Stepping out of John F. Kennedy
airport, I saw hustle and bustle
immediately, with bright yellow
taxis lined up for miles. A
sassy, elderly black woman was
escorting customers and promptly
telling them which taxi to get into. I admired her
assertion, yet was mildly afraid of it - however
when she called me darl, I quickly calmed down.
AS THE TAXI TOOK OFF TAKING ME
to my Airbnb in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the sky
grew dark. The air was full of smog. Edging
closer to Brooklyn, I noticed the abundance
of Mexican, Italian and Chinese restaurants
littering the streets. I also realised that many
of the houses had stoops on them, as well as
backyards with basketball hoops.
Arriving in Bushwick at around 7.30pm, the
taxi dropped me off outside my Airbnb. There
were three black men sitting on the stoop of
the apartment I needed to get into. I had to
remind myself that I was only afraid because it’s
not something I’m used to, and that this was
probably the norm. (In Australia, people don’t
sit on each other’s doorsteps).
I messaged my Airbnb hostess and was relieved
when she came out. Arlene, a folk musician
with an afro and welcoming smile, let me in.
The room was beautiful and minimal with light
wooden floorboards, suspended coat hangers,
and African trinkets. She told me about the
local 24/7 supermarket, where to get the best
bagel and juice, all about the nearby bars, and
where to find the hidden local street art.
The next day, I took the L train on the subway to
Manhattan. I ended up walking all the way from
2nd avenue up to 49th avenue, or something
equally ridiculous. New York is a city where you
walk everywhere - especially as a tourist - because
there’s so much to see and take in.
Issue 4, 2016 | The Travellist
43