I’m pretty new to Manhattan. I moved here after in May, a new college grad optimistically jumping into my adult life in the city. My first couple of weeks here I was a total failure at public transportation, but with my Manhattan City Diary I quickly became a pro. The diary’s small and inconspicuous nature make it perfect for a newcomer like me, who is trying in vain to make sure she doesn’t appear like a tourist. This little diary has handy maps that are super accessible (the subway map that I use all the time is on the inside back cover) and to hide the fact that I’m looking at the transit map, I can quickly flip to the calendar pages at the front of the book and pretend to check out my appointments for the next week (or I can actually check out my appointments for the next week. Planners are useful like that). And it takes up a miniscule amount of room in my bag. I hate carrying bags – the smaller, the better – so this is a definite plus in my book.
The diaries are great when you’re on the go, but if you need a little more help, or want to know if the A is faster than the 2, my favorite online resource is HopStop - HopStop lets you enter your originating and destination points, which is great if you know specific addresses, but also lets you point to a place on a map if you just need to get to a general area. Plus, it lets you choose whether you’d prefer to walk more or switch lines more often, and it takes into account the diversions that happen every weekend. You can also calculate taxi costs, if you’re feeling a little more spendy.
While HopStop has helped me out a bunch, the diaries are really where it’s at – you can take them everywhere. If you’re an explorer like me, portability is really, really important. 2009 Diaries are shipping now, so you can get your own. Get one for a friend too, while you’re at it. For a little extra dough, they can be engraved with your name or initials. Fancy.
