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(U) Life in the Big Apple
FROM:
(S//SI) Former NSA Rep to USUN and COS NY
Run Date: 08/27/2004
FROM:
(S//SI) Former NSA Rep to USUN and COS NY
(S//SI) NSA has several customer representatives assigned to
Manhattan serving major customers such as the U.S. Ambassador
to the United Nations, FBI New York and the Chief of New York
Station. For operational reasons, our representatives are obliged to
live and work in Manhattan, which has both positive and not-sopositive aspects.
(U) Life in Manhattan is just what you might expect: fast-paced,
exciting, full of energy and packed with cultural opportunities. It's
also hectic, crowded, noisy, frustrating, and hair-raising at times,
particularly so since the attacks on 9/11.
(U) For me the charm of Manhattan is in its streets. Because cars
are an expensive nuisance there, many people (me included)
dispense with them altogether. I walked, took the bus, subway,
train or water taxi everywhere I went. It was a great way to get
around and to see New York neighborhoods, each with its distinct
ethnic or cultural history. The shopping is, of course, world class.
My midtown Manhattan apartment was only a twenty-minute walk
from Bloomie's, the shops on Madison, Macy's, Bergdorf's and
hundreds more. Broadway, Times Square and the Theater District
were also a short 25-minute walk from my place, very convenient
when the shows all finish at the same time, and you can't find a
cab. Walking in Soho, the East Village, across the Brooklyn Bridge
or farther uptown in that great green urban oasis Central Park, was
an inexpensive and always entertaining pastime. It always seemed
that there were street fairs, farmers' markets and flea markets to
explore. And did I mention that my commute to work consisted of a
five-minute walk across the street?
(U) New York nightlife, of course, needs no fanfare. You may
choose from any variety of music, theater, dance or opera with
venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Met, Broadway,
Birdland or CBJB's, to name just a few. Of course, major-league
sports venues range fromYankee Stadium and Shea to Madison
Square Garden and Forest Hills. Most venues are an easy subway
ride away. Actually, the biggest problem you face many nights is
deciding which restaurant to choose (8000 in Manhattan alone!),
ranging from good, cheap eats to world-class cuisine.
(S//SI) The downside for me was the expense and the noise. Living
in Manhattan near the U.S. Mission to the UN was an operational
necessity. The job required that I live within a 20-minute call-in
distance from the office, which practically speaking, meant living in
Midtown Manhattan. A modest one- or two-bedroom apartment in
Midtown ranges anywhere from three to four times the cost of a
similar place in the Maryland suburbs. Our current New York Rep
enjoys a housing subsidy that covers about two-thirds of the
housing cost, which is a significant improvement over years past
SERIES:
(U) SID Around the
World '04
1. Letter From Ottawa
2. Yakima: Fertile
Valley in the High
Desert
3. Life in Alice
4. Omaha - The Heart
of the Heartland
5. Life in the Big Apple
6. 'Dropping Anchor' in
Anchorage
when there was no housing compensation. New York Reps also
receive New York-scale compensation, which partially offsets the
cost of living in Manhattan. Still, life ain't cheap in the Big Apple,
especially for families. Also on the negative side, there is the everpresent cacophony of taxi horns, sirens and garbage trucks. As the
old song goes, "New York is the city that never sleeps." Now I
know why.
(U) Family and friends frequently expressed concerns about how
safe it was to live and work in New York. Some worried about
crime, others about terrorist attacks. As to crime, walking around
Midtown day or night felt very safe. Even late at night, there are
lots of people on the streets, which are well-lit and well-patrolled
by New York's Finest.
(U) The terrorist threat is something we all live with whether in the
Washington area, at Fort Meade and or in New York City. The news
is full of security precautions and arrangements that New York is
making in the face of the current perceived threats. It is certainly
nerve-wracking and intense at times to live in Manhattan, but 9/11
should teach us that we must all, New Yorkers and non-New
Yorkers alike, learn to manage the risk in our lives.
(U) So, was the New York tour worth the long hours, financial
stress, aggravation and anxiety? Absolutely! It was one of the best
assignments I've had, and a highlight of my career. How could a
chance to work at a challenging job in one of the most exciting
places on earth be anything less?
(U//FOUO) If you are thinking of applying for a field position, see
the Field Vacancy Announcements .
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108