Summer in NYC

Manhattan Island never stops or rests, but the effect of summer is definitely noticeable in certain parts of the heart of this metropolis, and I’m not referring to the weather.

Except for the midtown areas crowded with tourists and shoppers of all kinds, and especially during weekends, the residential areas are so quiet and pleasurable that one has the feeling of being in the country instead of the “city that never sleeps”.

Most avenues and streets now are lined by huge trees and walking along them when the traffic seems also non existent is a delightful experience.

Along the rivers that flank the island there are plenty of areas for walks, jogging, or rest, in addition, obviously to the mini parks in many key zones, and the immense Central Park that takes up most of mid Manhattan.

The highways that surround this island are always busy thoroughfares that incessantly take in and bring out of this metropolis most of his vehicular traffic, but many inland areas are small oases of peacefulness for the local inhabitants.

In addition to a variety of street carts that serve anything from breakfast treats to ice creams at some corners, greenmarkets also regularly pop up all over town in specific areas, such as school playgrounds, or empty parking lots, to offer their fresh products that, however, are not much cheaper, but definitely fresher than the one in supermarkets.



As I’ve already mentioned elsewhere, there is a continuous transformation that quietly goes on in many places with buildings’ renovations, beautification of streets, rerouting of traffic, and this happens even at a micro-level, as shown by the following creative disguise of garbage bins crowned by blooming plants!

Summer in NYC can really be an enjoyable experience not only for the tourists, but for the locals too!

Construction boom everywhere

For the past several years, as I travel to Tirana, I observed that roads’ and buildings’ construction there have been a never ending process, which contributes a great deal to the awful pollution that affects Albania’s capital.

When I was born, this city had a population of 30,000, and the newest part of it (called, since then, Tirana e Re) amounted only to 3 lonely villas! By the early 90’s its population was up to 250,000 and most of its buildings and houses badly needed maintenance after years of neglect. Some of these remnants are still around today right in the middle of the capital, but now the population has more than tripled in size due to the flow of incoming villagers. Additionally, the roads are now traveled by an extremely heavy vehicular traffic, inexistent during the communist dictatorship that didn’t allow private car ownership, and, ironically, enjoyed a clean air environment.

Many streets still need to be asphalted, but many others are been systematically restructured (with underground lying of telecom cables and water pipes) and still many potholes are popping up everywhere, including the main large Skanderbeg square. Even though at times the development of some buildings has been interrupted for a variety of reasons (such as lack of proper license, or lack of funds), construction continues, and will be ongoing for many years to come in Albania.

Well, New York does not seem very different from Tirana these days. And, come to think of it, seemingly for similar circumstances.

More and more old brownstones are slowly been replaced by high-rises that not only have changed Manhattan’s skyline, but also the one of other boroughs, and, consequently, the roads are being affected by the ongoing constructions, the expansion of utilities’ needs, and the replacement of old (6 floors) underground equipment that services the city.



In NY we are also plagued by potholes, due to poor patches, or by the destructive force of our harsh winters. Building boom is on, however, in full force, while the Mayor is trying to find a solution to the maddening traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, which is not dissimilar from the one in Tirana.

As I can watch, from one of my windows, a new complex coming up just a couple of blocks away from where I live, I can see differences in building techniques and processes between NY and Tirana, but that’s worth another write up.



One thing, though, is common: the ever present tall, over towering crane that’s scary to look at when right below it!