Close your eyes and picture what you know of New York City.  Picture streets full of people walking, all jostling for position as they hurry along.  Barely waiting for the lights to change, their focus is on where they are headed, nothing else.  When I booked this trip weeks ago, I imagined no one making eye contact, everyone rushing past.

Now imagine what you think the public places must be like.  Picture the busy shops, dismissive staff, tourists roaming in and out, streets worn and littered.  I raised an eyebrow when the first restaurant bathroom I went to use was located down a flight of stairs from the restaurant itself and thought, okay, this is going to be scary.

I braced myself…and was startled to find a perfectly clean, nicely appointed bathroom at the bottom of those stairs.  I figured it must be just luck, how funny that the first place I visited would be so nice.

I soon learned that luck had nothing to do with it.  Every restaurant I went into had friendly staff, attentive service, bathrooms so clean they stood out even compared to the ones in the much smaller city I call home.  How could this be?

The New York I experienced was nothing like I had pictured.  Everywhere I went I was surprised.  In shops, I was approached with baskets so I could unload the items I was juggling.  In restaurants, I found staff ready to assist with anything we needed…one hostess even offering to take my companion’s cell phone to their staff room to charge it safely for her.  People on the street would overhear our conversations and offer directions if we seemed unsure of our way.  I was smiled at, greeted warmly and well looked after in nearly every establishment I entered.

Now, I’m not foolish about this.  I was careful on the streets, and avoided anyone who I thought might not have a stranger’s best interests at heart.  If I needed to check my map or ask directions, I went into the lobby of the nicest building I could see and peeked at my map while under the watch of burly, suited security guards.  They were always happy to confirm directions for me.  Mostly, I found my way around just fine and didn’t get lost, but I was careful.  I also had the confidence of someone who had left her passport, extra credit and debit card and cash safely locked up at the hotel.  Just in case, an unnecessary precaution in the end, but one I was happy to take.

My final hours in NYC confirmed all my good impressions.  It was late, I was tired and distracted as we wandered through Times Square after a late supper.  It must have been ten or eleven o’clock at night, yet Times Square was lit up as always, shops open, crowds bustling.  People were out with children, babes sleeping in strollers, walking dogs and we figured it was safe to explore.  We walked all through the area, but as we walked back and I juggled my purse and a bag, I must have knocked my cell phone off my hip, where I didn’t even realize I had clipped it.  Completely unaware, I kept walking.  “Hey!  Hey!” a man called.  “Hey, is this yours?!”  We turned, and he was holding out my Blackberry.  “You dropped this!”  I was aghast.  How could I drop my phone in Times Square at eleven o’clock at night?  And who would have expected that someone would notice, and take the time to pick it up and get my attention so I didn’t lose it?

Sheepishly, I collected it from him.  And just as sheepishly, I picked up my camera when I dropped it and a helpful lady pointed it out to me.  We stopped at a deli, grabbed some cold drinks and decided to head back to the hotel.  The man behind the counter watched me try to twist off the cap on the bottle of cream soda I bought and waited to make sure I could get it open before serving the next customer.  He reached out to help, but once he knew I was fine, he smiled, bid me goodnight and turned to the next person.

The next day, the gentleman at the hotel baggage counter scolded me when I went to move my luggage myself.  Asking if I had a car waiting, he instructed me to come find him when my car pulled up, so that he could take the bags out for me.  “You don’t move those, they are heavy!  Find me, I will do it for you.”

As though the universe wanted to prove a final point, I dropped my Blackberry one final time, in the Newark airport.  And yes, of course, a stranger noticed and called to me so I didn’t leave it behind.

Ah.  New York.  Full of surprises.  I was sure it would be a bustling city of people who would never take the time to help a stranger.  Is that what you think?  Then it’s time to visit.  Be cautious, be aware, but then get out there and enjoy the people and their fine city.  If you let it, I think New York will surprise you too.

This piece was later featured by I Blog New York, a community of New York bloggers highlighting the best of New York City.  Created by Carol Cain and Issa M. Mas, the site has sadly gone dormant, but was a great collection showcasing this fascinating city.