This morning.
Russian among the barbers and employees of the barber shop. Spanish, spoken rapidly and with a distinct “New York” accent, on the sidewalks.
Only in New York.
– Roger W. Smith
April 10, 2021 (my father’s birthday)
Roger's Gleanings
Roger W. Smith's writings: personal essays and reminiscences; views; literature; culture; day to day jottings; people and places.
Certainly true of New York, but not only there — when we lived in DC, you would often here five or ten languages when just out walking the dog — and given the number of embassies near us, maybe a greater variety than you would normally hear in NYC, except maybe near the U.N.
Maybe true if you happened to be in that exclusive area of DC. But this sort of language thing happens all over the City, in all five boroughs — in rich and poor sections: on Fifth Ave and Midtown, where there are a lot of tourists; in middle class and blue collar sections of Queens, where I live (with, it is said, the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the entire US); in restaurants, the subway, parks, etc. The UN neighborhood in Manhattan is lifeless and boring. You can’t beat NYC for diversity; and for the amalgam of people at all income and social levels.