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Right now, I live in a tenement building with Kitchen and Bath in a separate room across the hall. Even though the rooms are small and there is barely enough room to sit on the toilet, it's great to be experiencing what generations before have been living.
No, I don't think all NY'ers fit the stereotype. Yes, we tend to speak a little louder. But that's usually because we have a lot of environmental noise to speak over. It just tends to be a habit.
Not all NY'ers who've moved want to compare it to the big city. Some just want a better quality of life, want to enjoy their new surroundings, new homes/apts etc. It's hard to say all NY'ers are the same when there are 8-12 million of us.
When I lived outside of NY, people came to me with all the comparisons and stereotypes, simply because I said I was born and raised here. A lot of people think that living here is like how it's portrayed on television. And those who are born and raised here, or have lived here for a long time, realize that it is not. But for those who've only visited once or twice, or not at all, they tend to believe the hype. And then that's where the jealousy came in.
If anything, I think the transplants are the ones who hype up the city the most. They return to their hometowns and say life in the 'big city' is all that it's cracked up to be, even when it's not. And especially the ones who've been here a very long time and have had the enjoyment of living two distinct lifestyles (small town, or smaller city vs. the big city). I find these types to be more arrogant than any Native NY'er.
For one thing NYers (in NY that is) cannot and absolutely will not take any constructive criticism or any other kinds.
That's not a good thing. It really shows they are not so tough. It's very ironic because they have so many flaws, but a lot of that is due to conditions. Certain conditions make people the way they are since you're talking about people rather than the city itself. (Your question was about NYers, not the city.)
If I said anything about the city, NYer's will defend it to death. For this day and age in the climate of globalism, regionalism, where even nationalities and borders are diminishing, et al, it is actually not only an anachronism, but also quite juvenile and provincial for a city that makes such grandiose claims.
It doesn't really open up avenues for improvement or quality of life, but very parochial that groups are targeted and specifically marketed to so rigidly. There can't be positive changes for people in a closed society like that.
Tell you what, the United Nations is headquartered there. How do they rate NY?
I don't ever see it get good ratings among cities for them for quality of life or in most categories they measure, but probably only in diversity. I mean what's the value system there as opposed to cities like Vancouver, and many other cities in terms of anything used as "top" for this or that category?
Whatever NY does have that's positive and granted there are some I'm sure, it doesn't make it a good place to live and develop a temperament.
So what will NY do, kick the UN out for not rating it high?
Perhaps someone can do a bit of research on the arms of the UN that do those ratings. I never see NY rank very high in any category. But to NYers it's the greatest place ever.....to them. But people work and pay taxes elsewhere and boost their own no matter what state you go to, but imo NYers are the most closed minded about it. Yes, other people don't always like where they are either.
You're not going to believe this, as I think most Nyers somehow think people in the rest of the US all they do is think and ponder about NY and its people, but I'll tell you, you rarely hear it come up when you're away from there, people are busy in their own areas....nor do they much think of other places like LA or Chicago, except when something majorly bad happens. So then it must be ego with NYers, or something, they really should get out and about more, or since there are so many transplants there, they're the ones still burning the candles for the NY of its former haydays.
But it's when you meet NYers away from there that makes some people want to go there because they are, as originals, quite nice people and usually down to earth. Especially the ones from upstate as well.
There are more former NYers where I live than there are in NY, they usually say they'll never go back!.
New Yorkers move (both walking & driving) in a unique way because if we didn't, we wouldn't get anywhere. I think that's probably a lot of the basis for people that think New Yorkers are rude. We have to be a bit (or a lot) aggresive to get where we're going.
In terms of saying hello to everyone you meet - I'm sure they don't do that in downtown Atlana or Charlotte or Memphis either. Not walking down the street anyway.
Yeh, there are native New Yorkers who can be snobs to outsiders (I'm one of them sometimes). And gentrification does suck - it's annoying to have people move here & think they are "from here". But you gotta remember, these yuppies will be having kids soon - and their kids will be native New Yorkers. Neither of my parents were born here - but I am part of the face of 'native New York'. That's the thing about this city - immigrants or migrants - a lot of New York came from somewhere else. The face of New York is so ethnically, culturally, racially diverse that - like some others said - there is no 'stereotypical' New Yorker. There are certian stereotypical 'New York attitudes' - as I said above based on the need to move around & make your way in this city.
I've lived in almost every neighborhood in Manhattan over the past 20 years. Whenever I've stopped a "brusque" native New Yorker on the street to ask for directions, they've been nice and helpful. Guess it depends on one's approach.
However...
New Yorkers are "defined" by their environment, not heredity. Rightly or wrongly, the various demands of living in this city (coupled with our on-demand-have-to-have-it-yesterday culture) have created a breed of people who are INCREDIBLY self-entitled. Transplant any midwestener and within 5 years they'll be equally confrontational if you get between them and their goal.
Nationwide, it's been long recognized that mothers use their strollers as battering rams, but where else but Manhattan would you see a mother shoving her occupied stroller in front of a speeding oncoming taxicab to get them to stop? With her doorman beside her blowing his whistle? With the building canopy's cab light signalling?
Ever break the stride of a runner? Almost anyone under 30 is NOT from New York but you'll still get anything from a disgruntled look to a glare if they have to go around you because you're trying to reign your leashed dog in from sniffing a pee puddle. Jog in place for two seconds to avoid slamming into you and nearly knocking you to the curb? God forbid. That's happened to me and I'm nearly 6' 230lbs and can't be expected to glance over my shoulder every five seconds because some runner is "in the zone." They act as if Olympic Gold depends on it. I'm no stranger to athletic competition myself, but I don't take down civilians! Use a running track if you hate treadmills, for godsake!
Speaking of "in the zone," what's particularly bad in a conjested city like New York are the number of people of all ages from all areas of the world completely disengaged from their surroundings while blabbing on their cell phones. I had a cell phone in 1989. In 18 years of cell phone exposure even in glamorous, "where-is-my-next-envelope-pushing-thrill-coming-from Manhattan" I've NEVER heard a conversation worth eavesdropping on. Half the time they're calling someone to say "I'm downstairs!" Waiting for your doorbell to ring isn't good enough anymore. These people cross in front of moving traffic and nearly cause (or cause!) accidents and remain completely oblivious. A steel girder can land on their heads. They navigate sidewalks on autopilot and then get mad at you if they slam into you as you hug the wall (see "breaking a runner's stride").
I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that as a culture we're becoming increasingly self-involved, and New York City is that trait's petri dish.
I love New Yorkers the way they are. Very rough people ready to rumble at any given time. I do believe that New Yorkers are the toughest people in the country. With the most expensive real estate, making $80,000 a year, and only being able to afford a studio in the LES. New Yorkers WILL NOT take any crap from ANYBODY, if you give them an attitude they’ll more than likely rip you a new one. This is why New Yorkers are so appealing to me, go to San Diego, Miami, or LA and everybody will be in their own little world holding hands in bikinis running down the beach… New Yorkers, never.
I don't buy into any of the stereotypes that those of you who are Locals or outsiders are asserting. NYC residents, those that are born and raised, which are the ones that we are referring to, come from all walks of life, all economic levels, all languages and cultures, and have a variety of different attitudes. Those that claim they are rough people ready to rumble are perpetuating a false stereotype, as are those that claim they are rude, or arrogant.
Your experience with a local from Bushwich, versus your experience with a local from the Upper East side elite, versus a local from Bayridge, versus Riverdale, versus Jamaica, versus the East Village, will all be different. You cannot classify NYers, other than to say that they are a diverse breed that shares little income except for the common thread that all humans share: we are all humans.
It is far easier to stereotype most other parts of the country as most other parts are far more monocultural...the same does not apply for the city. NY, and the locals of NY, are appealing to me because of this fact...it is a multicultural, multiethnic, mess that functions superbly well ina very small, very expensive area....despite the obvious problems that such a mix brings.
So for anyone that believes there is some sort of generalization that can be made about NYers..the real answer is no. Everytime you visit the city, or a part of the city, you will likely change your opinion about the people.
[b][i]I've NEVER heard a conversation worth eavesdropping on
To visitors, it's an amusement (to which native NYrs turn a deaf ear) to hear people arguing loudly in the street. It happens every time I go there, even in the wealthiest areas of the city. This type of thing happens in bad neighborhoods in other cities, but you hear it all over Manhattan - from all types - not just from the expected undesirables.
Lillieta I am not sure where you are from, or where you are visiting, but seeing people arguing loudly in the street all the time is yet another dumb and wrong stereotype. Furthermore, what you may think of is loud and arguing may be neither, but from wherever it is you are from, people speak to eachother differently, and at a different volume, so when you come here everyone seems to scream at eachother and everything seems like an argument.
Spare us the continued false stereotypes...there are many NYers that are loud...and there are just as many Alabamans that are as well...and Virginians....and Nevadans...etc.
I can relate to stupid stereotypes. People seem to think that everyone in Texas carries a Bible everywhere, worships all things Bush, wears boots and hats to work, and either has a ranch or knows someone that does.
And that loud thing? Texans ARE loud, that one's true enough, so we can relate.
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