From Sidewalk to Sands — Musings About Living in New York City & Rancho Mirage.
When we first arrived in Rancho Mirage, I faced some culture shock as this New Yorker came face-to-face with the California lifestyle and approach to life.
Truth be told, we love it in the desert and miss some things about NYC, but the new West Coast lifestyle is appealing.
These stories were written less than a year after we arrived, and I will continue to add more. They originally appeared in our community newsletter.
The enjoyable aspect includes two things. First, whenever I say something as simple as “hello,” someone responds, "You’re from New York, aren’t you?” The other is a question we hear repeatedly: “How come you didn’t move to Florida? Isn’t that what east coast people do? Why are you out here?”
The answer I give is that there are too many relatives in Florida.
The answer from my wife is that I hate frizzy hair from humidity.
Enjoy these stories.
All Content © 2025 Arthur Shapiro. All Rights Reserved. No Reproductions Without Express Written Consent By Arthur Shapiro
From Sidewalk to Sand:
A Journey from NYC to DWRM
By Arthur Shapiro
Food Shopping: Episode 1
My wife Marlene and I moved to DWRM in November from the Upper Eastside of New York City, 79th Street and the East River, to be exact.
While many on the east coast, especially New Yorkers (or should I say New Yawkers), head to Florida for their next chapter, we chose instead to head west. Lots of reasons, including close to family; the preference for dryness and the desert as opposed to humidity and swamps; among other reasons. Besides, too many relatives in Florida.
From Sidewalk to Sand:
A Journey from NYC to DWRM
By Arthur Shapiro
People: Episode 2
Last month I wrote about the culture shock of grocery shopping in the desert as compared to the undersized supermarkets in NYC. This month, I’ve been giving some thought to the people differences.
This great country has many regions, each of which has its unique culture, values, even language. For example, we often think of southern hospitality, the laid-back west coast, the special New England ‘twang’, and so on.
From Sidewalk to Sand:
A Journey from NYC to DWRM
By Arthur Shapiro
Restaurants and Eating Out: Episode 3
This is the 3rd in the series looking at transplanted New Yorkers and their experiences in the desert. But, by all accounts, this one is tough. So, here’s a context and background so you’ll know where I’m coming from:
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We’ve only been here for 5 months and while we haven’t eaten or taken in from that many places here, we haven’t met a meal we didn’t like.
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Among other things, I’m looking at pre-Covid dining in NYC vs. the current more relaxed state out here.
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I’m not going to get into reviews or ratings, just some general observations