Manhattan

New York, NY

Manhattan almost exists as a fictional creation. My randomly selected short story anthologies for weekend reading almost exclusively feature stories about Manhattan. Manhattan also stars in so many movies (especially on long international flights) and songs.

Manhattan feels like a concept, a dream, a goal, an ideal—something that people work hard for to achieve. To belong. Manhattan is judge-y, artistic, sassy, trendy… Manhattan is full of businesspeople in fancy suits, fashionistas, actors, and actresses making a name for themselves.

Manhattan is also the most popular destination for my law school classmates. The first day I got to my law firm building, I quickly ran into a section-mate downstairs, coffee in his hand as he marched towards his law firm building next door. This scenario repeats. A causal stroll down Sixth Avenue shows you the various law firms in each adjacent office building, many containing my classmates. Despite the proximity of it all, it’s still tricky to schedule coffee and lunch meetups with classmates because of everyone’s unpredictable schedules. There are always the emergency doc reviews or complications with deals that get in the way, even though there might be only a couple of tall buildings between you.

There is, however, almost a thrill and adrenaline rush about it all. Walking among fellow Midtowners during lunch time, I sometimes pause and just think about the fact that this is the lifestyle that many dream about and only see in movies: getting a quick salad to-go among a crowd of fancily-dressed office workers wearing black. Saying to old friends that you are way too busy pursuing your ambitions to make time for them. The song “New York, New York” loudly playing in the background on repeat mode…

Having lived and worked in Manhattan for almost two years now, I often reflect on the near-fictional portrayal of Manhattan in books and movies and the Manhattan I inhabit. There are many unglamorous sides of the city—piled-up garbage bags and the associated odor, wild drivers, conflicts between fast-walking locals and slow-walking tourists, long wait times for overhyped restaurants… Day by day, the poetic Manhattan fades away, replaced by something more mundane and familiar. Manhattan is no longer an abstraction, but a concrete reality. It’s Flaco the free owl (may he rest in peace - he will be dearly missed), Levain Bakery’s sinfully oversized cookies, the overpriced everything, the beautiful view of the Statute of Liberty from downtown, the chance to get signatures from Broadway stars post-shows, the free public kayaks in the summer…

Below, I will include a list of some of my favorite things about the city. For now, I will omit the unpleasant and the mundane. I’d love to hear about yours in the comments section!

• The UN Headquarters Tour: In high school, I was a proud Model United Nations delegate. Those were among the first days that I dressed up in business attire and took joy in the art of arguing/negotiating with people. I remember vividly that during one of the conferences, the speaker proudly declared that “today’s Model United Nations will be tomorrow’s United Nations.” While I’m not sure if I will personally have the honor of working for the UN beyond a summer internship I did with the World Health Organization, the UN has a special place in my heart thanks to my MUN days. The guided UN tour, no doubt, was a real treat.

• Dirt Candy: The creative name isn’t the best part about this Michelin-starred vegetable restaurant. The owner-chef Amanda Cohen calls it “vegetable restaurant” instead of vegetarian or vegan to encourage meat-eaters to also embrace the beauty of eating vegetables and seeing how exciting that could be. This is probably the most pricey place we go to—the tasting menu is seasonal and each dish is named after a vegetable. We’ve also read Amanda Cohen’s comic-style cookbook that’s entertaining and inspiring.

• New York Public Library (NYPL): This is one of the perks I get for paying NYC taxes (the other main one being discounted/pay-as-you-wish tickets to several amazing museums, including the Met and the Natural History Museum). I love having an NYPL branch close to where I live. I’m guilty of requesting a lot of books via the convenient online portal. While I’m sorry for the librarians who have to transport my requested books regularly to my local branch from the other locations, I promise that I read every book I request! Reading remains one of my favorite activities when I’m not researching case law or drafting briefs for work. While it’s easy to succumb to binge-worthy Netflix shows (e.g. My Demon), I try to read as much as I could. Among books I recently read, my top picks are: Anna O: A Novel (BRILLIANT in so many ways and aligns so well with my interests, especially in relation to my criminal law review article on sleepwalking murders, available at https://online.ucpress.edu/nclr/article/23/4/471/114286/Applying-the-Model-Penal-Code-Insanity-Defense-to), The Secret History, Bliss Montage, The Mystery Guest, and The Best American Short Stories 2023 (selected by former lawyer Min Jin Lee).

• Levain Bakery: As mentioned above, the cookies are seriously addicting. Doesn’t help that it has multiple locations and is expanding to other cities as well. My favorite is the two chip chocolate chip cookie. You won’t need dinner after that. Dangerous, isn’t it?

• Hudson River Park: Fantastic place for weekend or evening strolls/electric scooter trips during warmer-weather months. Love the view of New Jersey and the tranquility. Also appreciate the positive energy of all the runners who traverse those lanes.

• AnnTremet Cake: Another dessert place, I know. A couple of good friends from California first introduced this place to me when they visited NYC. The desserts taste heavenly and are (relatively?) low-sugar—at least that’s how I justify getting the small cakes from there. This place is relatively new and was somewhat of a well-kept secret until recently, when they started the in-store afternoon tea experience that requires advance reservation. I get my mirror-glaze cakes to-go when I get the chance to visit. They also deliver for a reasonable fee, which is great for special occasions that call for bigger cakes.

• Phantom of the Opera / Broadway: As discussed in a previous Substack article, I am an eternally loyal fan to The Phantom of the Opera and am beyond sad that it’s no longer in NYC. However, there are still so many Broadway and off-Broadway shows. When work permits, I try the TodayTix App and some of the in-person same-day rush/lottery tickets.

• Public Ferry: A much more scenic, traffic-free, and affordable way to travel from Midtown to Downtown than most other means. Also offers ferries to Staten Island, Governor’s Island, and different places in New Jersey. In the summer, I recommend sitting outside on the second floor (wearing sunglasses) to enjoy some breeze. A great way to see the Statute of Liberty without paying the tourist premium.

• Summit One Vanderbilt: I’ve only been there once my first summer living in Manhattan. Obviously very touristy, but I think it’s still worth a visit. Beautiful view of Manhattan and modern, sleek designs all around. Getting a frosé while admiring the view is a refreshing way to spend a hot summer afternoon, especially if you aren’t afraid of heights!

• Grand Central: While this post is about Manhattan, I will include Grand Central. It is beautiful on its own, though often too crowded. We recently tried the whispering gallery, located next to the Oyster Bar, for the first time. Metro North is a great way to visit Hudson Valley towns, a favorite long weekend escape.

The aforementioned NYC ferry