Made In Manhattan

Bageshree Vaze has a taste of the Big Apple to understand the secret behind the resilience of new york

The Statue of Liberty

I have never been a fan of cliches, but perhaps they exist for a reason — there is often truth in them. As my plane landed at John F Kennedy International Airport, I thought of all the catch-phrases associated with New York City. The city that doesn’t sleep. The city of dreams. The Big Apple. And for anyone trying to do business in the economic capitol of America (and perhaps the business capitol of the world), the lyrics in Frank Sinatra’s famous tune New York, New York are most fitting: ‘If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.’ As the setting in numerous movies, television shows, and novels, New York City’s landscape is almost a visual cliche in itself, and practically belongs to the world. Go to any corner of the globe and people will know about Times Square, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and Grand Central Station. Cities such as Hong Kong, Mumbai and Toronto have tried to emulate the spirit of this pioneering metropolis. New York City became even more the centre of international attention on September 11, 2001 after hijacked airplanes collided into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre. Those attacks were responsible for more than 2,800 deaths, and not only destroyed a vital part of the New York skyline, but subsequently shaped the course of world politics. With all the media attention and hype, I thought I knew New York ‘like the back of my hand’ before arriving there. But as I settled into my week-long stay at the elegant Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue in Manhattan, I unexpectedly found myself falling in love with the city. The driver of the taxi that took me to my hotel (who was of Indian origin, as is the case with many New York cabbies) told me I was lucky to be visiting in springtime. As with any town waking from a winter slumber, there was a cheerfulness in people: newsstand vendors greeted me good morning, nannies sauntered down streets with baby carriages, and there was a sprightliness in the rhythm of people walking in Manhattan which drew me into its pace. Whether I strolled through the financial district in Lower Manhattan, amidst the bohemian backdrop of Greenwich Village, or against shining skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building on 5th Avenue and 34th Street, I felt I had always been a part of the energy of this business mecca. I even became addicted to the pretzels and honey-roasted cashews sold on the streets. And on the subway, a Hispanic woman began rattling off to me in Spanish, mistaking my olive Indian skin for that of a Latina’s.

But more than the character of the streets, I became gradually impressed by the resilience of the city. ‘I Love New York’ t-shirts, caps and bags were everywhere in sight. Notwithstanding the September 11 terrorist attacks, New York has a long history of bouncing back from crises; that combined with its glamour give credence to the cliches about New York: it truly is a city of dreams.

The New York skyline reflects the energy of the metropolis

As the major port of entry into the United States, New York City is the American capital of finance, shipping and transportation. All major international corporations have offices there, and more than 30 million people visit the city every year. With an annual $42 billion budget, New York is practically a city-state. Comprised of five ‘boroughs’ - the island of Manhattan, surrounded by Brooklyn and Queens to the east, the Bronx to its north and Staten Island to its south - the New York metropolitan area has an approximate combined population touching 20 million. Many people who work in Manhattan also make their homes on Long Island to the east and the state of New Jersey to the west. The area now known as Manhattan was occupied by the Lenape aboriginals more than 11,000 years before the first European settlers (Interestingly, the word ‘Manhattan’ may have come from the Lenape word ‘Manahactanienk’ which means ‘place of general inebriation’). Dutch settlers bought the area from the natives for $24 worth of gifts, and established the town of New Amsterdam in 1624. In 1664, the British seized the colony and renamed it in honour of King Charles II’s brother the Duke of York. New York was briefly the American capital (1789-90), and was the largest US city by 1797. After the American Civil War, it evolved quickly and attracted hordes of immigrants, most notably from Ireland, but also African-Americans from southern plantations. While the city had a population of three million in 1900, its numbers grew to more than seven million by 1930.

With 30 million visitors each year, New York can claim to be the bridge to USA

The term ‘Big Apple’ has a number of commonly-believed origins. John J Fitzgerald of the Morning Telegraph first made use of the term during the 1920s, after hearing it used by stable hands in New Orleans, who said the ‘Big Apple’ was the greatest reward for any thoroughbred who performed at New York City’s racetracks. Jazz musicians popularised the term in the 1930s, as New York was considered the capital of jazz. Others claim it had a sexual connotation, and referred to the city’s famous brothels in the early 20th century, while others say the term is indicative of the phrase ‘as American as apple pie.’ Regardless of its origins, the Big Apple is the quintessential urban city, and epitomises the tenet of the American dream: no matter who you are, or where you’re from, you can make it big if you work hard. With successful millionaire residents such as Donald Trump, New York is a city in which stars like Madonna have been made. Even former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton won a successful bid as New York’s senator in 2000, despite the fact that she is a native of Illinois. Small-towners from around the United States, aspiring actors, dancers and musicians, and immigrants to this day flock to the metropolis in search of big bucks and stardom. The most striking attitude of New Yorkers is that of confidence; dreams don’t happen without faith. "People are very aggressive in New York, much more than in other cities," says Shaloub Razak, a derivatives trader who moved to the city a year ago from Toronto. "The New York business mentality is that you can never make enough money." The character Gordon Gekko in the 1987 movie Wall Street captured best New York’s business dogma: ‘Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.’ Even during the September 11 crisis, the New York Stock Exchange closed down for only a week, the longest shut-down period in its history. But despite the money-first attitude, Razak notes that New Yorkers are friendlier to strangers and tourists, as a result of the city’s history of migration. Actual Manhattan is divided into a number of areas, and consists of avenues and streets. Avenues run north-south, while streets run east-west. The subway system runs 24 hours a day, affirming the idea of the ‘city that doesn’t sleep.’ 468 stations connect all areas of Manhattan, and as parking is a nightmare, the subway is the best mode of transportation. ‘Downtown’ Manhattan is the area below 1st Street, and 1st to 14th Street is the general ‘Village’ area. The area west of Broadway is Greenwich Village, and east of Broadway is East Village. 14th to 34th St. west of Broadway is Chelsea, famous for its classic loft apartments and studios, and 34th to 59th St. is known as ‘midtown.’ 59th to 110th Street contains the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side, and between the two lies Central Park. The Hudson River is located on Manhattan’s west side, the Harlem River on its east, and the East River is on its south side.

The diversity of New York’s landscape is reflected in its cultural landscape

The diversity of New York City’s landscape is reflected in its cultural makeup. Approximately 30 per cent of its residents are foreign-born, and the 2000 census found 35 per cent of New Yorkers were ‘white’ (of European heritage), 24.5 per cent African-Americans, 27 per cent Latino, and 9.8 per cent were of Asian heritage. Italians and Asians populate the areas of Little Italy and Chinatown in downtown Manhattan, while Hispanics live in the East Village and Harlem, as do African-Americans. Other ethnic groups like the Jewish community have moved to the outer areas of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, and you will find those of Indian origin scattered in various areas, including Jackson Heights in Queens, and in New Jersey. New York’s Hispanic population is the most noticeable feature of its ethnic diversity, compared to other world cities. If you’re a fair-skinned Indian like me, you may find yourself becoming part of a conversation with a Latino without even knowing Spanish. As a business traveller in the Big Apple, you don’t have to live in a cramped, overpriced Manhattan apartment as is the norm with people who come to make it big in the city. A favourite residence for American presidents, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel was built in 1931, and its decor has managed to maintain an early 20th-century flavour while having modern amenities. The lobby has antique-style furniture and gleaming chandeliers, and is a popular meeting place for those striking deals. But for most residents, rent in Manhattan is nothing less than outrageous: you can pay up to $1500 a month for a small studio apartment. As a result, many people who work in the city prefer to make their homes outside; bridges and buses connect Manhattan with Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, there is a ferry to Staten Island, and a train line to New Jersey. Having watched a number of Woody Allen films prior to my trip (Manhattan is the first that comes to mind), I had expected to hear the typical ‘Noo Yawk tawk’ as depicted in those movies, but discovered few people actually had the accent. "The movies are usually wrong," says Jason Mount, a native New Yorker. "People from Long Island or Queens may talk like that, but nobody talks like that in Manhattan." As with most big cities, there is a snobbishness in people who live in the city core towards residents of outer areas. Mount says Manhattanites refer to people who commute to downtown as ‘bridges and tunnels.’

There are no shortages of landmarks or monuments in New York

Karsh Kale, a percussionist and music producer, lived in the East Village for eight years before moving to Brooklyn. "The energy of Manhattan is incredibly inspiring and overwhelming at times," he says. "But I have five times the space out in Brooklyn for the same rent I was paying in Manhattan." For musicians like Kale, New York City is the only place to be. With institutions such as Broadway, Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Centre, and its plethora of live music clubs, New York is the centre of the American arts industry. The city has incubated famous music conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, prominent dance companies, writers such as Henry James, and artists like Andy Warhol. While Hollywood may be in California, the Big Apple has always been a favourite setting for American films, and actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow have New York residences. For the lone business traveller, the city’s art galleries, museums, and theatres provide an endless amount of leisure and entertainment. You can see a show on Broadway (which consists of the Times Square theatres), or off-Broadway (in smaller spaces of 200 seats), or off-off-Broadway (spaces of fewer than 100 seats). New York’s jazz, rock and dance clubs offer plenty of night time activity (although some clubs are pretty exclusive and difficult to get into if you’re not on a guest list), proving further its aura as the city that doesn’t sleep.

But with glamour has come tragedy, and many rock-bottom points for New York City, not the least of which occurred on September 11, 2001. In the late 1970s, all anyone associated with the Big Apple was its high crime rate, massive traffic jams, rudeness and pollution. There were frequent racial tensions between African-Americans and Jews, Times Square became a hangout place for derelicts and muggers, and it was known mainly for its porn theatres. In the summer of 1977, the ‘Son of Sam’ serial killer struck terror in the streets, and during a city-wide overnight power outage, rioters looted millions of dollars worth of goods from stores. But these losses were met with revival: the completion of the World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers established the fact that New York City was the centre of commerce, and as millions of dollars were made, the 1980s saw the zenith of Wall Street success. In the mid-1990s, New York’s mayor Rudolph Giuliani initiated a makeover of the city; under his rule, the crime rate fell sharply, and the landscape was cleaned up. Times Square became a Disneyland of sorts, and as New York city experienced a renaissance, tourism skyrocketed.

A number of tours, including walking tours, are available to see some fantastic sights of New York

The lowest point in the Big Apple’s history occurred September 11, 2001, and the city is still reeling from the destruction. In the year since, New York has lost 83,100 jobs, according to city Comptroller William Thompson, and the economic loss for 2002 was estimated at $750 million. The attacks also caused a migration of companies from Lower Manhattan to areas such as New Jersey. "Initially you could feel New Yorkers struggling to keep business as usual," says Kale. "But like any city, New York needs time to grieve and make sense of it all. It will take half a generation to bring the city back to where it was before 9-11." September 11 was an indication that an attack on New York was an attack on America’s economy, on the very idea of the American dream. But the tragedy itself displayed the city’s strength. Giuliani led one of the most successful evacuation operations in history, saving 25,000 lives, and his response to the terrorist attacks earned him a knighthood in October 2001. His example is now one followed by many American mayors in their drive to revive urban America, and he left a daunting legacy for current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Despite the September 11 attacks, New York has bounced back and stands tall today

New York still has its share of drawbacks - it’s expensive, too cold in winter, too hot in summer, and there are long lineups outside cafes at lunchtime. The latest gripe is the ban on smoking in workplaces, bars and restaurants, which many New Yorkers don’t see as a positive development. But the Big Apple has always seemed to withstand its challenges. The metropolis has not lost its glamour, and business folks and tourists from around the world still congregate there (the 2003 Bollywood Awards were held at the Trump Taj Mahal in New Jersey in May). According to residents like Mount, New York has not changed much since September 11; if anything, the terrorist attacks revived New Yorkers’ sense of pride in their city. The World Trade Centre reconstruction is the city’s latest dream to realise: plans are already underway to construct a 52-storey office tower to replace the one that stood at seven World Trade Centre (the former tower burned down after the Twin Towers collapsed), and the new tower is scheduled to open in 2005. As it continues its recovery and renaissance, New York further justifies the idea that to tell its story is to tell a social history of the world: a story of migration, success, failure, violence, glamour, persistence and making dreams come true. With its cultural diversity and distinct landscape of majestic skyscrapers, trendy boutiques, eclectic cafes and jazz bars, New York is a place where anything is possible. "If you can succeed in New York, you can succeed anywhere," says Kale. "Frank Sinatra was not lying." The Statue of Liberty, America’s icon of freedom, continues to hold her torch high in the air, and is a symbol of the city’s determination and persistence in rising to its challenges.