Live Like a Local: New York City's Food and Neighborhoods

Exploring New York City’s Neighborhoods

New York’s appeal is not limited to Times Square, Broadway or the Empire State Building. Its personality is found block by block—in its food, neighborhoods and everyday encounters with its residents.  There is a constant rhythm of people coming and going.

New York City has hundreds of neighborhoods, each with its own identity and character. Conversations in many languages can be heard throughout the city. It is one of the most colorful places you will ever visit.

As a Brooklyn resident, I have spent years exploring the city, one neighborhood at a time.  I’ll highlight just a few of my favorites.

Park Slope, Brooklyn: Brownstones with a Vibe

Park Slope is one of Brooklyn’s most popular residential neighborhoods, known for its tree-lined streets, historic brownstones and strong sense of community. Fifth and Seventh Avenues are the neighborhood’s main commercial streets, filled with independent "mom & pop" shops, cafés and restaurants serving food from around the world. Delivery bicycles are rampant in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood borders Prospect Park, a favorite place to walk, ride a bicycle or people-watch. Nearby attractions include the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Grand Army Plaza. 

Every Saturday, the year-round Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket brings regional farmers and food producers to the entrance of Prospect Park.  You may also come across small community gardens in the neighborhood where you can pause and take a break.

Park Slope feels distinctly local and is a nice place to experience everyday Brooklyn life. You may see dogs parked on brownstone steps by dogwalkers getting ready for their daily walk.  Over the years, Park Slope has attracted newcomers from across New York and beyond who have decided to put down roots here and regard it as a special place to raise their children.

Greenwich Village: New York’s Coolest Neighborhood

Washington Square Park is the Village’s lively focal point, where people congregate beneath the iconic Washington Square Arch. The Village has long been associated with artists, writers, musicians and political and social movements.

 

Comedy clubs, jazz and rock venues, and an enormous selection of restaurants add to the neighborhood’s appeal. It is fun simply to wander along Bleecker and MacDougal Streets to soak up the atmosphere. There is nothing boring about this neighborhood. Even the quieter, townhouse-lined blocks of the West Village are part of the experience.

The East Village: Grittier but Equally Interesting

The East Village has a younger, grittier and more energetic personality. It is filled with restaurants, bars, music venues and remnants of the neighborhood’s counterculture history. The bars are especially popular with younger visitors, but the area is fascinating to explore at any age.

 

Two Weeks Solo in Italy After 60: Venetian Canals to Sicilian Shores

 

My two-week solo journey began in Venice before I flew south to Sicily. I used Catania as a base for visiting Mount Etna and Siracusa, continued to Taormina and Palermo, and then flew north to Milan. I ended the trip with a day exploring Lake Como, Bellagio and Varenna.

      

Venice — There Is No City Quite Like It

For me, there is no city quite like Venice. It is one of those places that you have seen so many times in photos that it almost doesn't seem real. When you walk along the canals and through the narrow alleys, it feels like you should be sharing it with someone special. But it is so beautiful that you quickly come to terms with seeing it solo—and simply appreciate the good fortune of being there!

As COVID was becoming less of a threat in 2022, I was antsy to get moving again. I knew I wanted to go to Venice, travel around Sicily, and also see Northern Italy, specifically Milan and the Italian Lakes. Italy is, by far, one of my favorite destinations for its culture and food.

I gave myself two weeks of travel time, which meant careful planning on how I would get from place to place, whether by train or on a couple of flights within Italy. When you travel solo, you need to be pretty meticulous about schedules and connections. At the same time, I knew I had to be flexible if everything didn't go exactly according to plan.

So, I got to work on the planning—and I was excited, but a bit nervous, to be traveling again.

Getting from Marco Polo Airport to Venice 

Getting to Venice from Marco Polo Airport was easy. The quickest, but more costly way was to arrive by "water bus", but I chose to take a regular bus for the relatively short ride. 

The bus dropped me at Piazzale Roma, Venice's main bus and transportation hub. From there, I used Google Maps to find Hotel Tiziano crossing a number of bridges and canals with my roller bag along the way. It was quite a workout! Hotel Tiziano is housed in a 15th-century residence in the charming and quieter Dorsoduro neighborhood, a relatively short walk from Piazzale Roma and fairly close to St. Mark's Square.

    

Venice is a city without ordinary streets and cars in its historic center. Instead, you get around on foot or by Venice's public water bus, the vaporetto. The vaporetto is practical and also one of the best ways to see the city from the canals. Riding along the Grand Canal, past centuries-old palaces, is magical.

After I settled into my lovely Venetian decorated room, I set out to find St. Mark's Square.  Hotels in Venice can be pricey. You can stay further away, paying much less for a room, and take a bus to the city, but I recommend staying in Venice so you can soak up the whole experience, if only there for a few days. It was well worth it and a smart decision.

Morocco Travel After 60: Medinas, the Sahara and Imperial Cities

 

My escorted Morocco journey took me from Rabat to the Roman ruins of Volubilis and the medina of Fez. From there, we traveled south to Erfoud and the Sahara, continued through the dramatic landscapes surrounding Ouarzazate, and then visited Essaouira, Marrakesh and Casablanca. The route provided a fascinating mixture of imperial cities, ancient ruins, desert scenery and Atlantic coastline.

Morocco is a country of contrasts. There are so many sides to the country. I traveled from imperial cities and ancient medinas through the Sahara region, kasbah country and Marrakesh before ending in Morocco's modern metropolis .

Morocco is one of those exotic, dreamy places that I had thought about going to for a while. In 2023, I finally had the chance to experience this fascinating country, but the timing of the trip coincided with the aftermath of a major earthquake in the Atlas Mountains and the events of October 7. I worried that I would appear uncaring for those affected by the quake and that the protests might escalate.

I chose to travel with a tour group, mostly trusted their guidance, but came to the conclusion on my own not to cancel. I probably would have wanted to kick myself if I had.  The country's economy is very dependent on tourism and felt this would be a lost opportunity. 

When it comes to seeing Morocco, joining an escorted tour is the way to go. It is a great way to see the country without having to worry about navigating the maze-like medinas or arranging transportation between cities — things which I would find particularly challenging as a solo woman traveler.

As it goes, the trip was not without drama. On the connecting flight from Paris to Casablanca, the pilot informed us that some men "were being returned to Morocco". They were young men in their 20s, seated in the rear of the plane, with twist ties on their wrists. Really? On a commercial flight? Happy to report no incidents.

Our journey took us from Rabat to Fez, then south toward Erfoud and the edge of the Sahara, through the dramatic landscapes around Ouarzazate, on to the Atlantic coast at Essaouira, and finally to the bustle of Marrakesh and Casablanca.

Morocco has beautiful architecture, brilliant colors, different smells and sounds, and sweeping desert landscapes. Every stop revealed a completely different side of the country.

That's exactly what made Morocco so memorable.

Vietnam Travel After 60: From Hanoi and Halong Bay to the Mekong Delta

  

My journey through Vietnam began in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta before continuing north to Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue. I finished the trip with a cruise through Halong Bay and time in Hanoi. The route combined Vietnam’s energetic cities, historic sites, peaceful waterways, beautiful coastline and complicated history

Vietnam is a long, narrow country stretching more than 1,000 miles from north to south, with dramatically different landscapes from one region to the next. The mountainous north is home to Hanoi and spectacular Halong Bay, while southern Vietnam includes bustling Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta.

The 20th century was a tumultuous period for Vietnam, particularly the war that dominated the country for decades. Major U.S. military involvement occurred primarily from the mid-1960s until the early 1970s, and the war ended in 1975. 

Vietnam today is a very different country from the one many Americans remember from the war era. It is developing rapidly, with expanding infrastructure, modern technology and a population increasingly connected to the rest of the world.

Most people's connection with Vietnam, is the disastrous Vietnam War or the "American War", as the Vietnamese call it. The anti-war protest movement shook America in the '60s and '70s. But I learned life goes on and things can change dramatically in a positive direction, given time.

Still, many American veterans and their families understandably have strong feelings and painful memories associated with the war and cannot imagine returning. Others have returned, perhaps out of curiosity or a desire to see the country as it is today.

Modern Vietnam attracts travelers with its fascinating history, beautiful landscapes, energetic cities and wonderful cuisine. Its relatively affordable cost of living has also attracted expatriates, retirees and digital nomads.

 

My journey also took me to neighboring Cambodia, where I visited Siem Reap and the extraordinary temples of Angkor Wat.