Ready, Set, Go!

Hola! Me llamo Diego y soy de Nueva York. Soy puertorriqueño: like many other people from all over the world, my family came to New York from Puerto Rico in search of a better life, dreaming of making it big. Together with other nations and cultures, our Puerto Rican heritage has helped build and shape the City of New York as we know it today. If you ask me, it is this mix of different people and cultures that makes NYC great. But this cosmopolitan city is not familiar to New Yorkers only: many of its streets and places are famous all over the world. With a population of over 8 million people, making it the most populous city in the US, New York attracts over 60 million visitors a year! It truly is the city that never sleeps. 

I live in a brownstone rowhouse in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs that make up the city of New York. The other four are Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Manhattan, or the City, as New Yorkers call it, is the smallest borough, but millions of tourists go there for its unique sights and tastes. You name it, Manhattan has it! Times Square, also called the Crossroads of the World, is packed with neon-lit billboards, stores, entertainers and people. From there, you can go to Broadway and check out its many shows. Culture lovers can enjoy the world-famous museums and galleries, while those interested in shopping can go on a spree on Fifth Avenue! If you’d like to try out your business knowledge, the Financial District with the famous Wall Street is the right place for you.

With so much to see and do, you’ll definitely get hungry. So, why not have a quick bite on the go? You don’t have to look everywhere to find a hot-dog stand. For a taste of New York’s staple foods, try bagels, pastrami on rye, or pretzels. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss out on New York cheesecake or the black-and-white cookie! You can also enjoy ethnic food in many delis and restaurants across the picturesque neighborhoods of Little Italy, Chinatown, Greenwich Village and SoHo. Or pop over to Brooklyn and join the thousands who visit Smorgasburg, NYC’s largest weekly open-air food market. 

When you get tired of the concrete jungle, relax in Central Park, New York’s famous green oasis. You can also grab a cab, take the train or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and enjoy the view of New York’s iconic skyline. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a helicopter tour or one of the ferries on the Hudson and East Rivers to admire the city from a different perspective.

Catch a breath after all this excitement and chill on stoops: one of my favorite places to be. Talking to family, friends and my neighborhood Brooklynites: nothing beats that. And this fall I’m welcoming Hiro, a Japanese exchange student from Tokyo, to join my family. But that’s not all:  I’m also getting a Japanese dog, a Shiba Inu pup! I’m looking forward to learning about Japanese culture and showing them the places and the people that make up this great city. We’ll visit other places, as well. Upstate New York has lots to offer, too. And Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Boston are just a ride away. Nevertheless, for me it’s all about my city.