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I think the soul is getting priced out of areas with good transit accessibility to Manhattan and nice housing stock. Places like Jamaica, Hollis and Midwood, on the other hand, still have a lot of soul. But those places don't look as cool as Boerum Hill and they aren't close to Manhattan so they're kinda discounted since most yuppies would never consider living there anyway.
I did say it wasn't all gone yet. But a lot of it is disappearing. And watch out for Midwood, realtors are starting to carve it up into various varieties of "Ditmas" lately.
I don't think "soul" is synonymous with "poor'. But I do think that lot of NYC's unique flavor came from having all all of that socioeconomic & cultural diversity in close proximity. And yes I think the physical characteristics of the urban environment have a lot to do with it too. These are things that make a place.
When all of the poor and even middle class folks get pushed out to the periphery, isolated even from each other in places that are generally more nondescript physically, and the center gets more and more homogeneous, that old flavor/soul gets lost. And that's what's been happening, as I see it.
I think the soul is getting priced out of areas with good transit accessibility to Manhattan and nice housing stock. Places like Jamaica, Hollis and Midwood, on the other hand, still have a lot of soul. But those places don't look as cool as Boerum Hill and they aren't close to Manhattan so they're kinda discounted since most yuppies would never consider living there anyway.
What kinda soul do you find of those neighborhoods?
NYC is great if you are an ubur urban type. You have got to love being in an urban environment to love NYC, as far as living there. LA seems to cater more towards the outdoors type. If you love LA, you will probably not love NY. NY really is a dark, gloomy place at times. Don't get caught up in the stories and movies about NY. It's a real city with real people. Visit for a couple weeks first before you commit. I made the mistake of jumping right in without really giving it a practice run first. I found it was even more urban than I expected and having a car there is very difficult. That said, it's a fun city if you know the right people, but can get played out pretty fast if it's not truly your style.
No.... New York, at least the part you are trying to equate with your television-based experiences, is about work. If you ever get a chance, try working an 80-100 hour work week in New York. Spend $5K+ of rent a month for something that can scarcely fit a card table. Enjoy the blur of 1AM Chinese takeout, 3AM drinks, maybe the gym at 5AM, and a walk in the cold night to get to the subway. Work Saturdays, and Sundays, at least half the day. I'm curious how much "soul" or "buildings and people matter" attitude you will have left. To be certain, you learn to cherish different things then you would in LA.
"Real New York" is a bit different than an Olsen twins movie or a Jay-Z video. The other option, of course, is to move to Brooklyn and live like a ratty Hipster - you generally need an upper-middle class Midwestern set of parents to bankroll that experience, though.
Can't imagine it being worse that being stuck in traffic all four seasons like in LA and having to ALWAYS waste time of day leaving a lot earlier than the intended time because you have to beat traffic. And how original a cost of living remark. It's especially funny considering LA is almost on the same level of expensive despite being so much suburban in comparison.
Not that your point makes any sense anyways. So according to you all the things you see about NYC in television/movies is about work?
Can't imagine it being worse that being stuck in traffic all four seasons like in LA and having to ALWAYS waste time of day leaving a lot earlier than the intended time because you have to beat traffic. And how original a cost of living remark. It's especially funny considering LA is almost on the same level of expensive despite being so much suburban in comparison.
Not that your point makes any sense anyways. So according to you all the things you see about NYC in television/movies is about work?
Why would that make a difference? Plenty of suburbs have very high cost of living.
Also, your description of life in Los Angeles does not describe my experiences. At all.
Why would that make a difference? Plenty of suburbs have very high cost of living.
Also, your description of life in Los Angeles does not describe my experiences. At all.
Yes, suburbs that are close to a big city usually for the wealthy and high middle who can enjoy all the things an urban city offers and still not live in one. That's how it typically works. If the suburban development actually starts within the urban city it's going to lack in what it offers in comparison. Not to say LA is boring or anything, far from it, but he is comparing it to the most urban city in the country.
I don't know what your life experience in LA is like but I think most people agree that LA has like the worst traffic in the country.
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