This month Natural Selections interviews Vadim Sherman, Supervisor of High Energy Physics Instrument Shop
Interview by Guadalupe Astorga
How long have you been living in the New York area?
Twenty-nine years.
Where do you currently live? Which is your favorite neighborhood?
I live in south Brooklyn, Sheepshead Bay. This area is not far from the ocean, Manhattan Beach, which is beautiful. This is my favorite neighborhood, that’s why I live there!
What do you think is the most overrated thing in the city? And underrated?
In my opinion, the most overrated things in NYC are the Broadway shows. Some of them are good, some are bad, but overall they are definitely overblown.
Underrated, the subway in NYC. I think it’s the best transportation system in all the US. Some people don’t appreciate it and don’t use it, they just prefer to drive their cars. It’s definitely underrated.
What do you miss most when you are out of town?
NYC water! When I’m out of town I only drink bottled water. Here, I drink water from the tap because I know it comes from a clean and beautiful reservoir.
Has anything (negative or positive) changed about you since you became one of us “New Yorkers”?
I became more American, started to speak English more than I used to, and lots of other positive changes. The negative is that everything gets more expensive; the living is more expensive than 20 years ago. But the experience is overall positive to me.
If you could change one thing about NYC, what would that be?
I would gladly change weather. I would love it if the weather would be like in Florida, but NY is a beautiful city and I like to live here.
What is your favorite weekend activity in NYC?
Definitely sports, I play two different ones, volleyball and squash, and I’m pretty good at both of them.
What is the most memorable experience you have had in NYC?
The birth of my children, I have two sons, both born in NYC, not like me. But of course there are so many different things about NYC…
Bike, MTA or WALK IT???
I like to walk, if I could I would walk to work, but it’s too far from where I live. Sometimes I drive, but I like to take the MTA because it’s pretty convenient.
If you could live anywhere else, where might that be?
If not NYC, which I love, I would live in Florida because I like the weather, who doesn’t, right?
Do you think of yourself as a New Yorker?
Definitely yes! Some people think about New Yorkers as only from Manhattan, I live in Brooklyn and I still consider myself as a New Yorker. You love where you live, and you live where you love.
