Guadalupe Astorga
This month Natural Selections interviews Alicia Galicia. Conference dining/ catering, RU.
How long have you been living in the New York area?
I’ve been living in NYC for 28 years.
Where do you currently live? Which is your favorite neighborhood?
I live in Astoria and I love it, so Astoria is my favorite neighborhood.
What do you think is the most overrated thing in the city? And underrated?
Most overrated in NYC I think is Time Square, nobody visiting the city misses it. Underrated, St. Patrick’s Cathedral on 5th Avenue. It’s a beautiful place to go, and pray and find yourself. For some people it may not be important in the way it is for me.
What do you miss most when you are out of town?
I miss the transportation. It’s so easy to move from one place to another in NYC. In other places like Chicago is much harder.
Has anything (negative or positive) changed about you since you became one of us “New Yorkers”?
I’ve changed in different aspects. I’m from Mexico and life there is harder. I feel that everything is possible in NYC if you pursue it. My first challenge was to learn English and I’m still trying to improve.
If you could change one thing about NYC, what would that be?
The subway service. I feel we’re paying more each time more, but the quality is decreasing. The trains are slower and waiting times are longer.
What is your favorite weekend activity in NYC?
I like to go to Central Park with my kids, they like to climb rocks and visit the zoo there. It’s a lot of fun for them to feed the cows and goats.
What is the most memorable experience you have had in NYC?
I came to work for a short time at Rockefeller and they liked my work, so they hired me. Since the first day I loved this place. I’ve been here for 21 years and I love the ambience, talking with professors, students and doctors. It’s a beautiful place to work and one of the best things that has happened in my life.
Bike, MTA or WALK IT???
I use the MTA because I don’t have enough space in my house for bikes.
If you could live anywhere else, where [would] might that be?
I would like to go back to the country I’m from, but it’s hard. I love NYC, the city that never sleeps. You have 24-hour stores, movies, and much more.
Do you think of yourself as a New Yorker?
Yeah, I feel part of NYC because I’ve been living here for 28 years and I’ve learned many things. Unfortunately, I was not lucky in my relationship, but I always teach my kids and myself to pursue your goals.