New York City is often seen as a large impersonal city. Movies and TV portray it as this daunting metropolis. It may appear so the visitors on a class trip to NYC but upon closer look you and your students will notice something very different.
You’ve probably heard, read or noticed New York is often referred to by its neighborhoods. Chinatown, Little Italy, the Financial District, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Mid-town, Harlem, the Village, SoHo and many more.
Neighborhood life is rich and thriving in Manhattan. Those living on the island will be living in various apartment or condo complexes. They most likely will not own a car. ( See our blog on cabs ).
Residents will get around the city using a mix of public transportation: subway or bus and one of the 13000 taxis in Manhattan. We love exploring neighborhoods with our students groups to New York City. This is a great way for the class to really see the various neighborhoods and see how New Yorkers live.
Using the subway and walking it is very easy to explore the Financial district (the Bull blog ), Chinatown, SoHo and the Village in the morning. It may seem like a lot but it is actually a very enjoyable walk and it will give the students a great sense for the city beyond the touristy aspects we all want to see.
The neighborhoods are rich with small businesses to serve the local residents. As most residents may not having cars it is important to have grocery stores, convenience stores, drugstores, cleaners, shops of all sorts conveniently nearby.
This makes for a rich neighborhood feel as most will go to the same shops and stores on a regular basis.
We really recommend keeping mind such an experience on your next NYC class trip. This is a great way to break with the traditional tour of New York and have students better understand this aspect of Manhattan from a New Yorkers’ perspective.
