44 Karen's Big Weekend

[masterdivinity]

Well. I was going to do The Secret Life of Mary-Anne next, but my fiancé was at the used store and bought me a ton of BSC books, most of them LS books. I appreciate that he embraces my crazy. I told him I want them for our future daughter to read, but he knows they are for me and is being very supportive in my ambition to have the entire LS Series

Comments

[xenaeilonwy]

NYC is not that special and I actually feel pretty damn unsafe when I am walking its streets or taking its buses. Can't really enjoy the sights when I'm on my guard worried about the possibility of having to fight or the possibility of being approached by some creeper.

[duchess_julia]

When my mother-in-law was visiting us in San Franciso, she and I went out one day, and on the street running along the piers we were going to take one of the buses since they're on rails and she thought that was cool. She had a large purse with her that she set down at her feet, and I saw it and told her NEVER do that because it could be swiped, and to keep it close to her body on the bus with the zipper-pull end in front of her, and not to advertise that she's not local because crooks know locals are more likely to take precautions that tourists don't. Then we got on the bus, and it was packed, the kind of packed where someone's armpit would be in your face unless you got a spot on a bench, as we did since I was pregnant and there were some nice people. To my left was a woman who got on when we did and was from New York who was talking about the differences in cities, and she, my mother-in-law, a few others, and I, were talking about where we were from (I was loud about being a local, and mom-in-law took my cue). General chit-chat

[xenaeilonwy]

Ugh the Museum Of Natural History is not freaking worth it anymore. I'll just go to the Smithsonian from now on.

[glitterberrys]

The zipper pull thing is good advice. Never thought of it. I've somehow made it through 30 years in the city without being mugged, but I'm sure it'll happen someday. Always best to be as careful as possible.

[sidndnancy]

Yeah, Macy's is on 34th street while FAO Schwartz is up near Central Park on 59th street. You *could* see it in one day but that's a lot of walking or waiting in a cab, fighting through traffic. I don't think Ann has seen a map of Manhattan.

She also strikes me as one of those people who refuse to go into Harlem because it's OMG! NOT SAFE!! She'll stick her precious and overpriced bubble of mid-town. *eyeroll*

[glitterberrys]

They could've navigated the subway, but with a four year old and a seven year old...that's still a lot of walking with two small people who don't walk very fast.

AMM is stuck so far in the past with everything else, NYC is likely no exception...I remember her describing the Broadway area as "sort of seedy." Not so much. Though I don't remember when that book was written; likely pre-Giuliani, but still, it was one of the ones from the mid-90s.

[fairest1]

I'm suddenly reminded of Home Alone, where Kevin is mocked for being seven years old and asking for help packing his suitcase. Given how Karen packs, Kevin was smart to ask for help.

I'm guessing Karen was surprised at the interior of the bus because she's only ever been on school buses before.

[asukasan]

I'm amazed that Ann could live in New York and NOT have looked at a map of what the city actually looks like on a grid. It's like she just puts random places that happen to be in the city and make them seem close together to make it relevant to the plot. I've never been to NYC.. If it's anything like Toronto, I'm not sure if I want to visit! *laughs* I just don't like Toronto.
I highly doubt that you could see ALL the touristy things in a city in ONE day, if the city is quite large. I live in a tourist town presently, but I used to live in Ottawa, which is VERY touristy since it's the capital, and I don't think I managed to see every tourist attraction in a single day even though I've been to the city multiple times, even before I lived there. Yay for family visits!

[glitterberrys]

Wait, AMM lived in Manhattan? Jesus, I understand being directionally impaired (I have no sense of direction or distance), but...really? Did she just not pay attention, at all, ever?

[glitterberrys]

I've lived in NYC all my life and I do think it's pretty fuckin' magical at Christmastime. If I ever have kids, if we don't live here, I'm going to be dragging them out every Christmas to visit. But you can't see the ENTIRE ISLAND IN A FEW FUCKING HOURS. Well, not if you actually want to do anything but walk by stuff. I had a friend visit me for a week a few summers back and we still didn't get to everything on her to-do list (though we did leave the borough a few times, so maybe we could have crammed all of Manhattan into that visit.)

I do, however, like that for once, kids are actually behaving like kids, and in a CUTE way rather than an asshole way, like being excited about hotel ice buckets. (It's possible I still get excited about hotel ice machines. Hey, I never had a fridge with an ice maker!)

[xenaeilonwy]

I've been to NYC at Christmastime (: In fifth grade I saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and I agree, NYC is amazesauce at Christmas. I like reading over the city parts in Catcher In The Rye 'cause of the imagery.