Tag Archives: New Yorkers

Bright Lights, Big City: perceptions & misconceptions

like i said before –  NYC – you were once home to me.  still, one has perceptions about you – some of which are true, some that were once true and some that were never true at all. here’s my list as an ex-New Yorker now visiting NYC.

 

PEOPLE ARE GRUFF: when i lived in NY people were not as friendly as they now seem to be. have you gone soft NY? maybe it was me and the daily grind? POSSIBLY ONCE TRUE

TAXIS ARE DEATH TRAPS: cabbies still drive like total MANIACS and you have reason to fear for your life. TRUTH

IT’S A CROWDED ISLAND: it still feels very crowded on the streets and i now know i do not care for this. it was the first thing i noticed when i left NY – i had room to spread out my arms when walking the sidewalks. it was the first thing that made me feel claustrophobic when i was visiting. TRUTH

NYC IS VERY EXPENSIVE: you can eat at some top-notch places and not break the bank. i always thought of NY as expensive in every way but really the restaurants are priced the same as other major cities. POSSIBLY ONCE TRUE

THERE’S A LACK OF CUSTOMER SERVICE: i appreciated the attentiveness of the restaurant managers where we ate out Friday and Saturday nights. at some point of the meal at each restaurant the manager came by to make sure we were happy and enjoying ourselves. this stood out to me because it’s not typical at most places but perhaps it now is in NYC. nicely done! (you hear me Boston?) POSSIBLY ONCE TRUE BUT I’M GONNA GO WITH NEVER TRUE AT ALL

NYC IS VERY EXPENSIVE: drinks on the other hand seem to be exceedingly expensive EVERYWHERE or was it that i just went to fancy spots with fancy drinks?  hmmm… TRUTH

IT’S A MELTING POT: always has been always will be one of the best places on earth to people watch. TRUTH

THE SUBWAY IS GROSS & SCARY: the subway is still the fastest, most efficient bargin to getting around. NO, it’s not flithy & people DO smile and look at each other in the eye. that said, probably not somewhere you’d want to hang out all day long or stay overnight! POSSIBLY ONCE TRUE

NEW YORKERS ARE RUSHED & RUDE: if you ask for something, there’s a better than good chance you shall receive it. everytime i asked for something during my visit – i got it. that’s 100 for 100! not too shabby for a tough little city like the  BIG APPLE. *wink wink* PROBABLY NEVER TRUE AT ALL

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