New York, New York
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10/22/2006
NYC is certainly not for the faint of heart, nor is it a place for the laid-back and mediocre masses to live. That's what the outter boroughs are for, and I have nothing against them - especially since I spent most of my childhood in the nicest brownstone neighborhoods in the city, which are in Brooklyn. Living in Manhattan is peerless by any American standard - on a scale that few other cities in the world can match (London, Paris, and Tokyo can complete). It's a city where most the world's richest 1% have at least one home, and where whether you make $40k or $400k you're still condiered middle calss. A place where you can pay $3000 to rent (over $1MM to purchase) a 500 sf studio. A place where anything can happen and usually does. A place that makes few and breaks many....where a 60 hour work week is a light one and where Sinatra's rule still applies - If you can make it here you can make it anywhere. Spend 10 years in NYC and living anywhere else in the US will be gravy. Unparalleled in opportunity, whether it be business, culture, shopping, art, theater, clubs, dining, bars - there's something here for everyone.
Contrary to some posts, the city isn't that dirty - most of Manhattan is pretty clean actually compared to other American cities. The views are more breathtaking than anywhere in the world, and the public transportation is better than anywhere I've been (except London). Great parks, and for the most part great people who demand the very best because they are the very best (just stay out of there way if you're from out of town and haven't acclimated). Air quality is pretty good too, from what I can tell. Washington, Phoenix, San Fran, Boston, Miami, LA, Philadelphia, and Chicago are all great American cities. But not one holds a candle to the Big Apple.
Abhd | Midtown East, NY