newyork

New York

I have lived in this city for pretty much my entire life. I really couldn't imagine living anywhere else. One of the best things about NYC is the fact that you do not need a car to commute and I am a big fan of walking. I have travelled to most of the large cities both up and down the East Coast but New York is the best fit for me.

10. After dark there are still numerous places to go to.
9. Many independent movies and foreign films are released here before most places
      in the country.
8. You can find moderately priced restaurants with excellent food.
7. Unknown rock bands can gain large followings and actually get signed.
6. I see so many celebrities (actually only several- such as Ace Frehley from KISS,
      Brent Spiner (Data on Star Trek:The Next Generation), Sarah Jessica Parker,
      and Jerry Stiller (George's father on Seinfeld).
5. The interesting wildlife (there are quails, wild turkeys and pheasants in the Bronx
      not to mention the growing population of parrots in my local park), a few years
      back some coyotes actually wandered down here.
4. The sometimes overlooked but interesting museums
      (The Cooper Hewitt Museum of Design - Their exhibit on appliances from the
     fifties was both informative and disturbing - I was intrigued by the Princess
     phones).
3. The history of the city (I like reading about New York during the time in which
      Edith Wharton wrote about - the Gilded Age).
2. The considerable amount of film festivals and retrospectives (Watching the best
      of Chuck Jones at the Walter Reade Theater).
1. Stores that sell everything from light switchplates emblazoned with pulp fiction
      covers to a miniature set of figures from Batman: The Animated series.

10. Cost of living expenses - $10 for a movie, $12 for a cosmopolitan or martini?????????
9. The fact that many neighborhoods in the city are so underrated - there are interesting places other than the East Village, Tribeca and Williamsburg
8. Antiquated and unreliable mass transit (Tokyo has had super fast bullet trains for how many years, why does it still take so long to travel the whole length of the 6 train line?)
7. The increase in chain stores - We have some of the most unique shops and restaurants in the world - No more CVS, Subways, GAPS, etc. (Although I wish there were more Target stores. Okay, so I'm a hypocrite).
6. The federal and state government underfunds us despite our large population (public schools, national security)
5. It is hard to be even mildly unique or talented in a city full of several million people all trying to be unique and talented.
4. Too many clubs, restaurants and bars that try to outdo each other in snobbery (velvet rope hell, clubs with unlisted addresses and phone numbers that also require you to already know someone acceptable to get in), price ($100 dollar cocktails with gold in them, foie gras hamburgers).
3. The rats continue to grow in size, number and intelligence. I guess this is not essentially a bad thing. Maybe they won't do such a bad job governing if they take over the city.
2. The places and events that are most interesting/fun are usually the ones that are the hardest to find.
1. The proliferation of hipsters and yuppie wannabes - particularly those who have only lived here for several months - who try so hard to be "trendy", "cool", "edgy", etc. - we realize how hard you are trying to impress everyone - It's just sad.