Author Archives: robert.raczkowski

So close but yet so different.  This is my way of comparing two different neighborhoods in Manhattan, New York City.  Tribeca, a neighborhood where New Yorkers live is very different from Times Square, a neighborhood filled with tourists.  Fortunately for us natives there are areas in Manhattan where we don’t need to worry about walking around slow paced tourist’s trying to see the sights. However both areas are great in different ways.

By many criteria, Tribeca could be considered the best place to live in the city. It enjoys tons of transit, loft style apartments in industrial buildings and has already overtaken the Upper East Side as the city’s richest area.  A walk down a street here will yield newlyweds often with newborns.  Despite being in one of the biggest cities in the world TriBeca doesn’t get lost in the sea of neighborhoods but rather holds it’s own.  Mailmen with their carts, classic looking diners and the wide array of residents manage to keep the authenticity here that is disappearing so quickly in other parts of the borough.

Times Square is a must see for tourists but usually a place locals avoid when trying to get from point a to point b.  The naked cowboy and his enthusiastic fans is not a scene you will see in every neighborhood but that is what makes a trip here so memorable.  The crowded streets that make it almost impossible to walk in is the norm.  There’s no mistaking when one has entered times sq.

A train ride for a few stops could be like night and day. its really great to see that even in a borough that is only 23 sq miles there are so many different neighborhoods and each of them offers something different for everyone to enjoy.