New York, New York
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2/4/2007
As a lifelong resident who grew up in Brooklyn, and has policed the city for 18 years thus far, I think I can provide a unique and honest assessment that some may find useful. The "City" is comprised of 5 boroughs. Brooklyn, Queens, Staten island, The Bronx, and the one most are familiar with, Manhattan Island. Let me begin with the "plus" side: There is no more diverse city in this country ( or most others). You will encounter folks from every corner of the globe. A walk down any street, particularly within the outer boroughs, will expose you to more languages in a day than most people living elsewhere will hear spoken in their lifetimes. There is a tremendous amount of sights to see and things to do. The nightlife is world class. From Bars, clubs, restaurants, theatre, museums etc...to great outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, rafting, hunting etc...within an hour or two by car or train. The crime rate for a city of this size is fairly low. Minor property crimes are what effect most, if at all. As with any place else, there are neighborhoods and activities to avoid. If you don;t spend your time associating with low lives, you won;t have a problem. The people, contrary to the stereotype, are actually pretty friendly within context. I think the stereotype comes from newcomers or visitors being intimidated by the constant bustle of the place. The city is full of "characters" who will charm you if you give them a chance. The job market on the whole is good, though competition can be fierce depending on the sector. Public Transportaion, though crowded at times, makes it pretty easy to get anywhere. Now for the negatives...... The city is Expensive! You are taxed to death here.. to be "middle class" in New York, you must earn well into the six figures. The housing market is completely out of control and buying is out of reach for most people earning 40,000 to 80,000. Rents are insane. Manhattan is turning into a Bland, white bread sea of liberal mid western transplants (urban pioneers as we call them) gentrifying and infesting every last nook south of 96 street and North along the Hudson river. Now that the real estate market in Manhattan has become too expensive even for them, they are spreading like a plague into Brooklyn (Park slope, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Cobble hill) and parts of Queens (Astoria, Woodside) pushing out the working class and causing the City to lose even more of its ethnic flavor. ( What is it with these people and their obsessio
jack | Beverly Hills, CA