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Am I the only one who notice that there are lots of French speakers (maybe visitors) on New York City streets? I work in the city and spend lots of time walking on the streets, and it seems like we are almost in French speaking country/region.
I hear so many languages every day. French is one of them but not the most frequent one I hear. Is this something you've just noticed recently? Could be a coincidence. I've definitely never felt like I'm only hearing French.
I hear French a lot but not enough to say we are almost in a French speaking country/region. And they don't seem to be from Quebec; Quebec accents are definitely different.
You are mostly listening to voices from France. The French love New York. Although most come during their long vacation season in late summer, many visit at other times of the year when the airfares are lower.
New York is an obsession for many French people, especially the younger set. The French media feature more items about New York than any other foreign place. It is seen as the most European of American cities, progressive, open and (certainly compared to Paris) friendly. There are new "Little France" neighborhoods in Brooklyn where French expatriates live for months or years; some never leave. It's hard to return to Paris after you've gotten used to the energy, drive and openness of New Yorkers.
There are more from France than Quebec. There is a community on the upper eastside and in Brooklyn. There is even a bilingual French program in one of the public elementary schools in Brooklyn. There is also a NYC online newspaper in French for ex-pats living in the city. There is a private French school (K-12) in Manhattan, but it's been around for years. There is also a French community in Westchester and they also have a private French school. The other city in the US with a lot of French ex-pats is Seattle.
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