When I moved to New York from Africa more than a decade ago, I missed the green then so I joined a hiking group. On one of those hikes outside of New York City that I learned some of ways of New York life. I mentioned once with my group that I didn’t understand why my neighbor that lived right across from me didn’t look enthusiastic when I said good morning, I was confused ! I remembered one of my group a woman told me that “hey this is New York , you only say hi to people you have business with!” Shocked but I literally (almost ) took her advice by heart . I am careful who to say hi to or to have an eye contact with . I mentioned this because of the kind taxi driver, I think he is an immigrant New Yorker not the one like my hiking group mentioned! Be well !
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When i was young and handsome, the 'Hello, what are you reading' on the bus, got me more than my share of easy pick-ups.
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@corvette hunt,
It has been years since you were my hairdresser, but I still think of you as my REAL hair dresser. Nobody else has ever made my hair look the best version of myself like you did.
Also, I loved your story; I’m sure your son will remember this forever.
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Thank you for these excellent pieces on the “calling out culture.” It should be mentioned that virtually all of Jonah Winter’s excellent books deal with issues of social justice, a cause to which he has devoted his creative life.
“Calling out” on social media is frequently done by people who seek attention and power and have found this is a way to get it. They often either don’t realize that they are making their targets into victims, or worse, they don’t care.
I truly hope this attack culture is truly starting to be seen for what it is.
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@WDP, in some Diary weeks, there have indeed been wrongdoers whose intentional bad (or unthinking) actions have been called out - but none of THIS week's diverse New York tapestry of stories seems to have a target at all. Did you post this on the wrong article or wrong Diary week, maybe? (In some weeks, some Diary writers themselves
have freely admitted to a wrong they did to make a point.
I do know we are more and more in a (victim-bashimg) culture where a wrongdoer feels free to call their understandably-upset target a "bully" when their victim yells and protests louder than the wrongdoer cares for to try to get laws obseerved. This lets a wrongdoer effectively turn their victim into a "Bully" - sating the is-called "bully"wants to punish them by making them observe the law. But I don't see that in this week's five stories - four recommenders agree with you already, so maybe I'm missing it in this week's five stories!
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@WDP
I believe that you posted your comment underneath the wrong column. This is the Metropolitan Diary.
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It’s actually a comment on the previous article in the online paper, about social media bashing leading to books being edited or even pulled from publication. One of the books mentioned is by Jonah Winter.
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NYC is such a lovely paradox ~ modern and hectic with pockets of nostalgic kindness. I am heartened by these diary entries ~ thank you NYT.
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Love--great stories today!
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Love,love,love these stories. Thank you on a rainy, cold Monday.
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There is some self-selection going on in these choices. They don't often relate stories of nasty, mean incidents that probably take place more often that these mostly nice ones, which make New York seem like a friendly caring place.
The best stories are those that are well-plotted and have suspense. I suggest there may be enough now that the editor could compile them a snug little book. I would buy it.
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@Diogenes
For ten years I lived in Brooklyn and worked in Manhattan, and I was really surprised to find New York City filled with friendly, outgoing people who often loved to engage in conversation with complete strangers.
I would say that NYC is probably the friendliest place I have ever lived, although Philadelphia is really great too.
Funny how that is, people all crammed together, forced to interact, and somehow rising to the occasion.
Now LA, that is one cold place, and I do know that for certain, for I was born there and I lived there for many years before finally coming to my senses and moving east.
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And they say newyorkers are cold!
the guitar entry proves every one wrong.
Beautiful!!!
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I'm now desperate to know the name of that book....
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Dear Carol, Maybe it was “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez,” or “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. Or even better, perhaps one or both of them will see your comment and will write in and let us all know.
Enjoy a good week, Allen
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@Carol it was Fahrenheit 451!
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The “Open Book” piece reminds me of the song, “The People That You Never Get to Love,” but with a happier ending implied. Here is a great version by Susannah Mccorkle:
https://youtu.be/zTD8UFQJZck
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No one has yet commented on the tiny guitar story. That’s the one that brought tears to my eyes.
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Awww, I love that bookworms find love story!
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Oh gosh! I would love to have lunch with my dear departed grandparents again. Sometimes the Diary makes me smile and tear up at the same time. Good stuff!
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Years ago when living in San Francisco I was in the checkout line at a grocery store in Pacific Heights. I noticed when the person in front of me put bananas, a baguette and some AA batteries on the checkout conveyor belt. I must have been very tired because without a pause I remarked, "Will you buy things that start with C tomorrow?"
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Winter storm on the Oregon coast.
Fresh coffee.
An excellent "Diary".
Life is good...
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What a laugh!!! Good entries!!!
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What a lovely collection of Diary entries to discover on this Monday morning. Alliana Semjen’s delightful story of a possible budding romance on the No. 1 train was indeed, as she wrote, “like the beginning of a romantic comedy”—the charming confection entitled “Serendipity,” which also centrally involves a book and ends magically on a snowy evening in Central Park. Perhaps in 2069 there will be a Metropolitan Diary entry detailing a chance meeting on a No. 1 train which will conclude: “We just celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary and reread with delight Alliana Semjen’s account of our meeting each other in the Metropolitan Diary dated February 11, 2019.”
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@Allen J. Share - sounds like it should have happened on the L train, but the #1 fits, too.
tune of "The Love Boat"
Love
The Train Named Romance
All aboard, this could be your chance.
And Love,
Can start with one look
Or it may - start with just one book.
The Love Train
Some people call it the Number One.
The Love Train
Might work its magic before we’re done.
You might just make a connection
That might get your life on track
No grime, no dirt any more
Could that open seat
Be an open door.
It’s love -
Switch for the L - it’s Love.
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@Freddie not everything has to be about the L train
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@Margaret, sorry about not being clear - I added that thought about the possible companion Diary item from July 2017 that Allen was talking about, where there had been a disconcerting flip-flop, like with the L train ="Serendipity Is a Slippery Thing"
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/nyregion/metropolitan-diary-serendipity-is-a-slippery-thing.html
And LOL, of course - L is for the way they Look at each other...
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Love the meeting of the subway book-lovers! Reminds me of when I was a teacher at an Upper West Side school. The teachers all sat at one table for lunch. One day the new physical education teacher was sitting on my right and on my left was sitting a new student teacher. His head snapped around and her head snapped around--in my direction from both sides, but definitely not looking at me! Big grin on my left, big grin on my right! "Hi, my name is _______" he says. "Hi, my name is _______" she says. A year later they are married. I wish I could bottle that moment to give them to share with their children and grand children!
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Dear Westsider,
In a way you just did bottle that moment for them—by having your comment about their meeting published in today’s Metropolitan Diary. I hope they do indeed keep it to show their progeny and friends.
Thank you for a most appropriate story for Valentine’s Day week.
Stay well,
Allen
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@Westsider Send this. Tell them for their memory box.
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Was that tree okay though?
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these are all so great, don't ever let this feature expire.
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Re: Open Book,
So who is going to make a great rom-com movie out of this wonderful story? Obviously set on the Upper West Side and unfortunately Nora Ephron is no longer with us. And who would be the true main character? The Empire State Building as in "Sleepless in Seattle"? An independent bookstore as in "You've Got Mail"? Butter as in "Julie and Julia"?
I will wait...carefully...
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@Anne - Well, if you switch it to the 6 so you are on the East Side around 86th St., it would be Woody Allen. And the main character would be the entire subway car (or lox the next morning .....)
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Many, many, many, many years ago I was in Topeka (I'm born and raised in L.A.). I went shopping at the local market, looked around and finally asked one of the managers where the lox was. He said, "In hardware." It was then I realized I wasn't in L.A. anymore.
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@ronnyc Around that same decade, when I was a teen, I was visiting North Carolina (from Ohio) and wanted to buy corduroy pants. The first store didn't have any, but told me to go to Peony's. I went out to look for what I assumed was a cute little boutique. A passerby saw my puzzled face and asked me if I was lost. I explained my quest. A former Northerner, she laughed. "She was telling you to go to J.C. Penny's," she said. "Go back to that store and ask for cordruh" [sorry, the best transliteration I can do]. I did as she suggested, and that first store did indeed have "cordruh" pants.
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Circa 1964 in Buffalo NY. Two New Yorker City dwellers walked into a store labelled as a 'Deli'.
Asked for Lox.
Told to go to a hardware store.
Oh how times change!
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@Lee c. 1978, South Carolina I finally found matzo in the local grocery store. The checkout lady was nonplussed. "Where did you find this?" she asked. Clearly, she'd never seen it before. I'd found it in International Foods, and it was kosher for the previous year.
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I love this. My grandpa is no longer around, and my grandma can no longer cook. What they’ve cooked for me, I’ll always remember. And even though I’ve moved to Greater Seattle, NYC will always be home. Thank you!
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Kat - I hope that the Chinatown-International District in your town sparks some good memories from NYC.
Thank you for sharing and being a care giver.
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@Kat Lieu Your's was a beautiful story. Such a lovely way to start the day. Those who are in your orbit are lucky. Who knows? One could be my sister Lee who moved to Seattle last summer.
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Ah yes! It’s a much smaller area, and definitely less bustling, but for some reason, it reminds me of certain sections of Canal and Centre streets. I’m a huge fan of Bruce Lee, so whenever we walk through Chinatown-International district in Seattle, I imagine how Bruce worked, ate, and lived there, before he became a legend.
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