THE BEST PLACE TO SPEND THE SUMMER IN NYC IS... || Bike Trip 

"Most spaces in the USA are built for private access, private reasons, and private profit." You wrote exactly what I was trying to explain in the video, but struggled to find the words. That's the main sensation that I had, thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the appreciation Evan.

Yeah, I appreciate the honesty, too.

Thank you Judith! It's patrons like you who allow me to put so much work into these videos, always remember. So thank you 🙏😊

Hi Ed, thank you. I think AK goes to much more dangerous parts of NYC though.

@@WhatashameMaryJane There was one where he went to some bad neighborhood in Brooklyn, where I was nervous for him when two hustlers came up to see what he was up to. But its a different dynamic if you are a woman.

😁🙏

Thank you for appreciating and not attacking. It's a rare thing nowadays. :) The USA are famous for their democracy and democracy is strongly connected to the idea of equality. That's why I was expecting to see more equality in this country.

Hi Guilherme! It's a pleasure to hear 🙂 Greetings from New York :)

I'm glad I did, thanks Yanine.

Thank you so much! 💛

Awww Thank you Andrew! Glad you enjoyed it!!

Thanks Nancy :)

Grazie Enzo!

Thanks David!!

Ahahah thank you very much 🙏

Thank you so much...I'm flattered and happy 😊

It is :) Greetings from New York!

Yaaaaay!!!! Please do, it would be such an immense pleasure for me to know that I inspired someone to get on the bicycle!

I haven't but I will now! 😅

Ahahah exactly!

Thank you both 2great pizza places Lucali and Best pizza They both contribute to helping others in need 🙏✌💙

So glad, thanks for the comment.

Hey Joe welcome to the channel!!!

@@WhatashameMaryJane Thank you!

I'm so glad you like it Auke!! Thank you 🙏😊

Good evening

der schredder I’m from NY

Thanks Elias 🙏

Hi! I don't recognize the flag it's too small, where are you from?

What a shame Mary Jane :) I’m from Uruguay the flag looks small just as my country xD. I need to come back badly this damn virus gotta die! Much love from Uruguay

What a shame Mary Jane :) I’m from Uruguay the flag looks small just as my country xD. I need to come back badly this damn virus gotta die! Much love from Uruguay

What a shame Mary Jane :) I’m from Uruguay the flag looks small just as my country xD. I need to come back badly this damn virus gotta die! Much love from Uruguay

@@Cacun Sending love down to Uruguay!

Unlike your grandmother, I love lomas, Morena!

Hi Brenda, welcome to the channel!!! 😊🎉

Hey Nancy, yes for me it's the same!

Uh so happy you decided to go!

@@WhatashameMaryJane it's beautiful out, I just got here, 9:09, not bad. Probably head down to the island with the ferry, by manhatton

I need to compensate all the hours that I sit in front of the computer editing videos Jorge! 😝

@@WhatashameMaryJane So true 😊

I can't believe what I read...please make up for that, it takes three hours to go visit and back! :)

What a shame Mary Jane i know! I hate to go alone. Will it be okay with you to tag along with me? You seem to get around a lot better than I do lol

Thanks Maria!!!

Uh such a great place to grow up in! If you think you know the places well enough to take me around safely, we could talk about you being my guide for a next bike ride. Write me an email

Yes of course I'll send you an email

@@WhatashameMaryJane djvitaliti@gmail.com

@ Dave, you're right! Mary Jane should not bike alone.

@@monermccarthy7198 I hope she emails me for the next ride. Id love to show her a Bronx route she missed

it always like that. we travel to so many far away places without recognizing that there are beautiful places just outside of our frontdoor.

Thank you so much Kate!!! I'm happy you enjoyed it 😊

Watched the whole video, amazing. Absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing.

If you get a chance, Mary Jane, you should watch the movie "Defiance" from 1980. It kind of epitomizes the way the tougher areas of NYC (in that case, a neighborhood in the lower east side if Manhattan) were like back in the day, with the scary gang violence, drugs, etc. Good, fun and exciting movie with a great cast.

@@jtinalexandria Thanks for the suggestion. It was really shot in the LES?

I believe so, MJ. Check it out!

Learned a lot about my city by watching your videos. Poor South Bronx. Forgotten. Unloved.

Yay!

Hey Jason I loved your comment thank you for sharing your impression! Yes Inwood Hill Park is a real gem, I can't wait to go back there. Maybe one day I'll also visit the Queens side of the triborough bridge!

Great point. That's exactly what I usually do, hang out with locals wherever I go. Now Covid has made it very complicated.

Beautiful comment. Thanks for sharing!

That definitely would have been a more direct route back to the city, but there are lots of traffic lights. Or you could have just gotten onto the 6 train with your bike.

Hey Ken I actually tried to take your advice, I genuinely thought I was somehow following the 6 train (I searched for a map of the line beforehand, but wasn't able to find it). Now I just compared the names of the 6 train stations looking for them on Google maps and I understand where I made the mistake. Next time it'll go better! :)

Hello 'Kenneth Chin' 🧔🏽 #ActionKid 🖐🏿

Absolutely love this comment. Thank you so much for sharing your passion for this not enough known borough and for all the interesting information. I look forward to explore more of The Brox!

Not gonna happen for a while :)

I get the feeling she's determined to get to know the U.S. She's only just getting started!

@@scottkempton6085 She would be back in Europe in a heartbeat if she could.

@@WhatashameMaryJane Have you visited anywhere in the US outside of the NYC metropolitan area as of yet?

@@crazeyjoe Sure, quite a bit in the East of the country

What can you tell me about Co-Op City? I've never been, I'd like to hear about it from an insider.

@@WhatashameMaryJane It's northeastern part of the Bronx, relatively safe, biggest cooperative in the world. Co-op City isn't considered Bronx enough by people from other neighborhoods. Sidenote, really enjoyed the Arthur Ave vid with Action Kid.

@@Ron_Berimbolo Thanks Ron.

That's actually not my case. I was blown away by seeing Manhattan for the first time (and I still am, honestly). Maybe it's the case for other people though.

Andrew, I appreciate your comment immensely. It's very interesting for me to hear what a viewer sees in my video, what he notices and what parts, moments or features he likes most. And thank you for the big compliments! I've never been into that sort of songwriter/folk music à la Bob Dylan, but Nick Drake was an incredible talent. The Pink Moon is my favorite of his three albums and yet the most minimal in its components, only voice and guitar. It is an absolute masterwork, and as I stated in the video, every time I listen to it I get goosebumps. Interesting your consideration about the Maori. It's also been West-Northern Europeans colonizing territories where the people were probably living much more in contact with the nature than with the urbanized environment, right? I'd like you to explain further your statement "(understanding their concept and motives for doing this though, is actually very eye opening about what we can understand about ourselves!)"

@@WhatashameMaryJane Thank you so much for your in-depth comments MJ, I loved hearing about your thoughts on the "Pink Moon" album, and how you think of it in relation to his other albums. Well, this just confirms to me that we think alike, because "Pink Moon" has always been my favorite too!. I agree with all that you said, and understand that this album was his no compromise album, and he finished it on his own terms, before sadly committing suicide. By some coincidence, I have just recently started reading an unauthorized biography of this incredibly talented, and mysterious musician. It is incredibly well researched, and seeks to understand the man, who virtually no one really knew (not even his own family it seems!). I've only read the first couple of chapters, but am looking forward to getting back into it, after I've finished another book I'm reading. After I finished my piece to you yesterday, I just suddenly remembered his song from the album "Bryter Later", titled "Thoughts of Mary Jane"... is this coincidence or not!. Anyway, I love that song too, it's just so incredibly well written, and timeless!. Also totally agree with your thoughts on Bob Dylan, who I've always considered an intellectual, rather than a true soul stirring musician (neither his music or voice have ever appealed to me very much). Tomorrow I will attempt to address the 2nd part of your reply to me, as I think this is worth mentioning in some greater detail... but not tonight, as it's now too late!. I think it's important that I try to do my best to explain what I meant by my comments, because I know they were a little vague... Ok, see ya then.

@@andrewbadart3827 I'm probably not going to read it but just out of curiosity, what's the name of the biography you're reading?

@@WhatashameMaryJane Hi MJ... yes, about the book, it's called"Darker than the Deepest Sea - The Search for Nick Drake", by Trevor Dann. I picked it up at a local charity shop for next to nothing, and decided to give it a quick sample, before reading it fully... and I was immediately hooked!. I have read a few accounts of Nick's life story before, but this was definitely bringing up a lot of information that I wasn't at all aware of, so I know this guy's done his homework!. When I've finished with it, I would be happy to post it your way, as you might be able to gain some valuable insight, into what inspired his musical creations. Also, while on the subject, I accidentally gave you some incorrect info last night, as "Thoughts of Mary Jane" was on the album "Five Leaves Left", rather than "Bryter Later". I simply had my wires crossed, with the song "Hazy Jane" (part 1), which was actually the song I was referring to (though "Thoughts of Mary Jane", is a wonderful song too!). Now, about the other thing I was going to mention, which was a brief history lesson about the colonization of New Zealand (some context for you, regarding the land deals done with the pre European 'Maori' population). As I said before, this sounded similar to the Manhattan land deals done with the dutch, and I can't say if any of the same circumstances did actually apply, but here's some of what I know about our own history. Having read a book myself, about what actually happened, by one of those involved, I can get a good idea of the circumstances that surrounded this land deal. The plan to colonize New Zealand, was actually conceived inside a prison cell, by a man called Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who was a convicted child kidnapper. He was a well educated man, but became infatuated by a young under-aged lady, who he wished to marry, but the circumstances wouldn't allow. Anyway, he decided to kidnap her, but was then caught, and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence, where he had nothing to do, except plan for a life outside of prison, where he could make up for lost time, by creating his lasting legacy. He dreamed up this scheme, where he would sell land plots to colonists, from the yet unseen shores of New Zealand (at that time very few people had ever been here, except a few whalers, and the early explorers like James Cook). He somehow managed to get the British government involved, and was commissioned a sailing vessel, to scout for suitable land for selling to his clients (the government also receiving their own cut from this deal). After taking some time to select the eventual settlement (my home city Wellington), he managed to strike up a friendship with a local Maori chief, who controlled the strategic area. This 'Paramount Chief' was very receptive to the idea of Europeans moving to this area, as he was constantly under threat, by other warring tribes, who would steal his land, and kill his people. A deal was done, where a ship load of provisions (such as guns, tools, blankets etc), were exchanged for a large quantity of freehold land, which the first settlers were able to farm, build houses, and grow crops. Exchanging of these provisions, was more the idea of the Europeans, rather than the Maori, as the Maori had no real concept of buying, and selling in their culture. Maori tribes would often barter with other friendly tribes in their area, by exchanging things like food, or other necessary items for subsistence. This early deal with the Maori, worked out well for both parties, as they both lived quite harmoniously together, and benefited from each others knowledge base. It was only later, that some disputes arose, which then led to a number of regional skirmishes, which were labelled the 'Maori Wars'. So anyway, that's a very brief overview of what happened back then, and European concepts were to later clash with Maori understandings on a number of issues, which have not all been fully resolved, even now!. It's this presumption by the European majority, that I was referring to in my comment.

@@andrewbadart3827 Fascinating story, that I'd never heard before. Hopefully nobody except you is going to read through all these comments, so I can tell you - quite shyly - that bartering is my ideal of economy. It must sound terribly naive but I don't care: I love the genuineness and the the frankness of an economy that exchanges value for value, without giving prices that are too often not mirroring the actual value.

The Bronx is so much better than the 70s, I should know I grew up during that period. It’s not Manhattan but it’s a good place for immigrants to get their start. And don’t be fooled there are plenty of establish Bronx neighborhoods were housing cost $1 million +

True! Never thought about it.

The Marble Hill area of Manhattan is also on the mainland. However most of the residents consider that they are from the Bronx and police and public services are provided by The Bronx Division of the NYPD and Borough of the Bronx Public services rather than Manhattan.

Loco en bici!!!!!!!

@@andreacampilongo9165 Hi :)

Welcome to my channel!

@@WhatashameMaryJane Glad to be here. You have awesome videos here

Probably! Where are you from?

@@WhatashameMaryJane | I'm English but in Los Angeles! Every time I watch the news I question the wisdom of staying in America, but this is likely where I'll stay for the coming years. I actually discovered your channel through your "Spaghetti & Meatballs" vlog, since I'm always interested in Italian vs. Italian-American food. But your non-food vlogs are enjoyable too. :-p

Yeah, wear your helmet, friend. Not just for your own safety, but also because as a RU-vidr with a pretty large following, you're also a role model ;). Stay safe!

I always came here as a tourist, but in one of my trips I started a relationship with a person who lives here. During the pandemic, since I couldn't travel anymore, we decided to get married so that we could be together. I've heard it's hard to move to the US, but that's all I know. I never wanted to move here so I never researched.

@@WhatashameMaryJane thank you very much !!! Can't wait for your next video 😁

Pink Moon - gute Wahl 😔

Hm... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Yxy1eF_w7sU.html

-Die Katze, sie kommt zu spät... es nimmt kaum noch jemand Notiz.- ^^ - Lied hat Bezug zu Vietnam, Ende Krieg. Text ist.. so uns so.

Eine Woche ist viel Zeit für ein Video. Ob es Deine Zeit wert war, das kann ich nicht beurteilen. Mir gefällt das Ergebnis... die kleinen ‚Hints‘ hier und dort. Ich, als Deutscher müsste jetzt echt suchen... ich habe Deinen Film ganz gesehen, vielleicht finde ich noch etwas zum Meckern 😂 - nur, wenn du mich aufforderst zu suchen! Das passiert mir selten. (Großes Kompliment)

Ahahah vielen dank Sascha! Du kannst meckern, wie du wills :)