New York City - The Good and The Bad

Although it isn't a place that's meant for me in the long run, New York City is a great spot to spend a few days. It is interesting to think about what it would be like to actually pack up everything and move out there. Certain aspects of living there would be pretty nice and make it seem like something that would be quite fun, like an adventure every day. Blocks and blocks of restaurants of all types within walking distance is fairly alluring; even after living there for years, I imagine that most New Yorkers still find themselves discovering new places to eat.  The food is great and readily available everywhere. There are street vendors on what seems like nearly every corner; if you're in a hurry for a meal, a soda, or even candy, you will have no trouble obtaining it.

Of course, the idea of nearby Broadway shows is pretty fantastic as well. Having the best theater experience right in your backyard would be a very nice treat. There are lots of huge versions of normal stores, like the enormous Toys R Us with the ferris wheel inside and the world's largest Macy's (I'm not sure if the NYC Macy's is claiming to be the largest store in the world or the largest Macy's). Central Park and Bryant Park are beautiful, relaxing places to give everyone a break from the fast tempo of everything around the city. I think that people generally associate the city with crowds and busyness and they forget that there are places to just hang out and chill. The ability to walk to so many different places is something that makes the city very unique. The idea of being able to walk to Central Park, to catch a Broadway show, to walk to a nice sushi restaurant, and then back home sounds bizarre, even though I know it is a reality for a number of people.You don't need a car, which is a very odd concept to consider.

New York City is a fashion capital of the world, so most people are very nicely dressed, not just in business attire, but also in hip and trendy outfits. There seem to be an awful lot of fairly fit people in the city as well; everyone was not in perfect shape, but there was definitely a higher percentage of fit people than what would likely be found in the average metropolitan area.

There is definitely a price that comes is attached to all the good stuff in NYC. The crowds are downright ridiculous. Extremely so. There will always be people around you at all times, and over the course of the day, you will likely have bumped into so many people (not huge collisions, but surely some unwanted contact with strangers). People in NYC are not inherently bad, but it is difficult not to notice certain negative things because you're routinely around so many people. You'll notice so many people saying ridiculous, horrible things, you'll notice so much coughing without people closing their mouths, you'll notice a great deal of rudeness, and many other bad things. I imagine that this has more to do with the fact that so many people are around, and less to do with the fact that people in New York are inherently bad or rude. You're going to be more likely to notice negative things, and you're going to be more likely to see negative human behavior because so many humans are around. I imagine that a lot of the problems that I have with NYC are due to the fact that there are just too many people in an area.

The trash outside is also another thing that I have a hard time getting over. Not just in the streets, but also on the sidewalks and everywhere else (the parks seem to be immune from this because there are so many workers around who are picking up trash).

Although NYC has some pretty fantastic conveniences, it lacks some basic ones, like sufficient grocery stores. There are so many tiny, tiny grocery stores that barely house anything but the essentials. There are a couple slightly larger ones, but even those aren't so great. Who wants to lug around a bunch of bags with enormous crowds all over the place? You likely have to drive out of the city to have a good grocery store experience, which is so inconvenient and bizarre.

Also, I'm not incredibly keen on the fact that having a car is so difficult in NYC. There aren't any free parking lots, so there's some street parking and pay garages. Commuters rule the world, and drivers just have to sit and wait. Small commutes become lengthy ones when traffic is backed up, and this is unavoidable in busier areas. People with Don't Walk signs Don't Care. They will walk anyway, and there will always be a crowd of them. Having the ability to hop in my car and pick up something at the last second just doesn't exist in NYC. Although some things are convenient to people who are walking, it doesn't compare to the convenience that I have with my vehicle.

Of course, there are other problems, like very high cost of living, the crime in some area, the overall very high cost of living, the excessive wait times for everything. It is easy to be hypercritical, especially because I don't live there, and I'm used to a significantly different lifestyle. Even so, New York City is an excellent place for a vacation and an excellent place for a nice day trip.