not easy to understand what is the line that is detached! Always pay close attention, then, and ask! A subway thing, however, is simple to understand: the directions of travel are two, that is “uptown” and “downtown” depending on whether you go to the north (north-east and north-west, always specified) or to the south ( and south-east and south-west always specified with the names of the neighborhoods). Once you have understood which line you need to take and if you have to go north or south you are already halfway!
NB: once you get off at the station, read the signs and directions for the tracks and destinations! You don’t want to take an express train instead of “local” and skip the station you need?!?

In the stations of the chicest areas of the city (like Park Avenue), in addition to the staff of the ticket offices, you will also find “information workers”. that help you understand which metro to take and where to go inside the station (some are on 3 or more levels, and it’s not so easy to figure out which one you need to get down to)

Would you like to see a show on Broadway (“the phantom of the opera” is beautiful)? Two box offices sell them discounted (and remain very dear):
– At the height of the 47street west (under the red stairs that people go up to take pictures of the square): you can buy them for the same evening choosing only between some shows
– On the corner between john street and front street and (downtown, south street seaport): here you can buy them for the same evening or the matineé the next day (usually at 15:00).
Attention: the shows are divided between “Broadway” and “off-Broadway”: the latter are shows made at low cost).

Houses with stairs outside, views and magazines in movies and TV series, are extraordinarily seen live.

The official New York tourism website is nycgo.com.