The San Franciscan's Guide to New York Neighborhoods

[dianeduane]

So you’re moving from San Francisco to New York. You liked your cute neighborhood and tasty burritos and you hope to replicate this existence somewhere in the Big Apple. Well kiddo, that’s impossible. Everyone knows there is no such thing as a good burrito in NYC.

This was the fate of a friend of mine a few weeks back. When she described her desires to a broker, this broker responded with, “you’ll probably like Williamsburg.” So this friend gets in the broker’s car and heads over a bridge to another part of town. Her reaction, later over email: “I expected it to be cute. Williamsburg is not cute.” Yes, Williamsburg is definitely not cute. It’s sort of like the Mission, and I’m sure almost anyone from SF would agree that the Mission is also not cute....

(Courtesy of Cameron Marlow at Yahoo. See also: Manhattan Elsewhere at kottke.org: The Errant Isle of Manhattan at RadicalCartography.net.)

Comments

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

The "errant Isle of Manhattan" sounds like it floats away on a regular basis - A sans serif type island?

[pendlemac.livejournal.com]

If you're going to dump Manhattan in San Francisco Bay I'm glad I've already been over and got my nice pictures! :-)

[shiawmeimei.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time a long time ago, I lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I loved it there. Of course, I've never been to SF so I can't compare the two. But it was a lovely neighborhood, quiet tree lined streets only blocks away from great restaurants and shopping.

However, no burritos. I could find food from around the world but not Mexican. That is until they put in a Taco Bell. Not that I would consider that "good" Mexican food but when your desperate. Now that I'm back in Arkansas, I can satisfy my craving whenever I want. But I still miss NY.

radicalcartography.net, eh?

[dewline.livejournal.com]

Looks intriguing...

[pnh.livejournal.com]

The first thing to do to discover good cheap Mexican food in New York City is to get over the idea that New York City means "Manhattan plus neighborhoods one subway stop into Brooklyn and Queens."

Our neighborhood, Brooklyn's Sunset Park (two stops into Brooklyn on the N) is a major center of Mexican immigration, and it's absolutely full of brilliant tortas, tacos al pastor, fresh tamales, and much, much more. Not so much for the burritos, which are really a West Coast thing. But if you're looking for great Mexican street food, get your ass over here and walk south on Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue. I'd say start at around 36th St, although there's a clump of good stuff further north as well, just north and south of the Prospect Expressway.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

You can too get good burritos in New York. You just have to go way downtown into the Village, or all the way into Brooklyn.

And Brooklyn Heights is cute.

All the cute neighborhoods in Manhattan? Way, way pricey, that's all.

[blues-dream.livejournal.com]

Hey, keep your island outta my bay! ;)

[ndgmtlcd.livejournal.com]

Last time I drove to NYNY I took a ferry from somewhere not far from Rhode Island to the Eastern tip of Long Island. Everything was cute, cuter and cutest for a long time as I drove West on Long Island, and it really was just next door to NYNY.

In contrast, when I went to San Francisco to visit a friend I found the place to be car-infested. It was a plague, and what appeared cute sometimes was never far from some abominable traffic or some asphalt overdose.