Lower East Side and Alphabet City

This Saturday, I ventured down to the East Village to have dinner and see a show with a new friend of mine. The moment I stepped out of the metro at Union, I saw hundreds of tourists exploring the city for the first time, taking lots of pictures, and just stopping to stare at the wonder that is New York City. At first I was annoyed by the large presence of people not moving, but then—as cliché as it sounds—I thought about how lucky I am to be living in the city that I had dreamt about living in my entire life, and I began to look around Union Square with a sort of new light. I walked through all the artists selling paintings, and various marketplaces that were all along the perimeter of Union square, and waited for my friend.

When I finally met up with my friend, he took me to a restaurant near the theatre called S’Mac. It was a very interesting place that makes all different kinds of Mac and Cheese. It reminded me of Noodles and Company that I used to go to all the time with my best friends, Adele and Kathleen. I got the “All American,” which was basically the classic Mac and Cheese. Inside was very crowded, so we took our food over to a park, where we ate, and stared at a beautiful church—I believe it was the Saint Mark’s.

After we finished eating our Mac and Cheese, we walked around Alphabet City until it was time for the play. While we were walking, I realized how different this part of the city was from what I am used to, living in and mostly hanging out in Midtown and the Upper East Side. The buildings were mostly less than 10 stories, and it felt more like being in a completely different city, rather than a different part of the same one. It just goes to show how large and diverse this city truly is. New York is, I believe, the greatest city in the world to live, and I honestly cannot believe that I now live here.

-Elliot