New York's most Vibrant Neighborhood is Philadelphia (crime, movies)

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by kyb01

No, of course, your attire remark will hardly offend me. I was a weird geek in that I dressed for work in a way that most geeks do not. I never wear shorts or t-shirts, for instance, when I go to NYC in the summer; I wear capris and coordinated tops. What I dislike the most about these folks is the level of casualness/roughness they bring to NY. No awareness that NY is the premier American city, our true international city and it would behove them to respect that. Since most of them don't share ours values...I agree with you. What's the point of visiting NYC?

The other interesting thing to me is that in years past people from less cosmopolitan areas would yearn to move to a place like NY so they could be more creative or live more openly as a gay person. Today there are visitors to NY who think they have a right to frown on that. Ugh...

Yup, I agree. The flip flops, old t-shirts and baggy sweatpants is not a good look, and its always a tourist giveaway (American tourist). Most people who live in New York, or those who visit from other countries have the mindset of what is presentable in public.

I just got back from Switzerland, took a quick trip to Zurich and Lucerne, and I always forget how incredibly well people dress/ present themselves in Europes cosmopolitan cities. New York is the closest we have to that level of style, and it doesnt show all that well because a lot of the visitors from other US localities simply don't care how they present themselves. And I am not saying you need to dress in a Chanel suit, but nice slim fitting pants, an ironed shirt or blouse, and nice boots or sneakers are not that hard to find, and lord please no flip flops.

I forget that outside of the little urban bubbles (New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, etc.) the US is very close/ simple minded, and is not overly concerned with appearance lol. And it does disappoint me when people bring their ignorance into our showcase cities... its like what do they expect to see when they visit New York..?

New York is still fabulous, and what I am ranting about is the minority of what I see, but I still definitely do notice it.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Yup, I agree. The flip flops, old t-shirts and baggy sweatpants is not a good look, and its always a tourist giveaway (American tourist). Most people who live in New York, or those who visit from other countries have the mindset of what is presentable in public.

I just got back from Switzerland, took a quick trip to Zurich and Lucerne, and I always forget how incredibly well people dress/ present themselves in Europes cosmopolitan cities. New York is the closest we have to that level of style, and it doesnt show all that well because a lot of the visitors from other US localities simply don't care how they present themselves. And I am not saying you need to dress in a Chanel suit, but nice slim fitting pants, an ironed shirt or blouse, and nice boots or sneakers are not that hard to find, and lord please no flip flops.

I forget that outside of the little urban bubbles (New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, LA, etc.) the US is very close/ simple minded, and is not overly concerned with appearance lol. And it does disappoint me when people bring their ignorance into our showcase cities... its like what do they expect to see when they visit New York..?

New York is still fabulous, and what I am ranting about is the minority of what I see, but I still definitely do notice it.

The first time I went to Europe in 1980, I came back and wanted to burn up my entire wardrobe. Lol. What people wore in Italy especially knocked my socks off. I've always been a clothes horse. My whole family is into clothes even my little 4 year old great nephew knows what outfits are better. In our genes I guess. I actually have a Chanel suit which was my mom's. I can't wear it. Too much emotion for me. When I was a child people dressed up to shop in Center City. I miss those days.

I have gotten rid of much of my more serious clothes since retiring but I still plan what I'm going to wear each day. I never wear flip-flops outside!

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by MB1562

It’s funny, because every time I go to New York I don’t wanna come back to Philly. After being there, everything in Philly just seems to be lacking in comparison. It’s a completely unfair comparison, granted, but it’s undeniable that it blows Philadelphia out of the water. That doesn’t make Philadelphia a bad place. It’s an awesome city in its own right. To me the insane COL and general craziness there is worth it if you have the right kind of job and mindset to make it in New York.

I lived in Shanghai this past summer and have spent considerable time in New York over the years. This makes being satisfied with something smaller harder and harder as time goes by.

NY’s energy appealed to me when I was younger but I’m now retired. If you want to live in NYC, make it happen. There is no other place like it.

I do take issue with your bolded comment, however. I don’t think NYC blows Phillly out of the water. I think that its energy and freneticism can overwhelm you, but I don’t want to be overwhelmed in doing the simplest of tasks such as buying groceries. Being close to NYC is better than being in NYC for us. Philly is a big bustling city that satisfies all of our needs - that's why we chose to live here. But we can live in the middle of the city, blocks from great restaurants, theaters, museums, grocery stores, drug stores, and the like at a fraction of what we would pay for a similar lifestyle in NYC. Don't get me wrong - living well in Center City isn't cheap - it's just that it is within reach for us.

The next question might be - if we could afford it, would we live in NYC? No. Not everyone wants to live in the Big Apple. While we love to visit, I always return glad that I don't live with all that hubbub day in and day out. Being near enough to slip in for a day or weekend is great, but that’s it.

Finally, I found an old post. Someone one time on CD claimed that you can find everything in New York. I disagreed, stating you won’t find these things in New York:

- Cobblestone alleys and side streets interspersed throughout its CBD
- Blocks of extant 200+ year old architecture as part of its core
- Theatre of fairly comparable quality at a fraction of the cost
- Like theatre, dining options that offer the same or better quality of food, service and atmosphere at a considerably lower price (not to forget byo!)
- A bustle of people in its CBD rather than an overwhelming crush
- A Quaker sensibility that imparts, among other qualities I value, less brashness, bluster and braggadocio (e.g., despite Philly's "Yo Adrienne" DNA, I have trouble seeing the city produce a Donald Trump)
- Amish markets
- The Barnes Museum
- A greater value on history and preservation over development
- An overall cleaner and greener core
- Free travel on PT for seniors

This is not to run down NYC. If you want it, go for it and I hope you get it it. The opportunity may not always be there. But just to be clear, NY doesn’t blow Philly out of everyone's water.

[2002 Subaru]

Real Philadelphians don't care what New Yorkers think of us or how people dress.


Lotta hate speech in this thread ... but I guess it's acceptable here to hate people from ''Murica.' Good job guys ... glad I didn't eat before reading this crud.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by 2002 Subaru

Real Philadelphians don't care what New Yorkers think of us or how people dress.


Lotta hate speech in this thread ... but I guess it's acceptable here to hate people from ''Murica.' Good job guys ... glad I didn't eat before reading this crud.

Hey, we all have opinions. You share yours. I share mine. Others share theirs. I'm pretty blunt about what/who I like. And I will not lie about it to "save" someone's feelings. You should know that by now.

[1ondoner]

Hating or liking how other people dress is pretty juvenile. For a visitor in NYC, what does it matter what the millions of Yankees think? I couldn't care less of what other people think of me, my high school days are way behind me. What other people think of me has no bearing on my life. Neither do my thoughts to others have any bearing on others.

Human relationships/interactions are transactional. If one doesn't need anything from others, they are good to go. That's how I roll.

Originally Posted by kyb01

Hey, we all have opinions. You share yours. I share mine. Others share theirs. I'm pretty blunt about what/who I like. And I will not lie about it to "save" someone's feelings. You should know that by now.

[Redddog]

What the HEEL is with all the hate on flip flops?

I consider myself a pretty fashion forward guy and I live in flip flops.

I've asked my wife about this (who is a fashion junkie) and she insists that it's totally cool.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by 1ondoner

Hating or liking how other people dress is pretty juvenile. For a visitor in NYC, what does it matter what the millions of Yankees think? I couldn't care less of what other people think of me, my high school days are way behind me. What other people think of me has no bearing on my life. Neither do my thoughts to others have any bearing on others.

Human relationships/interactions are transactional. If one doesn't need anything from others, they are good to go. That's how I roll.

Back in the day most people did care about how they were dressed. I'm old so that's where I'm coming from with this conversation. I don't particularly care for how casual people are today about clothing.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Redddog

What the HEEL is with all the hate on flip flops?

I consider myself a pretty fashion forward guy and I live in flip flops.

I've asked my wife about this (who is a fashion junkie) and she insists that it's totally cool.

Did you notice that the two people complaining about flip-flops are two gay fashionistas(me and cpomp)? Lol

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Exactly...

This is going to sound snobbish... Lol. But they make me want scream, "OMG, what are you doing here? It's a blue city with lots of queers like me... Go back home please!" My best friend lives in Nebraska(she lived on the east coast for many years). She's a native of that part of the country and she calls them "hayseeds" and trashes them all the time. Why did she leave the east coast? Parental elder care.

It's all Rudy G's fault! Making NYC safer was great but, well, this is the result too. Eh....

Originally Posted by kyb01

Did you notice that the two people complaining about flip-flops are two gay fashionistas(me and cpomp)? Lol

I'm the statistical outlier in this group, then, I guess: gay* Midwesterner non-fashion-plate. (My tastes run towards Brooks Brothers, though my budget says Old Navy. My contention is that Brooks Brothers never goes out of fashion because it was never in fashion to begin with. That kind of style I like.)

And I have no problem with T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops, though I usually don't wear the really cheap plastic ones. (But wasn't there a fashion craze for the Brazilian-made Havianas a few years back?)

And as I am prone to look up at buildings, I'd probably pass for one of those 'Murican tourists you two can't stand on the streets of Manhattan when dressed a certain way. (Maybe not so much if I'm wearing a polo shirt and chinos or jeans.)

Did your friend live in Omaha or Lincoln? Lincoln, the state capital and home of the state university, is a deep blue blip in a red state.

Generally, I'd say that the Midwest's larger cities and all of its college towns contain lots of people who are unfazed by same-sex PDA (public displays of affection, something I'm quite prone to when I'm with someone I love, as I was last night in NoLibs). This camp includes Chicago, of course, but also the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City and Des Moines, maybe Omaha and Indianapolis, but not necessarily Wichita, Topeka, or Springfield (Mo., the largest city with that name in the country, btw). The college towns include Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal in Illinois, Iowa City and Ames in Iowa, Columbia in Missouri, Lawrence in Kansas (Manhattan, not as much) and the aforementioned Lincoln.

I will allow, however, that many of the suburbs of those cities harbor denizens who aren't as urbane.

*I originally used the Q-word here; I belong to that camp that wants to reclaim it as a useful short alternative to "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender" - besides, using it as a non-epithet opens up great opportunities for wordplay. But the auto-censor on this forum does not belong to that camp, I see.