Really, your subway station? Wow, what a coincidence!

Ben also used to stop and help tourist who looked lost and, in fact, still did that on some of our trips.

I have to say that the neighborhood feeling to New York seems to be disappearing, especially in certain areas. That's why I love the Upper West Side and the West and East Village so much - they still feel like communities. Ben's son recently moved from Chelsea to the Upper West Side. He said Chelsea used to have a wonderful neighborhood vibe but since all the gentrification and construction of high-end apartments, that sense of community was slipping away.

Although I certainly witnessed rude people in NYC, I never experienced any. Everyone was kind and helpful and amazingly friendly. One elderly woman in the East Village, whom we encountered on a street corner, walked with us for blocks, telling us about her many years there. Sharing so many stories.

We also came across a neighborhood party in the East Village, pausing to figure out what was going on. Immediately, we were invited to join them. Turned out to be a large group of immigrants from Russia who were celebrating an important date in their native Georgia. They were so welcoming to us.