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Friday March 13th '98 Faster than a New York Minute?
In the minds of many people who do not live here, New York City conjures up an image of a sophisticated city, full of buzz, where things get done quickly, and where conversations are witty if not deep, and where the ordinary is the exception. Yet in this so-called high speed metropolis, where you hear the expression "faster than a New York minute", things seldom happen quickly and it is more often mañana, than happening now. I think New Yorkers operate on an effectively slower time frame than even that of the most laid-back hippies of the seventies. It's true that they rush around a lot and never seem to be still. Apparently, even at the beach they try to organise each other into teams for ball games. They are not a calm people. But does anything actually happen? I don't think so. When I started working at Long Island City about three years ago, the train station that I get off at was just starting to be renovated. It was a bit annoying walking through rubble, and having only one exit open, so I asked a local how long it would take before it was finished. "About two years", she replied with a touch of pride. Faster than a New York minute maybe. Well, almost three years later, they're still working on it. I've never been a patient person, but if there's one thing that New York has taught me, it is how to wait. I never expect anything on time anymore, and the only thing I can see here that gets done in a minute, is the evening TV "news". The "New Idea" of Manhattan
I don't know if the magazine "New Idea" is still published in Australia but if it is, I'm sure its readers do not realise that they are in there among the sophisticates. When my children were around ten and twelve, we used to laugh at "New Idea" columns like "Mere Male" where readers would write in with pedestrian remarks about everyday events. Readers would write (and maybe still do) such things as "little Johnnie dropped his toys and said is grannie too old to bend over to pick them up?", and "I asked a passerby the way to the town hall and he said I don't know I've never been there". My kids would look for the worst "story" and roll about laughing.If I'd known about it, I could have shown them "Metropolitan Diary", a column of sorts that appears in the New York Times every Monday. I read it and think I could be on the outskirts of the Peak country in England, or in the middle of the Northern Territory. Such gems. "Metropolitan Diary" is a weekly compilation of readers "tales" of life in the Big Apple. No discussions of philosophy or of life in the fast lane here. Instead there are stories of events that amuse New Yorkers. This week's assortment includes a story about a woman with an accent seeking directions to the upper West Side, an anecdote from a short woman having trouble with a low chair at a restaurant, and a report on a conversation about ear-rings between two sisters. The readers' contributions all start with "Dear Diary", and go on for around two paragraphs. Last Monday's tooth fairy contribution would have claimed "Letter of the Week" in "New Idea". Melanie, the little girl being written about, asks one of her parents about the tooth fairy. She's obviously a clever little girl and the parent is very proud. She tries to get more than a dollar for her lost tooth and asks for a picture of the tooth fairy to show her friends. She claims that the handwriting in the tooth fairy's notes is just like that of Santa Claus. Yep, it's a happening place, the old Manhattan. The Truth About Cats and Dogs
I must have seen more pet animals here in four years than in my entire life. New York is full of dogs and unseen cats. It is one of the first things that visitors to Manhattan remark upon.The local video store, Video Couch, sells doggie bagels and dog fashion accessories. There are dog delis and dog limo services. The only living thing whose name I know, in our block of apartments (apart from the doormen), is a dog. His name is Billie. Most people in the building seem to know his name and he's a bit of a local identity in an apartment block where there is no communal activity or social life. The sign in the photo is from a door in our building. I passed it everyday without blinking an eyelid, till a young Australian traveller pointed it out. He seemed to find it bizzare. To me it was normal. That's scary! 
Your Questions and CommentsNed from Ireland emailed: Hi there, am interested in Australia and the people . Where do the Aussies hang out in NY city? I am Irish and hope to make it Down Under someday and while I am here it would be nice to meet some Shelias.I don't know where the Aussies hang out in New York City, Ned. There's a place called the Australia Bar, but when I went there, although the tables were shaped like boomerangs and although there were posters of Australian beaches on the wall, I did not hear a single Australian accent. There is a happy hour thing at the Australian Consulate in the Rockefeller Center once a month, but it's really for Australians to meet each other. It would help you in your search if you did not refer to Australian women as "sheilas", as it's considered unflattering and ockerish. Best of luck. Dennis from Australia asked: I was doing a bit of Internet exploring when I came across Aussies abroad. I am currently exploring the possibilities of Export Markets of Australian Aboriginal Art to the United States. New York is one of my target areas. I have travelled to the U.S. twice now exhibiting. Would you have any contacts there for this medium. Any information you can pass on would be a help and appreciated. I don't have any contacts but think that the Australian Consulate here may be able to help. I will also email you the Australian address of an Australian photographer artist from Melbourne who recently exhibited here. She may be able to help. Any readers with any ideas, please drop me a line and I'll pass it on to Dennis. Joe from Australia emailed: Can you help me with some leads on AFFORDABLE apartment accommodation on Manhattan round September/October/November. All I can find out here is stuff on glitzy apartments like The Sutton on E57th St or "suite hotels". Does such a thing as a moderately/modestly priced apartment (bedroom, living, kitchen,bathroom) exist on the East or inner West Side between the Village/Soho and the late 50s? Do Australians in New York ever utilise that grand old colonial traditon, the "leave flat"? Where would I start looking? You'll never know if you don't ask, so I'm asking. Hope you can help. I had a story on accomodation in New York a few weeks ago (see Feb. 27th page), but that was for hotels. I personally doubt there are reasonably-priced apartments short term in that area. A one bedroom apartment here costs upward of $1800 US per month with a year's lease. I assume "leave flat" is an apartment that you rent from the owner or tenants short-term, when the occupants are away for a few months. They probably call that a "short-term sublet" here. I don't know where you would find such a place but do know someone who did (does). I'll try to find his email address and let you know. Meanwhile, maybe some readers will help out. |