Dave

This is an island of touristland in the middle of a really vibrant and genuine part of Manhattan. Walk across it, walk parallel to it, just don’t walk on it.

This is a great place to see real people, not just tourists and people who make money from them. If you get away from Canal St there are some great restaurants.

I walked across for pizza. I was very hungry by the time we got there.

It’s a good place to catch a train or bus out of the city.

Go there, get it out of your system, and leave. Three blocks in any direction and everything gets cheaper, and you might even see the rare and beautiful native New-Yorker.

If you hang out in Times Square, you are hanging out with the rest of the tourists.

If you go to the Republica and stay at a resort, they will tell you not to buy things from the shops and stores there, and then charge you US$10 for a tube of toothpaste. For the most part, this is total crap. Make your way for yourself. Use your better judgment. Don’t get trapped by sharks and tourist traps, but most of the locals are good people.

Don’t get stuck in your hotel for the whole trip. See the country.

I spent 18 years of my life there. I could probably tell you anything you need to know (not that there’s much to tell).

Remember the event, not the location. Right now it’s a hole in the ground with a PATH station next to it. Remember those lost, but get on with your life, and let the developers who owned the land get on with theirs.

I spent 2 years going to SUNY Cobleskill. There’s not much to the town, but it’s not bad.

I’ve spent a good deal of time in Manhattan, but I prefer upstate. I don’t mean the upstate that people from NYC mean, I mean like 3-6 hours north and west of the city. That’s where I was born and raised.