Hey, New Yorkers, a couple questions... (Union, Boston: appointed, transplants, lease) - City-Data Forum

cat_stevens · 10-29-2011, 01:25 PM

I moved to Boston in my late teens (to experience life outside of Minneapolis), and would spend time occasionally in NYC (Manhatten). This was '82-'84. Long time ago.

Would have loved to live there, but it was too expensive, and also with me being so young and broke, I was a target for weirdos-- there were alot of drugs back then (I wasn't a part of it). My main goal was school.

Anyway, life happened, and I went back to Mpls to more easily afford school and rent and food, at the time. And ended up with a family. But am grateful for the experience of Boston and NYC, and all the ther places I visited (Ogunquit, Wellfleet, ect)

So I was never able to fulfill my wish of eventually living in NYC. Anyway...

I really haven't looked at NYC since then. But now with the internet, I can experience NYC to an extent. I've lked at some OWS videos, and am astounded at the changes.

I mean, it HAS been a long time. But is it me? Or does Manhatten look like it's turning into a mall?

Where are the CBGB's of today? What happened to Alphabet City? Why is there a Forever 21 and Whole Foods by Union Square? Where is that whle underground vibe?

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Can anyone (who remembers the 80's) help me out with these changes?

availableusername · 10-29-2011, 01:30 PM

There's no helping friend, sorry. Basically everything you are being nostalgic about is completely different. And it is indeed a shame IMO.

cat_stevens · 10-30-2011, 07:34 AM

If I were a young person today, there wouldn't be an attraction to living in NYC, I'm afraid. It's a mall. The rest of the US has these same things, minus all the other drawbacks.

zdg · 10-30-2011, 08:13 AM

Yes. It's too bad NYC isn't as diverse, vibrant, and lively as Minneapolis. Let me see if I can get out of my UWS lease.

loratliff · 10-30-2011, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zdg

Yes. It's too bad NYC isn't as diverse, vibrant, and lively as Minneapolis. Let me see if I can get out of my UWS lease.

PullingHairs · 10-30-2011, 09:12 AM

There are still plenty of pockets of "hip" nyc "counterculture" in the spirit of CBGBs as well as plenty of urban grittiness to be found. There is just less of it in Manhattan these days. Odds are, most of us on this board are either too old or not hipster enough to point to any solid examples, but I do know that if that's your scene, you'll eventually find it here. But yes, on a more general note, gentrification has lead to overdevelopment, poorly planned rezoning and over commercialization. Pretty soon we'll even have Walmarts in Manhattan! Some say all of this is good for the quality of life and ability to raise a family, but others will argue that it's destroying the character of city. Depending on the day, I fall somewhere in the middle.

cat_stevens · 10-30-2011, 09:27 AM

I am sorry if I offended anyone, however I am just commenting on my timewarp view of the changes in NYC as I see it-- we have the exact same stores here, ect. I guess the corporatization of America is happening everywhere (just disappointed it had to happen to Manhatten!). I do love NY'ers for their directness, and ability to live with such a vast amount of people and function. The world has changed so much!

Actually, the QOL is really good in Mpls, and culturally as well very good. There are actually quite a number of NYC transplants here, BTW.

Anyway, wasn't trying to knock NYC, just an observation. I guess I (on a personal level) just value other things in my life right now.

Oh, and Minneapolis IS tremendously diverse.

NY still fascinates me, but perhaps for different reasons.

zdg · 10-30-2011, 11:06 AM

I'm sure Minneapolis is a perfectly cool place. If you really want me/us/anyone to believe it's in the same galaxy as Manhattan, even the 4 square block section of Times Square you want to believe is "all of Manhattan," you've got quite a battle.

cat_stevens · 10-30-2011, 11:38 AM

ZDG, why are you so insistent on insulting me?

You don't know me past a few sentences I've written. You are assuming what I think.

As I said, though there is a certain level of 'excitement' to NYC, I value other things now (which I won't get in to). But the East Coast has been a big influence for me, so I won't deny that. Most of the friends I had that moved, went west, like to Seattle and Portland.

But per-capita, Mpls is great with culture. There is access to so many things. Participating in local government, for example, is fairly easy (if you have the motivation, and can put up with some idiotic @#$ smetimes).

The farmers here in MN also supply the country with crops. I can appreciate that. (In fact, my g-g grandparents were pioneers, like Little House on the Prairie--actually not far from 'Walnut Grove'), so I have roots here (and Chicago). I would like to see that things like puppy mills get abolished, or at least regulated-- things like that, so I stay. thats important to me.

I don't compare MN to NYC, but we have a richness as well. And really, we are about the culture in Mpls. We might not have the sheer #'s, but similar on a much smaller scale. I have everything materially here that I could have in NYC, basically. We have lakes instead of the ocean (I prefer the ocean), and WAY worse winters. Many differences. I don't compare it at all.

availableusername · 10-30-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zdg

Yes. It's too bad NYC isn't as diverse, vibrant, and lively as Minneapolis. Let me see if I can get out of my UWS lease.

OP never once claimed that the city as a whole is not diverse. Nobody is that silly. He simply claimed that Manhattan has for a large part turned into a carbon-copy mall like atmosphere found everywhere else in the country. Which is true.