On the Road Again - New York City, New York, USA

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On the Road Again

New York City - November 2001

I'm not used to being on this side of the "Is it safe to travel there?" question, but the past few weeks have put me squarely on the receiving end. Suddenly the place I live and work - home of my friends, Prospect Park, Ginger's Bar, the Donut Luncheonette - is a
place people fear and avoid.

I cringe at the number of times I have asked others in Turkey, Guatemala, or some other vaguely unknown (to me) place: Is it okay for me to go there? Even if I'm a woman? Alone?

How many Zimbabwes do I have to trek through before understanding that people make lives in all these places - remote as they may be, misleading (or non-existent) as media coverage of them may be? I will never find out, because what catalyzed that understanding
for me was being asked, over and over: Is your home a dangerous place?

So, intrepid traveller: No. New York City is a place where people live. It has dangers like any other place and experiences you will find no place else. So don't re-route your round-the-world ticket on our account. We're still eating bagels and hailing taxis and being rude just like before, and if you want to see it, now's as good a time as any.

Things to keep in mind...

Every attraction I can think of - museums, sporting events, theater - is back on regular schedule. And with the time of year and the general drop in travel, crowds are small.

Most city busses are running normally, but check for new routes of those that go through lower Manhattan.

Subways are in a constant state of change. Ignore the map in your guidebook and ask at the token booth for a current one. Look out for signs posted in the station and listen for announcements. Realistically, signs and announcements are reliably incoherent, so
ask someone on the platform or the train conductor if you're not sure.

Allow extra time to get places, and carry a bit of extra cash in case you need to grab a cab.

Call to confirm your flight two days ahead, as many have been cancelled or changed. Arrive at the airport a full two hours in advance for any flight. Be prepared to have all bags - carry on and checked - thoroughly searched.

Carry a photo ID, which you will now also need to buy long distance bus and train tickets. Your bags may be searched before these trips as well.

Union Square (14th St & 5th Ave) remains an informal memorial and meeting site, and is a good place to join random conversations about current events.

That all being said, I too am on the road again. I finally moved out of my beloved Brooklyn apartment and am journeying around Bolivia for the next few months.

It feels like a safe place to be.

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