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I've been strongly considering taking frequent visits to NYC since I'm only 4-5 hours away for many reason. I've honestly reached beyond patience with dealing with the same environment of Washington DC and for my mental and psychological well being, really need to get away from DC as much as possible. And it's not just because of monotony, it's because of the overly self-absorbed, passive aggressive, uber-cliquish, covert prejudiced, and holier-than-thou attitudes of many people I'm deal with and come across on a daily basis. And I was wondering if people in NYC in general are the same way or are they too busy with their own lives to waste time with sophomoric behaviors.
Don't think I'm confusing people who are very busy, are rushing from point A to point B, and preoccupied with other activities as rude. I realize that it is New York City, and that's just the nature of the beast. I just want to prepare myself for any situations I may face while visiting NYC. Will it be busy to the point of everyone actually having their own lives, or will it have the similar attitudes I constantly deal within DC. And in addition, what are the neighborhoods I should avoid in order to evade from any obnoxious snooty attitudes.
Once again, I'm not looking for NYC to be a place where everyone's smiling and happily-go-lucky where I'm instantly going to find people to be BFFs with. Hell, I'm not even looking for a laid back environment, and seeing what I've described, I actually look forward to more indifferent attitudes of individuals who are too busy to inconvenience and **** off others with smug and slouch.
*And if this belongs in the City vs City forum, I apologize, but the reason why I placed this topic in the NYC forum is because I want to know from the perspective of actual New Yorkers especially those who have been to both cities. And I would rather not deal with any condescending attitudes of Washingtonians, not that all of the DC posters are like that but the ones that are really grind my gears.
I'm curious if the people you are complaining about are your co-workers, or are they the other types of people you encounter in your daily life -- neighbors, social circle, delivery people, shopkeepers, etc?
It's hard to know if you are going to be able to avoid smugness and snootiness here. It really depends on your industry, your social circle and the neighborhood you choose to live in. It's a big city and it runs the gamut. There are plenty of the kinds of people you described but there are also plenty who are down to earth. I suspect the same is true in DC and you happen to have placed yourself or found yourself in the snooty/smug circles vs. the down-to-earth ones.
I'm curious if the people you are complaining about are your co-workers, or are they the other types of people you encounter in your daily life -- neighbors, social circle, delivery people, shopkeepers, etc?
It's from almost all sides.
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It's hard to know if you are going to be able to avoid smugness and snootiness here. It really depends on your industry, your social circle and the neighborhood you choose to live in. It's a big city and it runs the gamut. There are plenty of the kinds of people you described but there are also plenty who are down to earth. I suspect the same is true in DC and you happen to have placed yourself or found yourself in the snooty/smug circles vs. the down-to-earth ones.
There are down-to-earth circles in the area. The problem is most of them are in outer-beltway suburbs where it's mostly families and barely anyone in my age range. As for the 20-something crowd, all it is are either snooty yuppies/hipsters or the wannabe ghetto crowd.
As I said, I'm not looking for instant friends and a laid-back environment when I visit NYC, but just not the exact insufferable environments and social vibes I deal with daily in DC.
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Where were you before Washington?
I've been here for most of my life, with the exception of one year I was away for college in Pittsburgh. And the attitudes I've faced were a lot less snooty and invasive that DC.
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Originally Posted by taydev
you'll have those types any and everywhere you go, but there are down to earth people evrywhere also, including DC.
I realize that. What I'm getting at is the proportion of people who are insufferable, laid-back, or indifferent.
Fairfaxian, it sounds to me like you've been hearing lots of opinions about New Yorkers--not all of them especially favorable. I'll say this (as soon as I put on my Native-Born Brooklynite hat): don't believe everything you hear. We're not any better or worse than people in any other city. And despite rumors, we don't bite the heads off out-of-towners.
Do you live in DC or the Fairfax area? I am from that area and hated the burbs, but found DC very enjoyable. Much like DC, your experience in NYC is going to depend a lot on what neighborhood you live in. I just moved to NYC and I find uptown to be pretty snooty, but like it a lot downtown.
Fairfaxian, it sounds to me like you've been hearing lots of opinions about New Yorkers--not all of them especially favorable. I'll say this (as soon as I put on my Native-Born Brooklynite hat): don't believe everything you hear. We're not any better or worse than people in any other city. And despite rumors, we don't bite the heads off out-of-towners.
I don't think that New Yorkers aren't all that bad. The problem is that there are a lot of transplants to DC who display such invasive and snobbish attitudes, and a fair amount of them are from the NYC Tri-State area (but to be fair, that's the case with a lot of transplants from other places as well). I've also met some cool people from the area as well, so I can't really pin-point a general social & personality vibe many New Yorkers share that would turn me off. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for most Washingtonians.
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Originally Posted by daaaaave
Do you live in DC or the Fairfax area? I am from that area and hated the burbs, but found DC very enjoyable. Much like DC, your experience in NYC is going to depend a lot on what neighborhood you live in. I just moved to NYC and I find uptown to be pretty snooty, but like it a lot downtown.
I actually live in the District itself, but spent time in Fairfax and found that a lot less snooty than DC itself. And I can see how visiting DC and the sites can be very enjoyable, but for living here, unless you have previous connections, one's socially in a rut and deals with a lot of people who are very standoffish. The thing that I'm pissed about it is that a lot of people make DC some city where you'll meet someone if you just "put yourself out there," which in my case, could be further from the truth.
I actually live in the District itself, but spent time in Fairfax and found that a lot less snooty than DC itself. And I can see how visiting DC and the sites can be very enjoyable, but for living here, unless you have previous connections, one's socially in a rut and deals with a lot of people who are very standoffish. The thing that I'm pissed about it is that a lot of people make DC some city where you'll meet someone if you just "put yourself out there," which in my case, could be further from the truth.
What neighborhood? I really liked Cleveland Park (where I lived)...also Woodley Park and Dupont Circle are nice areas.
NYC will still require a big effort to meet people, but I think you'll be motivated since it will be new to you.
Hey-- I actually kind of know what you mean. I don't dislike DC, but it's a bit uptight. I have a bunch of friends who live down there, and they all seem to describe a feeling that everyone they meet in social situations is constantly trying to network for political jobs. A status-conscious kind of thing. I have yet to ever encounter that on my visits to DC (everyone seemed nice!), but I guess I'll have to take all your words for it. I definitely think New Yorkers are a little bit less uptight in general and probably a little more outgoing, socially. To steer clear of snootiness, you want to avoid: the Upper East east of Lexington Ave (swanky, old money neighborhood -- makes anyone feel poor) and Soho (unless it's to shop -- the abundance European supermodels makes anyone feel fat). I think you'd probably like Brooklyn or Astoria, Queens.
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