Montreal vs. New York

So we won't constantly spam you with texts and also because we're a bit lazy, here's the update on Montreal and New York as a small comparison. First of all, it's not really possible to compare the Canadian tranquility of Montreal with the city that never sleeps. A little culture shock is guaranteed. Because of their fundamental differences, we can't even say which city we like better.

Why did Montreal captivate us? As a Hamburger, you immediately feel at home here. Under 2 million inhabitants, situated on the water and a good pub scene. Perfect! Generally, Montreal is more of a city where you can just go with the flow. So for us, sightseeing is not a priority. Nevertheless, the city also has some sights to offer.

For example, once a year, Montreal hosts the Formula 1 circus on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Since we didn't have time for a bike ride on the racetrack in Abu Dhabi, we won't miss it this time and instead walk the circuit. Around the racetrack, the Jean-Drapeau Park was built in 1967 for the World Expo, which has since partly fallen into disrepair. Our visit to the 'officially' closed park therefore partly resembles a scene from 'The Walking Dead' (In New York, we meet Abraham shopping on 5th Avenue). But we're rewarded with a great view of the city's skyline. Fabulous.

Back to strolling through the city, we discover a beautiful promenade in the Old Town and later, St. Catherine Street, the 'Long Street' of Canada. Here, gay clubs, bars, restaurants, and snack bars are lined up next to each other. We also climb the namesake of the city and enjoy a great view from the top. Canadians run up and down Mont Royal for jogging, but we're already completely exhausted from the simple ascent. We still need to work on our fitness a bit.

Next stop: New York. We arrive late in the evening at LaGuardia airport. However, our intended subway doesn't go as planned, so we have to take a longer walk through downtown. The wild life around Times Square is still in full swing, okay it's Saturday night after all. We feel like we're walking on the Reeperbahn with backpacks on a weekend night. The streets are brightly lit by huge advertising displays. Our Airbnb is in Weehawken. That's in New Jersey and unlike Brooklyn on the other side, it feels cut off from Manhattan. With some luck, we find the spot where private buses from the Port Authority in Manhattan go to New Jersey for $3. (By the way, two of these buses crash into each other that same night and there are 3 fatalities). Thanks to Google Offline Maps, we call 'Next Stop' at the right place and fall into bed completely exhausted. But not before enjoying a view of the Manhattan skyline at night. Breathtaking!

The next day, we decide to get a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus ticket to comfortably visit the different routes and see all the sights. Good decision, because it's the UN General Assembly (including Trump) in New York and many streets are permanently closed or have very limited access. Nevertheless, we see the Broadway, Times Square, Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Central Park, and much more on foot or by bus. The Ground Zero Memorial offers an interesting structure, but also has its own atmosphere, which is atypical for New York. We pause at the former sites of the Twin Towers while hordes of people take smiling selfies. Has humanity really become so desensitized and ignorant? Hm...Thoughtfully, we walk more than 50 blocks Uptown, passing through Chinatown and Little Italy along the way.

We take a leisurely walk in Central Park and relax on the large lawn in the sun. Another destination is Grand Central Station, where we naturally try out the whispering corners. A very interesting and strange experience. Our Hop-On-Hop-Off tickets also include a boat tour that takes us from Pier 78 past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to Brooklyn. We walk back over the Brooklyn Bridge, which offers a great view of the skyline.

In the evening, we go to Yankee Stadium and watch a game against the Minnesota Twins. We can't resist doing some fan shopping. In the first inning, Aaron Judge hits a home run, but not much else happens in the 4-hour game. The Yankees win 2:1 and the beer costs $12.50. They must be crazy. Nevertheless, it's a very cool experience, even though baseball probably won't become our favorite sport.

The next day, Jose comes to visit and brings wind and rain. Immediately, we feel a bit more at home. In a good mood and with renewed energy, we get tickets for Top of the Rock. Insider tip: When it's really nice and miserable hamburger weather, the standard tourist doesn't go to the observation decks. Wonderful! Later, we go in search of a piece of the Berlin Wall that is said to be somewhere in New York, but Donald has probably reactivated the good piece further south. In the evening, we line up at TKTS to get discounted musical tickets. But they only offer the 50% discounts on best seats, which still puts the price very high and out of budget. So instead, we take the night tour on a double-decker bus. Everyone gets drenched and we have to hold on tight on the Manhattan Bridge so we don't get blown away. The tour still puts a smile on our faces, partly because of the slightly confused tour guide.

Conclusion: If we win the lottery, we'll buy an apartment in both cities, otherwise we'll probably stay true to Hamburg in the end!

Next Stop: Washington D.C.! We have the feeling Trump is already hot on our heels...