Honestly, I’m so happy to see this post! I have a few more points to add, though:
-It’s five boroughs, not five cities. The entire point is that we’re one city. NYC is big enough that they certainly can feel like separate cities, though, which I’m guessing is what the OP meant.
-Queens isn’t just Indian; it’s been ranked as one of the most diverse places in the world. However, this diversity is oftentimes separated: Flushing is predominantly East Asian (especially Chinese and Korean), Bayside is also East Asian + Greek, but has more of a mix in general than Flushing. Jamaica is predominantly African American, but also has sizable other populations. Kew Garden Hills is fairly Jewish, while Kew Gardens and Forest Hills (neighboring areas) seem fairly mixed. Neighborhoods closer to Long Island tend to be more suburban, and there are many areas with detached houses. (Can you tell that I grew up in Queens?)
-Most areas in Queens are accessible by bus, but only a few are by train (mostly western Queens). For example, where I live, I have a bus two blocks from my house, but then have to take that bus for twenty minutes to Kew Gardens in order to get to Manhattan. My friends in Bayside also have a few bus lines near them, and a railroad stop, but have to travel to Flushing in order to reach a subway line. I imagine the Bronx and Brooklyn are similar, but I couldn’t say for sure.
-Brooklyn and Queens are also on an island: in fact, every borough but the Bronx is part of one! The difference is, these two are on the same island (Queens is above Brooklyn) and also share it with Long Island -- which is absolutely not part of New York City.
-To leave NYC by car, no matter what borough you’re from, you’re probably going to travel through the Bronx, Staten Island, and/or New Jersey. Not Manhattan, not Brooklyn, not Queens.
-Most native New Yorkers jaywalk. It’s really not even considered a crime here, and it’s probably weirder if you’re from here and you don’t do it.
-For school-age characters: lots of high schoolers go to schools they aren’t zoned for. This can include specialized schools (such as Stuyvesant or Bronx Science, STEM schools; or LaGuardia, a visual and performing arts school), or it may just be because your zoned school isn’t very good. The application process for these is similar to the college application process. Most kids who do this take multiple trains and buses daily to go to school, and they get free student metrocards to do so!
-Those free student cards have three rides per day. A “ride” for anyone is equivalent to one initial ride plus one transfer -- train to bus, bus to train, or bus to bus. Transferring between trains, as long as you don’t leave the station, doesn’t count toward this.
-However, many students also just go to their zoned school, or another nearby one. If you’re closer to your school, you’ll likely get a half-fare student card.
-In all of New York State, high schoolers have an end-of-year test for most classes called Regents as well as finals. They’re kind of a joke, and only in-state colleges really look at them, but you still HAVE to take and pass a certain amount of them. Some schools count Regents as part of your final grade; others don’t.
-It’s normal to see a young kid (meaning, middle school age or younger) taking the train to school if they live in Manhattan. If they’re very young, they’ll likely be with a parent, sibling, or nanny.
-Driving in parts of New York is more doable than you think. Especially in the boroughs. I’m learning to drive in Queens, and if it’s something your character has grown up watching other people do, it’s really not that intimidating or scary at all. (Except Manhattan. Anyone who deals with driving in Manhattan is insane.)
-You rarely have to drive anywhere, though; even if it means taking some obscure train/bus/walking combo, you can basically get anywhere via public transportation. Most kids are taking public transportation on their own by the age of thirteen, and are far more autonomous than a suburban or rural teenager might be.
-If your character is a businessperson with a family, there’s a good chance they actually live outside of Manhattan. For example, when I went into the city for school, a lot of businesspeople took the Long Island Railroad (a privatized train system running through Long Island, Queens, and parts of Brooklyn into Penn Station) in with me daily for work.
-It’s possible to get monthly metrocards/LIRR passes. These have unlimited use for said month. A unlimited metrocard is around $115 per month; LIRR passes cost much more, and are less versatile. These are only worth it if you’re traveling daily; otherwise, pay-per-ride is the way to go.
-Manhattan’s avenues run up and down. They range from 1st avenue (the east side) to 12 avenue (the west side), with a few named avenues (Lexington, Park, Madison) closer to the east side. If you’re on either extreme side (roughly past Lexington Avenue or 9th Avenue, respectively), very few subways really run there; you’ll likely need to either take a bus or walk to get where you need to go.
-Blocks between avenues are much longer than blocks between streets. Therefore, getting from 1st avenue to 4th avenue will be much more of a schlep than, say, getting from 42nd street to 45th street.
-Broadway is also an avenue, but it cuts diagonally through Manhattan, meaning it crosses over in different places depending on what street you’re at. It is closer to the west side further uptown, and runs to the east side as you progress further downtown.
Hopefully this is helpful! If anything needs clarification, or if there’s anything else about New York you’d like expanded on, please feel free to let me know. Have fun writing in NYC! (:
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
pixelskylines
areudirty
kianamaiart
germansingergirl
