Blog@MPIDR

MPIDR on Tour – Life in New York

© istockphoto.com / OlegAlbinsky

In spring 2025 Henrik Schubert, Research Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research and newly graduated PhD from the University of Oxford, spent two months at the United Nations Population Division (UN) in New York City, USA. Henrik had the opportunity to apply his academic knowledge to the practical science being undertaken at the UN by observing and participating in its political work and workflows. And he got to experience what it's like to live in New York City. 

Living in New York City for two months was an adventure. While the time flew by rapidly, I collected so many fantastic memories, that I feel like I aged about a decade. I stayed in a small apartment on the border between Harlem and Upper East Side in Manhattan, which was just an hour walking distance from the UN Population Division. An hour walking distance in New York City means dashing from point A to point B while carefully watching traffic to be able to cross as many red lights without getting hit by a three-ton massive SUV. I was also positively surprised to find out that children are shielded from car traffic on their way to school, as the streets in front of schools are closed during school’s opening and closing hours.

I really enjoyed the spirit of the city, the internationality, the leisure outfits mixed in with business suits. The people are so friendly and nice, which can turn a bad day into a good one. For instance, when I was on the subway from the JFK airport to my new apartment, exhausted and tired after the two-day long journey from Rostock to NYC, a stranger on the subway made me feel awake again by complimenting my style! This has actually never happened in Rostock in the past four years. 

Meeting former Participants of the MPIDR Summer Incubator Program and friends at a baseball game. © Henrik Schubert

You can hear people singing on the subway, on the streets, and also five stories above you, (who you can still hear from that far away because the noise (and temperature) isolation is incredibly bad compared to European buildings). In my free time, I strolled around the city, visiting entertainment events like Broadway shows or museums like the Whitney, the MET, the MoMa and others. I also went to multiple sport games, including an Ivy league lacrosse game between UPenn and Columbia, and a Yankees baseball game. The baseball game was a truly cultural experience–nobody followed the game among the spectators because the attention was shifting between the huge video screen displaying the game and the massive buckets of fried chicken people hold in their laps.

Living in NYC has also downsides (you can decide for yourself if the bucket of fried chicken is an upside or downside). The speed, noise, and activity can be draining at times. I now fully understand the line “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere” in Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. I am just not sure whether he means the capabilities of people or their resilience. The New York skyline is infamous and looks great on postcards, but I am not a big fan. As I walked to work and back in the shadow of the skyscrapers, the lack of sunlight affected my mood. Sunlight is rare and becomes a good to be sought after. You may catch it after work only in a few locations, on the towpaths along the Hudson or in the central park.

Central Park, New York City. © iStockphoto.com / dolphinphoto

Speaking about central park, which is a beautiful island of nature in the middle of the concrete. The park instantly became my favorite spot in Manhattan. While the walks and picnics were energizing, the jogging in the park almost always killed me. Don’t get me wrong, I am a good runner. I completed a marathon last year and I just ran the 3km city run in Rostock under 11 minutes, but compared to my fellow runners in Central Park, my fitness is just average. How did I find this out? My running program consists of a max speed run around the full loop, which is 10km long and goes from the very north to the very south along the west and east flanks of the park. Max speed for me is 1) I run at an intensity that is so uncomfortable so that I am relieved when the workout is finally over, and 2) I do not get overtaken by any other runner. In Rostock, Berlin, and Oxford the first criterium is dominant, because my fitness is above average and I do not have to worry too much about others overtaking me. In Central Park, the second criteria defined my speed and I was fully paced by others that chased me around the park. My lungs were burning when the steps behind me did not get quieter even after some bursts up the hills. While this torture certainly improved my fitness, I hated myself for my personality flaw.

Finally, this city is expensive. Going for dinner is not within the budget of a German PhD salary, that is for sure. Thus, I prepared sandwiches for work and I cooked a lot of rice and pasta for dinner at home. The main New York culinary luxury that I indulged in were the infrequent bagels that the city is known for. Having tried a few bagel stores, I can make the bold claim that I have found the best bagel in Manhattan, but I will spread the word only upon request (to schubert@demogr.mpg.de).

Part 1 – Counting the Uncounted