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New York City is not the center of the universe. You have a lot of people, and people's things, but you don't have much of the natural world - which IS the Real World. You don't have waterfalls, unless some artist like Christo comes to town and fakes them. You don't have farms. You don't have mountains or valleys. You don't have canyons. You don't have lakes. You don't have anyone who lives off the land, like billions of people around the planet live. You don't have wildlife, except for pigeons and squirrels and the odd peregrine falcon that gets everyone excited.
In many ways, New Yorkers are provincial and naive about the outside world, even as they claim they're the center of it.
Well we have everything in NYC, from city life to natural life. If you would go to Staten Island, you will find that we have a lot of trees. Also we have farms. Staten Island is the most suburbian borough from the city
New York City is not the center of the universe. You have a lot of people, and people's things, but you don't have much of the natural world - which IS the Real World. You don't have waterfalls, unless some artist like Christo comes to town and fakes them. You don't have farms. You don't have mountains or valleys. You don't have canyons. You don't have lakes. You don't have anyone who lives off the land, like billions of people around the planet live. You don't have wildlife, except for pigeons and squirrels and the odd peregrine falcon that gets everyone excited.
In many ways, New Yorkers are provincial and naive about the outside world, even as they claim they're the center of it.
Yeah, but the things you mention are frequently a single attraction in a single place. If I lived there for a long time my mind might turn to mush. They, for me, are there to visit, a refreshing vacation.
To me New York offers a constantly changing source of stimulation. There are umpteen movie houses to visit - you are not stuck with just one as in the burbs - there are multiple museums, some quite small yet interesting. There are lectures by authors at bookstores, profs at colleges. You have any sort of music your heart could desire. There are a couple of botanical gardens. You have TaiChi classes in the parks.
In short, if one must live in one place, New York would be a place in which one has the least possibility of being bored. It houses many interested/ing and educated people.
I love nature, but I think I might spend much time reading and playing video games to keep alert. I think the people I would meet would be the salt of the earth, but have limited conversation because of where they live.
Heartland families can be just as dysfunctional as those in cities.
I think that the diverse stimulation that the City has to offer encourages more personal growth. One can always take vacations and meditate and do yoga for refreshment.
I think, for just appealing to sight, the beauty of nature surpasses anything the City has to offer, but that is just one aspect of being human. We have evolved upwards from the farm animal, preoccupied with bodily functions, and have developed brains which require mental 'calisthenics' in order to maintain optimum function. I think the city might also be the best place for retirement, if one can afford it.
In many ways, New Yorkers are provincial and naive about the outside world, even as they claim they're the center of it.
Can't say I agree with this part. Sure there are bad apples everywhere, but from my experience, my mind was opened up full tilt when I moved here from a mere 2 hours upstate. My hometown, in general, didn't give a rats butt about the rest of the world. People throwing rocks through the one Indian restaurant after 9-11,..I'm like,..wha,..?!
NYC exposed me to all kinds of culture and world politics. I didn't know Bulgogi from Kachori till I came here,.heh. Made be very interested in traveling to these places and reading up on them.
my 2 cents,..
peace
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldengrain
I think the city might also be the best place for retirement, if one can afford it.
there is a waterfall right in manhattan, in morningside heights, in morningside park at w. 114th street.
there are small lakes around like in central park. we have rivers and bays where people kayak, row, and boat. like the hudson in inwood and tribeca areas, as well as in carnarsie section of brooklyn.
if you live in riverdale in the northwest bronx you will see rabbits, skunks, and raccoons. central park also has raccoons. most bodies of water hear have ducks and geese. we are not far from the catskill mountains, and the adirondacks for week end fun. there are quite a few hiking clubs, snow shoe clubs, and skiing, both downhill and nordic right in nyc and they travel everyweek for some type of activity during each season. we are also only a short ride on our metro north commuter railroad to the great swamp, where there are many hiking and kayaking opportunities.
others can tell you a lot more than i can concerning what nature is in their boros, or nearby areas.
True and Long Island isnt too far and there is planty of nature there
They may be nice to your face and then snicker and make disparaging remarks once you're gone. Many of THEM also believe that their little rural town is all that matters. The attitudes you will encounter in some areas of the Midwest may disappoint you if you think everyone here is wonderfully open-minded about other people and places.
That pretty much sums up my experience with the midwest. Frankly very fake.
I also think whatever tiny circles of "culture" that exist are also haphazardly borrowed from NYC or from television.
NYC is a great thing, I mean you walk around and hear almost every language on earth spoken here. You can get any kind of food, drink, anything here.
I've visited some major world cities and typically I've noticed that those cities tend to really allow only the oldest money type wealthy people into their central districts. Everyone else lives a fairly long train ride away. Manhattan at least has a pretty nice mix of people of various ethnicities and economic abilities on the same island. Those other cities are older and there is a pretty large class separation going on. If you think Manhattan rents are high, check London, Paris, Rome or Zurich in their central desirable zones. You will be priced out into the suburbs straight away unless you are just plain wealthy by US standards. London isn't even safe around some of the tourist districts. Venture not so far off the beaten (read: crowded) path and you could be asking for trouble.
Tokyo is the one major city I regret not having visited yet, but a friend of mine raves about it. It must be nice, but in no way shape or form is it as multicultural as NYC.
NYC may or may not be the best depending on what exactly you are looking for but it is close enough in any given "contest" and it is by far the most affordable place to experience a major world city.
For whatever reason, I was most impressed by Rome it was just an amazing city, between the architecture and the food and small side streets. But could I ever make a living there? It's not a major commercial capital by any means. Today those are Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and New York. Language precludes me from 3 of those unfortunately. London was a beautiful place but I feel it has a tinge of elitism.
London also tends to be more racist and it seems to have a sort of glass ceiling since it would seem they still inwardly believe in things like pedigree, birth and status. NYC is all about the product instead of the pedigree. Sadly I suppose that means cold hard cash, so you can buy your way into "society" but I suppose most self-made people could opt out of that charade in NY and be completely happy.
New York City is not the center of the universe. You have a lot of people, and people's things, but you don't have much of the natural world - which IS the Real World. You don't have waterfalls, unless some artist like Christo comes to town and fakes them. You don't have farms. You don't have mountains or valleys. You don't have canyons. You don't have lakes. You don't have anyone who lives off the land, like billions of people around the planet live. You don't have wildlife, except for pigeons and squirrels and the odd peregrine falcon that gets everyone excited.
In many ways, New Yorkers are provincial and naive about the outside world, even as they claim they're the center of it.
This is a city not a national park over here. Maybe you should head to Yellowstone or Yosemite. Yes I have seen Zurich and Geneva and both took my breath away without a doubt. The whole country of Switzerland is pure beauty, lake here, mountain there, city smack dab in between them. Unbelievable. But diversity and commercial capabilities are lower. Would I like to live in Zurich or Rome or Geneva or Paris? Of course I would, but New York is the most complete city in the world. It may not be the center, but it has it all.
You are confusing New Yorkers from Americans in general. I will be the first to admit that the way Americans are taught in school, they are taught to believe that the USA is the only country that matters in the world. Similarly they are taught that New York is the only that city matters. Please excuse our p poor public education system.
But you must also understand that US university level education as a whole is the best in the world. Sure you can name schools from different parts of the world that are better than our best in certain fields. But in most countries there are a handful of top educational institutions per country. Ones that surely rank up there with our Harvards and Stanfords or even higher. But when you take the entirety of the US higher educational system it simply has no competition.
NYC attracts the best and brightest from all over the US and from all over the world. I can tell you that there are many well traveled people in NYC, people who are educated and who are aware of the world here. Please don't let your encounter with a pizza maker or some random guy who put together a hot dog influence your opinion of the people who live in NYC. I don't come to Paris and judge the intellect or perceptions of the people by the guy who put together a falafel platter. But I must admit that even the shoe shine guys in Europe and Asia will know more about the world than an upper middle class blue collar American. I personally know people living in NYC from many different countries, and people who have traveled to all sorts of places. People who have some concept of things outside these 50 states.
Yes, Americans in general like to hype up whatever they can whether it is their football team or city or state or university or its football team or Disneyland whatever it is, but it's just the nature of the people here. But don't let appearances fool you.
i wish you the best of luck on your move nala8. i moved from ny to the suburbs of atlanta 5yrs ago. i love and miss ny, but can never see me moving back.
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