Get to know Kelly & Jae - Their New York Stories

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Ladies and gentlemen, the next Brooklyn bound train in Valheim. [00:00:06] Speaker B: Stand clear of the closing doors. Please. [00:00:32] Speaker A: Transfer to Grand Central. [00:00:42] Speaker B: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the New Yorkers, a podcast by New York City Cop. I am your host, Kelly Kopp. I'm a published photographer, New York City tour business owner, a real estate content creator, and above all else, a New Yorker. But for clarification, my name is Kelly Kopp. K, O, P, P. Not cop. A lot of people think I'm a cop just by the sound of my last name, but is my last name cop? And so I did a play on my name with my social media. And so all my social media across the board is New York City Cop. And also with me is my producer, Houston Watson, or as I call him, Jay. And Jay is my amazing producer, as I said. And here he is right now. [00:01:28] Speaker A: Hey, everyone. Welcome to the show and thank you for listening. My name is Houston Watson and I go by Jay. That's my nickname that my parents gave me because my dad is Houston Senior and they wanted to call me Jay after his favorite comic, comic book artist, Jay Lee. I am a photographer, videographer, theater writer, podcast producer, and of course, a New Yorker. This show will be hosted by the wonderful Kelly Kopp, and each week we will bring on a different New Yorker that tell their own stories. [00:02:00] Speaker B: And for those of you visiting or New Yorkers looking to explore the city, we want to highlight neighborhoods, seasonal events, and places to visit that aren't your usual tourist traps. [00:02:11] Speaker A: And we also want to tell you about, well, all the activities going on in the city. There's always theater, there's farmers markets, there's new events happening every week. So hope you join us every Sunday and we'll let you know what the week has in store. Normally on the show, Kelly will be asking the questions, but because it's the first episode, I figured that we should get to know the host of it better. So, Kelly, why don't you start us off with a bit of Q and A. How did you come up with the idea to do the show and what inspired you to create it? [00:02:41] Speaker B: That's a great question, Jay. I do live videos on my social media, all my New York City Cop social media, for instance, especially on my Instagram and Facebook. And I love to show people the beauty of New York City. And I also love to give some great tips about the city. You know, how to travel via the subway, you know how to go to certain events and how to walk through Central park or how to get to certain places like the Brooklyn Bridge and They're also knowing that podcasts are pretty popular as well, and there's a lot of people who aren't on social media but are also on podcasts. So I thought it'd be a great idea to just jump over to podcasts and start a show and share that all this New York City information that people can learn and help them navigate their trips when they come here. To New York City? [00:03:31] Speaker A: Yeah. No, that's amazing. And what about the guests? What kind of guests are you hoping to bring on? Who are you hoping to talk to? [00:03:39] Speaker B: I'm hoping to bring a variety of different types of people on the show, people that have lived here their whole lives, people that have a story of their history in New York City as well, and then people like me who are. Are transplants and how they experience the city as well. You know, I want to talk to all different types of people, you know, who bring some unique story to our podcast. You know, I want to talk to people who. Who are the. Are the heart and soul of New York City as well, be it a, you know, maybe a. A subway conductor or someone who is on the Staten Island Ferry or someone who works at Cats Deli or, you know. [00:04:21] Speaker A: Garbage man. [00:04:23] Speaker B: Yeah, New York City garbage man. I mean, there's so many amazing stories here in New York City from every job that you can think of or every facet of life. I think that it is an endless, endless opportunity to talk to New Yorkers and hear their amazing stories. [00:04:40] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I think that'll be really fun. And to see the wide breadths of different kinds of people and how they create art or how they found blogs or how they are able to make New York City their job. [00:04:56] Speaker B: Right. Like us. [00:04:57] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Like. Like, you know, as you do so as being a transplant, as you say, what's your experience like having been someone who's lived somewhere else and is kind. Kind of gone and moved to New York later in your life. Like, what's the experience like having been a New York transplant? [00:05:18] Speaker B: Well, I think it's different probably than any other city I've lived here, lived here in the United States. I've only lived in the United States. But, you know, New York City by. In itself, is its own world. And, you know, for instance, crossing the street. Simple as simple as crossing the street. You know, I consider myself being here 11 years now, a New Yorker. And I know that I walk across the street when I want to walk across the street. Cars wait for us as New Yorkers. You know, I don't care if the light is green, yellow, or red. I, you know, when it's, when it's clear for me to go, I go. Cars wait for us. We don't wait for them. [00:05:56] Speaker A: I. When I'd walk with my grandma when I was younger, she would always cross the street whenever she wanted to, and she had to. Like, when she was with us, she would start to do it, and then she would stop and be like, oh, no, there's kids here, there's kids. We have to wait for the light. After teaching the way. And then as we got older and then got older, she was like, we don't need to wait for the light. She just kept going. Yeah. [00:06:15] Speaker B: You know, and when I do, you know, when I do my personal tours, too, I, you know, I follow the rules. The correct rules. [00:06:21] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:06:21] Speaker B: But it's very difficult for me to stand for the entire red light, you know, with. With my tour guests. You know, I have to do the right thing and for safety especially, obviously. But, you know, it's just funny because I was like, oh, it seems like an eternity that I have to stand at that red light and wait for it. [00:06:37] Speaker A: Oh, it's so long. [00:06:38] Speaker B: Yeah, it is really long. And, you know, another thing, too, is, you know, my apartment is on the first floor. And that's something that I've. I've gotten used to, but it was difficult at first. I've been in the same apartment since I moved here in New York City, you know, for 11 years. And I love my apartment. I love my supers. They're amazing. The apartment building is really clean. The laundry room is really clean. That's important when you move here, too. You check out the laundry room and how clean they keep it. Because anyway, I live on the first floor and I have windows, obviously, and I have learned to adjust to what I call the New York City lullaby. And that New York City lullaby is cars being parked right in front of my window, next to my window, you know, sideways. There are car alarms going off all night, all day. People sitting in their cars blaring music till 5, 6am in the morning, people walking by on the street. And the way that my window is as well. It's perfectly. The height is perfect where just my window itself, it seems like, is perfect with the. With, you know, the downgrade of the street that they can lean against my windowsill and lean their arm into my window. And then I've heard people talking on their phones, every conversation all morning, noon, and night. I've heard people breaking up. I've heard breakups. I Wanted to go out there and give them, you know, some advice, but, you know, I can't. You know, I hear people fighting, like, you know, yelling, each other, arguments. When. That's when, you know, that's when you know, though, too, I've learned just, you know, no matter what happens outside my window, I don't make a peep and I just go to bed, you know, because I. Like I said, it's a New York lullaby. There's also a school, oh, my gosh, that's gotta be, you know, across the street. So with recess. And you don't realize how. I never realized how much kids scream, you know, like crazy when they're at recess until you live next to a school, you know, so, you know, I mean, you just get used to it. So now I can sleep through anything. Before I moved to New York City, just the slightest sounds would bother me, but, you know, wake me up. But now I just. I call it the New York lullaby. I just can sleep through anything now. New York has taught me that. It's just, you know, and I love that too, because I can sleep so easily now, which before I could ever do that. [00:08:56] Speaker A: Yeah. And I. For me, it was the New York City alarm clock. Because where my grandmother lived, right next to the Second Avenue subway, when it was being built for all those years, all the workers started work promptly at 6:15 in the morning. [00:09:09] Speaker B: Right. [00:09:09] Speaker A: So every single morning at 6:15, you'd hear the drills and the hammers and the booms and all the dropping of stuff. It was insane. And so it was a struggle to get used to waking up at 6:15 every morning to what is a cacophony of just construction noises. But you learn to live with it and you learn to. I kind of missed it when I went home and I didn't have to wake up to that in the morning. [00:09:38] Speaker B: Oh, you just made me think of something too. That's so funny. Well, first of all, two things. One is that the school across the street has also been under construction for six, seven years now. I think the pandemic has stalled it, you know, for those couple years. [00:09:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:50] Speaker B: It seems like it's an eternity. And the construction that happens, like you said, 6:15am you know, and then they. They work until midnight or whatever the last time that, you know. So it's just. Yeah, I'm completely used to that, that. That construction too. It's a. It's a joy every morning to wake up to that, isn't it? [00:10:11] Speaker A: It is, yeah. [00:10:12] Speaker B: You know what's also funny, too? Is when I went home to Florida and stayed at my parents on vacation, I slept for the first time, you know, in a, you know, a year. You know, when I go to vacation with them, I can sleep for eight hours. And I forgot what that's like because, you know, you take for granted, you know, sleep, you know. And so it's just funny because I go to my parents and my parents had to check on me because I was sleeping so long. [00:10:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:38] Speaker B: Because I had complete silence where they live in this little town in Florida. Whereas in New York you don't realize how much your sleep is interrupted, but you just get used to it. It's just part of our life, you know, and it's just part of being a New Yorker. [00:10:51] Speaker A: Yeah. No, I think one of my apartments, we had the train run directly underneath it, and it ran so infrequently that you forget about it. And then it kind of goes by and then it's like, oh, it's there. So you kind of are sleeping. You hear the. The train, you feel it underneath the house, and it's just like, oh. And then, yeah, it's gone. [00:11:11] Speaker B: Yeah. New York City subway. [00:11:15] Speaker A: Gotta love it. [00:11:15] Speaker B: Yeah, we do. We do. [00:11:17] Speaker A: So why don't you tell us a bit more about what you do, Your photography or. [00:11:21] Speaker B: Yeah, work. I, you know, I think being a New Yorker to a lot of us have our hands in a bunch of different pots. Yeah, that's just a lifestyle, I think, in New York City, you know, it actually makes you a hustler, so to speak. Yeah, I mean, sure. So, you know, first and foremost, I'm a professional photographer, you know, and that's when I first moved to New York City as a photographer. You know, I dabbled in photography before I moved here, but it took off when I moved to New York City. And so as a photographer, you know, I was in love with the city and taking photos everywhere. And I started posting it on my social media, my New York City cop, Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and our X whatever it is and all that. And it started doing pretty well. And people, you know, then that's when I started getting a following of people asking me questions about New York City, you know, asking where to go, what to do, how to get to where I took my photos. Then I thought, you know what? I'm going to start a tour business, you know, and it's not, you know, I thought, how can I hang out with people and show them the city how much I love it, show them how, you know, and share our mutual Love for New York City and get paid for it. [00:12:26] Speaker A: Yeah, no, that's the goal. [00:12:28] Speaker B: I'll do tours, you know, do a photo. So they're photo tours, you know, so I take people around the city. They can choose what spots they want to go to. You know, one spot, two spots, three spots, you know, two hours, four hours, or six hours. And I take photos of people in the city at the favorite spots. What I. And what I feel are the most beautiful backdrops, be it the Brooklyn Bridge, but with you with the Brooklyn Bridge behind it, with you in Central park with beautiful views behind you. [00:12:53] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:53] Speaker B: You know, anywhere in the city, even to, you know, I like to have people in Times Square with the traffic behind them. You know, people love that too. So, I mean. And wherever they want to go, people can pick and choose where they want to go. So then I started my. My tour business, and I absolutely love it. It's. It's really, really fun. And then I met a good. Who is a good friend of mine now. His name is Marco Abbiati. He. He has the same love for city, for New York City, too. And he started this tour business called the Diker Heights Christmas Lights Tour. Okay. And he hired me to come in, come on as a tour guide on the bus and talk on the microphone about what I love about New York City and then take them, you know, when the bus gets to Decker Heights, which has the most beautiful Christmas lights in New York City, you know, so all these houses are beautifully decorated. It's a very affluent neighborhood. It's a very popular area to go to at Christmas time. So the month of December, you know, we take these buses out there and I discuss photo opportunities, the beautiful photos of Christmas, Rocket flower center, Christmas tree, all the Christmas lights, all things like that. So that's, you know, now I do that in addition. And then I also now work with real estate companies and do content for them with the real estate agents. [00:14:08] Speaker A: Right. [00:14:08] Speaker B: So it's, you know, I got my. It's my hands in quite a few pots. And that's what the city does to you. It brings these opportunities to you. Actually, you know, that's not that you really go looking for them after a certain point. These opportunities come to you as well. Then in addition, I mean, these aren't really my jobs, but in addition to my tours, Jay, I've also been contacted by some amazing people who have asked me to be a part of their New York City photography books. [00:14:33] Speaker A: Oh, wow. [00:14:34] Speaker B: I've been. Yeah, it's just. It's been great. It's been awesome. You know, I'm super, super proud of it, you know, to be asked. So in 2017, Dan Kurtzman, great friend of mine, he's actually a professional photographer out New York. Out in. I'm sorry, out in San Fran. He's. He's incredible. But the book is called New York City on Instagram and that's still, you know, I got Barnes and Nobles and things like that. [00:14:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:55] Speaker B: And then another one back in 2019, Jim Mushette got ahold of me and they were producing a. A brand new New York City photography book about the Statue of Liberty. Cool. Out at the Museum of. At the Statue of Liberty. And they used one of my photos and one of their books at the museum there. So I was, I was pretty proud of that. Pretty. And then just this last year in 2023, Michelle Fitzgerald contacted me and she is that there is a beautiful New York City photography book too. New York City photography book that they published. And they use some of my photos in their book. And you know, it's by Trope as well. And so it's been. I've been pretty fortunate and, and pretty proud of those. Those accomplishments. And then a couple magazines like Downtown magazine contacted me. Grace Capo Bianco got a hold of me and they used some of my Little island books. There's this thing called Little Island. It's beautiful. And I'm published in there and some other magazines too. So I've been pretty, pretty. That's been great to be in these books and I'm pretty proud of this. Yeah. [00:15:59] Speaker A: No, I must imagine. What are the pictures of? What are some of the pictures of? [00:16:02] Speaker B: Yeah, so. Wow, that's a great question. So in the Downtown magazine, they took one of my photos of Little Island. Little island is this little floating island on the Hudson River. It's pretty new. So it's this beautiful little island. It looks like it's on, you know, golf tees too. And then in the background of it is the World Trade center building. So it's. I love that photo. And I think. Yeah, the one with Dan Kurtzman. The New York City on Instagram book is the manhattanhenge photo. There's this famous, you know, thing. I don't know, famous. It's very well known in New York City event that happens twice in the summertime where the sun sets perfectly with the grids of New York City. And so I took a photo. [00:16:42] Speaker A: I haven't heard of that. [00:16:44] Speaker B: No, really? I thought you would. That's so funny. [00:16:48] Speaker A: What is? [00:16:48] Speaker B: Yeah. So the, the Grid. The sun sets perfectly in the grids of New York City streets, because the New York City streets are in a perfect grid. [00:16:55] Speaker A: Right. [00:16:55] Speaker B: You know, so when the sun sets twice a year, right in between the buildings, you know, people flock to this. Like, 42nd street in times Square is where I took the photo. And everybody has their. Their, you know, their phones in the air. And I had my camera, though, my professional camera, and they published that one. Then they published that. Well, there's like five photos, I think, in that book, but that's the one that I love the most, too. Awesome couple in Central park, though. And then the Statue of Liberty has, obviously, the Statue of Liberty book at the museum. And then the trope one has a couple beautiful photos from the Upper west side of this house that has all this shrubbery around the front of it, and it's really pretty cool. Yeah. [00:17:32] Speaker A: So what's your most memorable New York story? [00:17:36] Speaker B: Oh, well, there's a few, but there is one. [00:17:41] Speaker A: Glasses are coming off, guys. [00:17:43] Speaker B: There's a few. And there's one that's really, really sticks out. So back in 2017, I was in a train derailment in Harlem. [00:17:53] Speaker A: Wow. [00:17:53] Speaker B: Yeah. It was early morning rush hour. And I'm just sitting there on the second. Okay, second car up from the end on the train on the subway. And I'm sitting towards the door in the back of the back of the car. Like, my right shoulder would be touching the wall and right there. You know, people walk through that. They're not supposed to, you know, but. [00:18:13] Speaker A: Yeah, people always go through and they're. [00:18:16] Speaker B: Like, you there, don't they? It's like, yeah, I would never do that. [00:18:19] Speaker A: You know, I wouldn't either. I don't know. I don't know why people do it. I feel like you just sit in the car, you know, like, why are you going through the train? [00:18:27] Speaker B: I always wonder why they're walking through the train, too. [00:18:29] Speaker A: I don't know. [00:18:30] Speaker B: Yeah. What's the purpose? [00:18:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, if you really need to, like, I would wait till it gets to a stop and then get off and go to the next one, you know? Right. [00:18:38] Speaker B: I wouldn't. [00:18:38] Speaker A: I would never go to the door. [00:18:40] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, but we're so used to it. We see it every day. But so I'm on the train and it's, you know, it's on the A train, the express train going downtown. We're leaving 145 and going down to 125. And right before we get to 125, all of a sudden, it's like the train just is like a bucking bronco. And I knew instantly it was crashing in my mind, you know, no doubt. And. And we saw this. What looked like this huge explosion that we went through, and it was. It was pretty scary. And. And it was this huge, bright, you know. You know, ball. It seemed like that we went through, and people were screaming like nothing I've heard before. You know, like the screams coming out of their mouths were like terrifying screams. And I just, you know, I just. I just sat there and, you know, the train came to an abrupt stop quickly, and then all the power went off, all the lights went off, and then the train came to a stop, and people were just screaming like crazy. And I remember this guy yelled at the top of his lungs, everybody needs to calm down. And everybody. The whole train went silent. And then at this point, I see people, including myself, we get out our cell phones to. For light so we can see what's going on. It seems like it's. I don't know if it's smoke or dust, but it's. It's. It's. It's kind of smoky in the car. [00:20:09] Speaker A: Right. [00:20:09] Speaker B: You know, and so at this point, what we think, you know, I think most people on the train think from what I assume is that, you know, where there's an explosion, so to speak, and there's a fire coming up the train. [00:20:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:21] Speaker B: You know. [00:20:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:22] Speaker B: So I. It was. I was pretty sure that any moment a fire would come to the train car. So my first instinct was to get up and get. Get off, you know, get out of the train. So I instantly went to open that door we were just talking about, and it was locked, which I couldn't believe. I don't know. I've never seen it locked. [00:20:37] Speaker A: No. [00:20:37] Speaker B: You know, not that I ever checked, but, you know, people go through it all the time. Why is it locked? [00:20:41] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:20:41] Speaker B: You know, and so I'm like, oh, instantly, my stomach dropped. I'm like, oh, no. We're trapped on this. This subway car. And there's, you know, there's a fire maybe coming through this. This car. And so me and these three guys started working together cohesively, you know, quietly, effectively, you know, diligently together, trying to open the store. And we. We couldn't open the store, but there was. You could feel that, the tear on the train. And I looked around for a split second to see what's going on the train, and I could see people trying to pry the wind the doors open, trying to pry the windows open. It Was like slow motion. It was insane. I mean, it was like the craziest experience, you know? And then I. There was a really tall guy of the four of us. There was a tall guy next to me. And I asked him. I said, hey. Well, I didn't ask him. I told him, I said, you need to kick this. This. Because there's a window in that door. [00:21:34] Speaker A: Yeah, there's a window. [00:21:35] Speaker B: There's a window in the door. And so I know exactly how high it is now, because I tried to k. Kick it. I was going to kick it, but I realized I'm not tall enough to kick the window out, so I know exactly where it is. And I said to him, I knew he was tall, even though I couldn't really see him because it was dark in there. I said, listen, you need to, you know, I probably said a lot of more colorful words, too. Kick this window out, you know? And he, without hesitation, kick. Started kicking. And I remember my. I counted subconsciously my mind. I'm like, he was 11 kicks, because it was terrified. I remember each kick, you know, like, 1, 2, 3. Like, my stomach was dropping even more. And, like, we're doomed. And every single cell, my body was screaming, get off this train or else you're gonna be in a fire. You know, something's gonna happen to you. And so. And then, like, on the 10th kick, he. I could feel. I mean, I could see that the. The whole window cracked like a car windshield. Wind. [00:22:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:25] Speaker B: Wood. And then. And then on the 11th kick, it came out, and I felt relief, you know, I was like, oh, you know, I feel. Feel safer now, you know, but what's interesting now, looking back, I was counting back in my head. But with every single kick, I remember, like, I remember each kick, like, I could feel his terror. I could feel his anxiety. I could feel his urgency in every single kick, like, of emotions. Every single kick was so intense. I could remember just feeling that, you know, like, the intensity of his kicks. And we're all feeling that way, too. Yeah, it was just, you know, I just remember that too, specifically. So the tall guy then went through the window, and then the last car he tried to open, um, you know, he's out. Out. Got out of the train car, in between cars, and he tries to get that door open, and it's locked. And I. And I was behind him, and I was like, well, forget this. I'm done. I'm done with this. [00:23:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Getting off this train. [00:23:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:16] Speaker B: You know, I want to get off this train. And so I, you know, shimmied through the. Through the chains that, you know, hold. Yeah. Keep the trains together and everything. And. And all the. [00:23:26] Speaker A: Able to climb through the window. [00:23:28] Speaker B: We climbed through the back door window. Yes. And then. And then we, you know, then the. The guy, the tall guy tried to get open the. That last train car door, but he couldn't. So that I just slid through all the chains and ropes and everything that hold the train together and jumped out into the tracks, you know, and then that's when I saw other people jumping onto the tracks and everything, you know. Cause everybody's, like, wanting to get off the train. [00:23:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:23:52] Speaker B: And it was. It was quite an experience. And then once I got onto the train tracks, you know, I felt a little bit better because obviously, you know, I feel safer. Then people asked me in the past, you know, of this experience, had I, you know, was I worried about getting hit by a subway going, you know, on. And I didn't. It didn't enter my mind. I felt safe. You know, I didn't see any. There was kind. In a distance, you can see a train coming anyway, you know, so. But we're in the dark tunnel, and I could see little debris on fire here and there, you know, garbage debris or whatever. And. But I also knew that there's also the third rail. Yeah, that. That, that is elect. You know, the electric third rail that electrocutes people. They stand on it. But I knew my first. My first roommate here in New York City was nypd, and he taugh. Where the electric rail. He's. He pointed out to me, like, one of my first few days, he's like, there's the rail. Never touch that. [00:24:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:39] Speaker B: You'll be zapped. You know, So I was aware of it. I was. You know, people ask me about that, too. I'm like, well, also, too. I'm on this train, which I think is going to catch on fire, or, you know, jump on the rail and jump on the train track and evade this rail or whatever the third rail it's called. Like, I just want to get off the train. [00:24:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:24:55] Speaker B: You know, then eventually the fdny. I'm sorry. Yeah. The Fire Department of New York came and got us. And then the conductors were there, two of the train, and they were kind of just walking us. They got us back on the train, and they walked us through the train, you know, and out of the train. And then 2, 2, 1, 25. And then I sat on the. I sat on the 125th Harlem bench right there at the subway station for an hour, just trying to trying to, you know, collect yourself. Collect myself. And my brain was trying to figure out what I just went through. [00:25:29] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:25:30] Speaker B: Because I thought I was possibly going to die in a fire in a subway car a few minutes ago, and now I'm sitting on. At 125 on a bench and everybody's all fine and nobody's going about their business kind of. I mean, not really, but life is kind of okay right now. It's just crazy. [00:25:45] Speaker A: So, Yeah, I can. I can't even imagine what's. What it must have been like to be in that situation. Like having a train derail. And we've been like, seeing. Did you see the one train and the F train this past week? [00:25:58] Speaker B: So this was in 2017. June. June 27, 2017 was my train derailment. And I talk about it once in a while. I'm actually. Actually I'm on a documentary, I think I told you. [00:26:09] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:26:09] Speaker B: Should be coming out any week. You know, one of those, like, I survive time shows. But I. It's. Oh, you know, I talk about it often. There was a. Then there was just that train. I think there was two this last. [00:26:20] Speaker A: Yeah. There's a one train and the F train. [00:26:22] Speaker B: Yeah. People ask me if I'm. Go ahead. I'm sorry. [00:26:24] Speaker A: Oh, no, I. I live on the F train. So I was like, oh, the. I knew the one was out for a week or like a few days. [00:26:30] Speaker B: Right. [00:26:30] Speaker A: Um. And I was like, I don't know if I could do it. But luckily, I guess it wasn't bad enough that they had to cut the whole line. [00:26:36] Speaker B: Both of them. They were pretty minor. [00:26:38] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:26:38] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:26:39] Speaker A: But no, it's. It's. It's very. It's a very intense situation. [00:26:43] Speaker B: Right. And people have asked me, like, you know, how was it? You know, how long did it take you to get back on the train? It took maybe a month or so to get back on the train, but I feel totally comfortable on the train. It didn't, you know, it took a few months. Like, some. Some like, sounds and feelings of the train. You know, like, it remind. Take. Remind me a little, but I. I'm. Within a few months, I was totally back to normal. And, you know, I didn't. I didn't care about it. What really helped me getting back on the train, too, was a good friend of mine said, well, you know what? Just chalk it up as another New York moment. I just looked at him, I went, you know what? You're right. I'm not gonna let this get me down. Him Saying that. [00:27:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:17] Speaker B: For some reason it just clicked or just. It did something to me. I'm like, he's right, you know, I gotta take the train again every day. And I do now I do. [00:27:24] Speaker A: You know, no, it's another story to tell. [00:27:26] Speaker B: And one thing too. I mean, the odds of it happening are so rare. But you know, it again. But. Yeah, but you know, it also taught me that I know how to. To get off a subway. If I crash again now I know, I mean, I feel more safe. [00:27:39] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:27:39] Speaker B: And lastly, to finish up this story about the subway, one thing I took out of it too. I think we all kind of daydream how we would be and what we perceive as a life threatening situation, you know, especially today in today's world, you know, and. But so the person that I took, that I saw come out of me that day was a fighter. Was someone who wasn't. Was not. There was nothing stopped me from getting off this train. [00:28:03] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:03] Speaker B: You know, I was actually like, who is this guy? You don't know if you're gonna be. Just sit there and cry or do something, you know, And I was. Me and these, these three guys and myself, we were working so well together without even talking hardly. You know, we just knew we're all on the same page. We had the same common goal is to get off this train, you know, and, you know, possibly save our own lives. You know, that's the point. We thought that. And it was. I just saw this person inside of me. He was. Nothing was stopping me bringing off this train. I don't care what it was. I'm a fighter. I was like, wow, who is this guy? This. I thought it was a wimp, you know, so. But that's it. That's the story. [00:28:40] Speaker A: Oh, that's awesome. [00:28:41] Speaker B: Yeah. What else? [00:28:43] Speaker A: Let's close out your segment with your favorite place in New York City. [00:28:50] Speaker B: Let's take a quick break. [00:28:53] Speaker C: Hey there. I'm Bellamy Young. I'm an actor and a producer. I've been working with the global humanitarian organization care. And I am so excited to invite you along for my new podcast. She leads with care. Each week you'll meet some incredible women who have changed their lives and their communities. We raise our voices for people who don't raise their voices to defend themselves. Listen to. She leads with CARE now on your favorite podcast platform. New episodes every Tuesday. [00:29:28] Speaker B: What's my favorite place in New York City? I. You know what? I don't even know how to answer that because there's so many places that I absolutely love equally you know, I mean, there's so many. Like, for instance, the Brooklyn Bridge at Sunset. [00:29:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:49] Speaker B: Is truly remarkable. Truly beautiful. Central Park. Just walking through Central park will make your soul sing no matter where you're from or who you are. New York or not. [00:30:00] Speaker A: Absolutely. [00:30:01] Speaker B: You know, I mean, just walking through. And I live, you know, where the train is, you know, that I take every day. It's, you know, it's pretty close to Central Park. It's just a few minutes. And so I'm in Central park often, and there's nothing that makes me. My soul sing more than walking through Central Park. And I've met so many people and help people with directions. [00:30:20] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:21] Speaker B: And talk to so many amazing people in Central Park. It's just. There's just so many things in New York City from every borough, everything. There's just a lot to do. But, you know, if someone asked me what they want to do when they come to New York City, I will say, do the Brooklyn Bridge. Do Central Park. Those are my two top favorite things to do. Cool. [00:30:48] Speaker A: Awesome. [00:30:53] Speaker B: So, Jay, I have some questions for you. [00:30:56] Speaker A: Okay. [00:30:58] Speaker B: Tell us what it was like growing up in and around New York City. [00:31:02] Speaker A: I loved it. I had. I had a great time seeing all the sights. My grandmother made sure that when we were young, we had the chance to see all the tourist stuff. So she took us to all the museums. She took us to the Brooklyn Bridge, she took us through Central Park. She took us to Broadway shows in Times Square. She wanted to make sure that we had got all the tourist stuff out of the way so we didn't have to go to it when we were adults. [00:31:34] Speaker B: That's awesome. [00:31:35] Speaker A: Yeah. And so every summer, we would spend a few weeks with her, and we go to summer camp, and we'd spend the weekends in Central Park. We live near the 86th street entrance, and so there was a big park there with a sand pit, and there was a fountain and a big field, and we used to go and run around and play with Frisbees and basketball, and it was. It was great. We had, near where she lived, a whole street, actually, that was, like, sectioned off for kids to play on. And so we would all would spend the evenings hanging out in the street. And. Yeah, it was. It was great. I learned so much from seeing different museums, seeing shows, just having the opportunity to be exposed to so many different artists, so much art, and. Yeah, it was great. [00:32:37] Speaker B: What a great life to grow up in New York City. I'm so. I don't want to say jealous or envious. But I am, you know. [00:32:43] Speaker A: Yeah. No, I mean, I think that it's certainly unique. Like, I always say, it's the greatest city in the world for a reason. [00:32:50] Speaker B: I agree. You know, it just makes me personally sad that I didn't grow up as a child here in New York City. And, you know, I want to be your grandma, too, one day. [00:32:57] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:57] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, she sounds like an amazing person. [00:32:59] Speaker A: I feel like she'd be great to be on the show. [00:33:01] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:33:02] Speaker A: I selfishly would like to have her. [00:33:07] Speaker B: I would love to have her on the show. I mean, she. So much history in New York City. Yeah. [00:33:12] Speaker A: I mean, she grew up here. She's lived here all her life. [00:33:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:33:16] Speaker A: So she. She's lived in a bunch of different places. [00:33:20] Speaker B: And she was born where? [00:33:21] Speaker A: Here in City in Harlem. [00:33:23] Speaker B: What neighborhood? In Harlem. Awesome. I live in Washington Heights, which is right above Harlem. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're neighbors. We were. We would have been neighbors. [00:33:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:33:32] Speaker B: You know. Well, so, you know, what's your job, Jay? And. And, you know, what do you do. [00:33:38] Speaker A: Beyond working for this podcast? I work for a documentary film company. We mostly do sports, even though I'm not big on sports. For me, it's mostly about the stories. There's so many amazing stories that are out there, and it's really cool to be able to tell these stories through that sports lens. And the sport is kind of the backdrop, and we really tell stories about people, which is what I love about what I do. So, for me, it's mostly editing, organizing the footage and syncing it and making sure that it's right for the editors to work with. But I love editing. I love being in the edit sphere, as I will for the show. And, yeah, it just brings me joy to be able to do something concrete and to see progress and to make stuff out of this. There's so much footage and so much like, audio that we're going to have to sift through to make something out of it. But once you get there and you put the music together and you have the show and people listening to it, and it's. There's something very rewarding about that. [00:34:47] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome, Jay. [00:34:49] Speaker A: Yeah. And then. [00:34:50] Speaker B: Go ahead. [00:34:51] Speaker A: I have my photography where I have to get back to posting, but I love doing photography, and Kelly and I have been on shoots, and we have. That's a lot of fun. [00:35:00] Speaker B: I loved it. [00:35:01] Speaker A: Yeah, we got to do more of that. [00:35:02] Speaker B: You know what I love, too, is your passion for photography, because, you know, I love photography, obviously, but, you know, you Know, the first time that Jade. I went out and shot together, and I was just. I. I mean, just your passion I could feel, and it was just a joy to take photos with you that day. [00:35:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:19] Speaker B: Because we were at. Jay showed me Prospect Park. [00:35:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:22] Speaker B: Which is his version of Central Park. [00:35:24] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:35:24] Speaker B: Right. You know, and same. Same architects of Central park are Prospect Design. Prospect park, too. But, I mean, just how you were so into it, you know, and it's just. I was actually following you around. [00:35:38] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, I know all the good spots. You know, I've been there a few times. There's the dog park. There's a waterfall. There's a bunch of open fields and people playing and hanging out. Yeah. It's. It's a joy to really, like, on the boathouse. I love the boat. [00:35:53] Speaker B: That's where we went. [00:35:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Seeing the boathouse at sunset and getting, like, sun setting over that beautiful kind of, like, Southern. [00:36:01] Speaker B: Architecture. [00:36:02] Speaker A: Yeah, it's awesome. [00:36:04] Speaker B: So I had always. Since I moved to New York, I've always wanted to go to Prospect park and take photos and videos of that boathouse. And thanks to you. Thank you. You took me there. [00:36:13] Speaker A: Yeah, of course. [00:36:13] Speaker B: And it was a beautiful sunset with the light on the building. It was so. I was gorgeous. I want. We need to do that again. [00:36:20] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. I'd love to. I mean, I. It was funny. When you're talking about taking people out for photography, that's kind of, like, how I started doing, like, more photography, where I would just kind of go with my friends and my. I have another. My best friend loves the city. And we just would hang out and talk and walk and have a good time. And then I brought my camera one time. [00:36:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:43] Speaker A: And I started taking pictures of him, and he was like, I love this. [00:36:47] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:48] Speaker A: Like, we got to do it again. And so he was like, when can we do it again? When can we do it again? I'm like, like, sure. Like, let's do it. And so we went out with, like, more of a purpose now and, like, went and, like, hung out in Central park and just kind of, like, went rock climbing and went to the lake and the Turtle Lake and just kind of, like, hung out. And it's actually funny that one time we were at the Turtle Lake in Central park, and there was this kid playing, like, having, like, a play date with another kid, and they were, like, going around and, like, playing with the turtles. And they called that area the Turtle Hotel. [00:37:19] Speaker B: And so the kids did. [00:37:20] Speaker A: Yeah, they did. And so they had, like, they would go feed the turtles and, like, have little food for the turtles to come in and feed them. And they would, like, like, oh, my God, this is all the turtles. And so I had my camera, and I was taking pictures of the kids and, like, having them, like, when they're interacting with the turtles and, like, having a good time. And I edit them and sent them to the dad, and I got the dad's information, and he was like, thank you so much for doing this. Like, I'll always remember. Like, I'll have a concrete memory of my kid when he was this age forever and, like, doing this in that memory. [00:37:56] Speaker B: And so, you know, I love that you just told that story, too, because it's amazing. And I. I have done that, too. I have, you know, told a stranger, hey, I have a photo of you if you want it, you know, and. And they've been like, oh, this is amazing. You know, thank you. You know, it's just. It's just so, so, so awesome to do. [00:38:15] Speaker A: Yeah. It's so heartwarming to like, be able to and then, like, interact with people like that and to just kind of, like. I mean, it's not. It's not really a big deal for you, really, but for them, it's like, the world, right? They can, like, have this moment that's captured forever and they didn't even really know. [00:38:32] Speaker B: And it's such a positive experience, you know, when you have a passion for something. [00:38:35] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:35] Speaker B: You know, like, you know, just that pot, that feeling of positivity we had that day. Positive day and fun. I could feel your passion for photography, you know? My passion for photography. [00:38:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:38:46] Speaker B: So for me, I was like, God, this is an awesome day because, you know, we're just both clicking on this same plane here on photography and friends, obviously. But, yeah, great story. Great, great story, my friend. So, Jay, what's your most memorable New York story? [00:39:03] Speaker A: I think the thing that'll stick with me for a very long time is when I was about eight years old, I had always been a Mets fan. And not because I like baseball, but because I like the colors. I love that shade of blue, and I love orange, and I think they look really good together. [00:39:20] Speaker B: That's great. I love it. [00:39:21] Speaker A: As a kid, I always thought the Mets logo looked a little better than the Yankees photo. Ooh, no shade to the Yankees. No shade to the Yankees. But I like the Mets. [00:39:31] Speaker B: I'm just joking. [00:39:32] Speaker A: We were at Shea Stadium. It was one of the last games at Shea Stadium because they closed it and made a new stadium right next to it. But that old Chase Stadium has been there forever, and I was lucky enough to get tickets to go to that game. And they do a T shirt launcher and they had special T shirts made for that season. And it said last. Last season at Shea. And so the launcher sent the T shirt up to the row above us and someone in the row above us got him, got the shirt. And a guy who was standing by was like, hey, you should give the T shirt to the kid. And so the guy was like, yeah, sure. And so they gave me the shirt and I still have it. I wear it to bed sometimes. It's like. [00:40:26] Speaker B: How old were you? [00:40:27] Speaker A: I was about eight years old, I think. [00:40:28] Speaker B: How big or how little is that shirt? [00:40:31] Speaker A: No, it was huge. All the shirts were like extra large. Yeah. So it didn't even really fit me until like a few years ago. It was just kind of like a huge dress. [00:40:40] Speaker B: But you now. [00:40:41] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, it fits me now because it was like, it was like two xl. It was like XL or something. [00:40:45] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:40:46] Speaker A: And I was like eight, so it wasn't like a fit for me. But it was more to have that history that's pretty. Have that like history of. [00:40:55] Speaker B: Oh yeah, Shea Stadium. What a memory for you. Said you're eight. [00:40:59] Speaker A: I was around eight. [00:41:00] Speaker B: What a memory for an eight year old kid, you know, to, you know. Because I'm trying to think of my memories at that age and I don't. Can't really think of anything. [00:41:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I don't remember anything else from like, I don't remember anything else from that game. But like, it was just kind of like. Because I really wanted it. I really wanted the shirt. [00:41:18] Speaker B: That's just another awesome New York story. [00:41:20] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. [00:41:21] Speaker B: Like a New York memory. That's what this city does. [00:41:23] Speaker A: Yeah. There's so many like, just opportunities. I think New York is getting a bad rap for being kind of standoffish but angry. But I think, I think for me that just goes for the walk. You know when you're on the streets and you got somewhere to be, you're walking and you're walking with a sense of purpose and you're not looking around and you're not like, you know, you're going to do what you got to do. But I always say that if you ever need directions or if you need to ask a question, like interrupt someone and ask them. I know it's scary, but just do it and they'll be the nicest person you've ever met. [00:41:55] Speaker B: I feel the exact same way. [00:41:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:41:57] Speaker B: You know, I see it all the time. I see on the subway. [00:41:59] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:00] Speaker B: Especially, you know, when. Especially, you know, when they hop on the express from Columbus Circle. [00:42:05] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:05] Speaker B: And they're headed up. And then they don't realize they're heading to Harlem at 125. [00:42:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:09] Speaker B: You know, and they're like. And they're. They want to go to the New York Natural history museum at 81st. [00:42:13] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. [00:42:14] Speaker B: And they don't realize they're hopping on express by accident, either. Like, what's going on? I mean, every other day. I see. This is what you do. You get to Harlem, you go take the local on the way back. You know, I'm. You know. Exactly. But, I mean, New Yorkers are the first to offer directions and. Because we know that look when they're lost. And we want to help you. [00:42:30] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:31] Speaker B: You know, like. But I'm talking. I mean, I'm a transplant. I see the real New Yorkers really doing this mostly. And I think it's. I think it's amazing, you know? [00:42:39] Speaker A: It is. And I think my favorite thing is I always have, like, little Spanish women come up to me, and they're like, do you speak Spanish? [00:42:47] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:42:47] Speaker A: I'm like, yeah, I know enough to ask for help, to, like, help you. And I was like, oh, thank you so much. Thank you so much. But I always think it's really funny that they always, like, out of everyone, they sniff me out, and they're like, oh, you tell me where to go. And I'm like, I got you. I got you. [00:43:03] Speaker B: That's really funny. What's funny, too, is I did. I just started this new tour, actually, into the Bronx, you know. Oh, cool. The original Little Italy on Arthur Avenue. [00:43:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:13] Speaker B: And what's funny is a lot of people were. I took this family from Australia. There's. They were. They were really cool. And it's funny because we were on the bus in the Bronx, you know. [00:43:26] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:27] Speaker B: And people are like, are you guys lost? I'm like, no, I live here. I'm. You know, and people were cool, though. But then. Then they heard our front, My friends on the tour, you know, who are from Australia, talking, and everybody was, like, talking to them and want to know where they're from. [00:43:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:43] Speaker B: That's so cool. You know, But a couple of times. Are you guys lost? We're like, no. You know, it's just funny. I thought it was. But the point is that everybody's trying to be so helpful. [00:43:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:52] Speaker B: You know, they were all trying to, like, give. Give me directions or help. And I'm like, I got it. I got. I'm actually doing it to where I live here. [00:43:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:58] Speaker B: Like, actually, I live down the street, to be honest. You know? But anyway, so that's. That's really cool, Jay. That's a great story. [00:44:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:44:05] Speaker B: So what are your favorite places in New York City? [00:44:08] Speaker A: My favorite place overall is the Brooklyn Bridge Park. [00:44:14] Speaker B: Oh, good one. [00:44:15] Speaker A: Yeah. Every time I go, I'm just in awe of, like, seeing the bridge and even both bridges. The two bridges. Yeah. And you got the. It's. I think, for me, it encompasses New York City the most. With the bridges, you have the Empire State Building. You have the Freedom Tower standing over the East River. Just kind of, like, looking at everything. It's just a magical moment. And I go and, like, it's breathtaking. Like, I really just kind of sit there and, like, Basque and the New York City ness of it all. And it's one of my favorite places to just go and walk around and do pictures of or just chill and look at the skyline. It's amazing. [00:45:06] Speaker B: 100% agree. Actually, when you asked me that same question earlier. [00:45:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:45:11] Speaker B: I said Brooklyn Bridge. I was going to say dumbo. Brooklyn Bridge park area, too. I mean, this is. It's heaven. It's. It's. It's. If. If New York City is heaven or New York City is heaven, however you want to phrase it, you know, that's. That's what it is right there. Yeah, that's another spot that's just, like you said, it epitomizes New York City. Yeah, right. Actually, on the way back, like, when we do our Diker Heights Christmas lights tour, the second stop is right there. [00:45:37] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Nice. [00:45:39] Speaker B: So just show people on the bus those views, and they love it. So. Yeah, no, that's a great. That's great, Jay. I like how you described it. It's really nice. [00:45:45] Speaker A: Me, too. I'm gonna have to use that. [00:45:47] Speaker B: Yeah, it's really nice. [00:45:48] Speaker A: Go back to this recording and be like, yeah. Oh, this is what I think. [00:45:52] Speaker B: I'm gonna listen to the recording, too, and write it down and tell people that. [00:45:55] Speaker A: Be on your tours. [00:45:56] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. That's really beautiful, Kelly. I'm like, Jay told me, no, you. [00:46:01] Speaker A: Got to take credit. [00:46:02] Speaker B: Yes. [00:46:02] Speaker A: This is what I said. [00:46:03] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. [00:46:04] Speaker A: Oh, my God. Okay, so I think we're gonna have to wrap up the show for right now. [00:46:11] Speaker B: Yeah, of course. [00:46:12] Speaker A: Why don't you lead us out, Kelly? [00:46:16] Speaker B: Okay, my friends, that's all the time we have for you today. Thank you all for joining us today for our very first episode of the. [00:46:23] Speaker A: New Yorkers we're both very excited to be working on the show and we want to bring you a diverse selection of New Yorkers to hear their stories, so I hope you enjoy. [00:46:33] Speaker B: Thanks again for listening everybody. Truly appreciate it, you know. And please like and subscribe to the New Yorkers anywhere you listen to podcasts. [00:46:43] Speaker A: You can follow us on social media at the New Yorkers Podcast. [00:46:46] Speaker B: And please leave a rating or a comment to let us know how you're enjoying the show. We read through all your comments and DMs, so please, we would love, love, love to hear from you. Have a lovely day and we will see you next Sunday. [00:47:00] Speaker A: Bye. [00:47:02] Speaker B: This is the last stop on this train, everyone. Please leave the train. Thank you for riding with MTA New York City Transit.