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A common complaint that marks a person as a ‘real’ New Yorker. I remember people telling me this when I moved there 15-20 years ago, that the real NY was gone, replaced with a Disney-fied version of itself. I did not believe it then, but 5 years later I was mourning the lost NY, and today I look back fondly at landmarks that are now gone.
It is inevitable in a city that is constantly churning and re-inventing itself.
I started working in the city in January of 1979 when the new north wing was being added to the PABT. Now the whole facility will be replaced, so that says a lot about me.
Our construction office was on 42nd Street. I remember walking down 42nd and noting all the XXX movies. "Seven Into Snowy" stands out as one of the more memorable titles on a marquee.
Show World was doing a big business. Our guys up on the steel could see into the floor where they were filming porn movies, and you could buy seven joints for five bucks on credit from a guy named JC in Bryant Park and pay him on Friday. Had a nodding acquaintance with a pimp who was camped out at the PABT entrance waiting for runaways. The regulars knew I worked in the neighborhood and didn't bother me.
One day two of our inspectors came back into the office and said they were standing outside on Eighth Avenue when a guy ran past them like a bat out of hell. A few seconds later another man ran by them screaming and wielding an ax. A few seconds later a cop came running by.
I imagine it means that everybody is in politically enforced lock-step with regard to diversity. That's the way NYC-based talk shows appear to people out in fly-over country.
LOL Nothing could be farther from the truth! Such nonsense can't even beg a serious reply, perhaps you should watch less tv? Do you believe all NYC people have "enforced" perfect hair & makeup too? They can't even enforce jaywalking laws here... You get 3 Nyers talking about something & you'll get 4 opinions about it... in very direct language too!
Hey, it's only television.
I suspect the "homogenous" remark regarding Manhattan you were replying to is referring to the spread of more & more corporate businesses replacing the old idiosyncratic "mom & pop" businesses & economics forcing more people who aren't very successful professionals from living there anymore. The more jaded among us say the streets are starting to resemble malls more & more & the island is becoming a closed community for the rich. The actual diversity that is NYC, 60% foreign born, not some notion of political correctness is the true definition of diversity working well in all 5 boroughs.
LOL Nothing could be farther from the truth! Such nonsense can't even beg a serious reply, perhaps you should watch less tv? Do you believe all NYC people have "enforced" perfect hair & makeup too? They can't even enforce jaywalking laws here... You get 3 Nyers talking about something & you'll get 4 opinions about it... in very direct language too!
Nothing could be further from what I said, which was "with regard to diversity", not jaywalking.
I took it to mean the way some of what made NYC unique has been replaced with things like chain departments stores and chain restaurants.
New York City still has unique restaurants and shops, but in some of the touristy areas like Times Square, you now see places like Ruby Tuesday and Olive Garden, which never used to be the case. It makes some of us scratch our heads that people travel to New York with all its wonderful cuisine and eat at the same place you can find in any generic strip mall in Middle America.
But, lol, no dear, you should not base your views about NYC on talk shows any more than we should base our views of fly-over country on what WE see in the media. I once was under the impression that most of the rest of the country lived in trailers because every time there was an earthquake or a tornado or a flood in the middle of the country, all we saw on the news were ruined trailer parks.
FYI, a lot of lower income New Yorkers love those chain restaurants. It's not all tourists eating there.
I still disagree that Manhattan is losing all of its mom and pops. The TYPE of mom and pops that you see has been shifting, though. I go to newly opened restaurants in Manhattan all the time that are not chains in any way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by graceC
I have mix feelings about NYC. On the one hand, it’s the only place in the US that I would call a big city with all the convenience of a true big city: the subways, the buses, the shops, the restaurants, attractions - all within striking distance. But I also noticed how old and outdated a lot of the infrastructure in NYC is compared to other cosmopolitan cities such as London or Tokyo. The only subway station with a modern feel in NYC is the one where the WTC used to be.
NYC is also significantly dirtier compared to Boston. I much prefer Boston, cleaner, prettier, more compact.
I like that the subway system is old looking; it adds more character.
I didn't say that NYC was losing all its mom and pops. I just pointed out that the influx of chains was part of the homogeneity to which the poster referred.
Love NY. Feels like home. Buzz, crowds, food smells good, people dress well (at least some), lots of place to see, things to do, and the Central Park is beautiful.
NY people can seem rude to folks from rural areas. "Thnks" in NY goes for "Thank you much, dear, and have a good rest of your afternoon" at the store register, but I like it more. Asking for directions a man with a heavy load on his shoulders I think is more rude (because it's inconsiderate with a taste of entitlement) than his response.
I'd like to move there.
I didn't say that NYC was losing all its mom and pops. I just pointed out that the influx of chains was part of the homogeneity to which the poster referred.
It's a significant change.
It doesn't seem to me like NYC has an increase in chains. Maybe compared to the 70s, but most of the new businesses that open up in my observation are chains
It doesn't seem to me like NYC has an increase in chains. Maybe compared to the 70s, but most of the new businesses that open up in my observation are chains
You must be young, then. I am comparing to the 80s. You NEVER saw a Ruby Tuesday or Olive Garden-type place in the city. (Actually, I don't think either of these chains existed before then, lol.) But the point is that these places from the suburbs crept into the city and took hold, and many people, myself included, felt that it took away some of what NYC always was.
What you say above just makes my point for me. It's sad. With real Italian restaurants with good food in the city, why on earth would someone go to an Olive Garden? I'm thinking the attraction might be that families are more comfortable with something familiar, but then why bother coming to New York City at all? It doesn't make sense.
Love NY. Feels like home. Buzz, crowds, food smells good, people dress well (at least some), lots of place to see, things to do, and the Central Park is beautiful.
NY people can seem rude to folks from rural areas. "Thnks" in NY goes for "Thank you much, dear, and have a good rest of your afternoon" at the store register, but I like it more. Asking for directions a man with a heavy load on his shoulders I think is more rude (because it's inconsiderate with a taste of entitlement) than his response.
I'd like to move there.
You are perceptive. I have heard many complaints about how rude New Yorkers are, yet the circumstances always seem to contain a basic misunderstanding of New York. If you ask somebody who is walking briskly for directions, you are likely to be ignored. Not because s/he is rude, but because s/he is commuting. How would most people feel if somebody pulled up next to their car, gestured to roll down the window, and asked for directions to WalMart?
People unloading trucks are working. They are concerned about traffic on one side of their vehicle, people walking on the sidewalks on the other, the security of the goods they are unloading, time, etc.
Ask either of these people while they are not in the middle of a task, and you will likely get a different answer. The rudeness is because they are busy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
You must be young, then. I am comparing to the 80s. You NEVER saw a Ruby Tuesday or Olive Garden-type place in the city. (Actually, I don't think either of these chains existed before then, lol.) But the point is that these places from the suburbs crept into the city and took hold, and many people, myself included, felt that it took away some of what NYC always was.
What you say above just makes my point for me. It's sad. With real Italian restaurants with good food in the city, why on earth would someone go to an Olive Garden? I'm thinking the attraction might be that families are more comfortable with something familiar, but then why bother coming to New York City at all? It doesn't make sense.
Agreed. Duane Reade is now owned by Walgreens. 7/11 has moved into NY. How absurd is that in a city that thrives on bodegas, those wonderful little stores with everything. I can name a dozen amazing falafel stands, bakeries, bistros and pubs. Olive Garden is simply pointless, and makes NY look like Indianapolis.
A common complaint that marks a person as a ‘real’ New Yorker. I remember people telling me this when I moved there 15-20 years ago, that the real NY was gone, replaced with a Disney-fied version of itself. I did not believe it then, but 5 years later I was mourning the lost NY, and today I look back fondly at landmarks that are now gone.
It is inevitable in a city that is constantly churning and re-inventing itself.
This. I spent a significant amount of time in NYC in the 90's. Much different vibe over the past decade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hefe
I suspect the "homogenous" remark regarding Manhattan you were replying to is referring to the spread of more & more corporate businesses replacing the old idiosyncratic "mom & pop" businesses & economics forcing more people who aren't very successful professionals from living there anymore. The more jaded among us say the streets are starting to resemble malls more & more & the island is becoming a closed community for the rich. The actual diversity that is NYC, 60% foreign born, not some notion of political correctness is the true definition of diversity working well in all 5 boroughs.
Yes.
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Nothing could be farther from the truth! Such nonsense can't even beg a serious reply, perhaps you should watch less tv? Do you believe all NYC people have "enforced" perfect hair & makeup too? 
They can't even enforce jaywalking laws here... You get 3 Nyers talking about something & you'll get 4 opinions about it... in very direct language too!
