[demonrail666]

This thread is thought of largely as a companion to n'ik's 'London' one. I've been to New York and loved it, and wouldn't mind living there for a bit one day. As a city it seems to generate as many extreme views as London, so just wondered what others here thought of it.

[Toilet & Bowels]

i've been a couple of times, i'd love to live there one day too, but i don't really think there's much possibility of that actually happening.

[demonrail666]

ditto. In many ways I prefer it to London - more manageable scale, FAR better food, generally cheaper. I'd like to teach there, but the competition for jobs there seems even higher than it is here.

[luisxvi]

Its a pretty cool place but on a par with london in regards to expense.

[mangajunky]

After growing up right here, I feel spoiled. I hate to spout cliches, but No other city has as much variety. There is something for everyone.
There are a ton of great museums. The music scene is one of the best anywhere. There is such a variety of dining choices from down and dirty to extremely high end. Just don't try to live in the city and own a car unless you are very wealthy.

Employment wise you don't even need a college degree to get a decent job, you just have to be motivated. Employers here seem to appreciate intelligence and moxie more than a piece of paper. (although a college degree will help)


I love NYC. There is very little bullshit. People tell you what they really think and we don't "do lunch" we just do.

[blunderbuss]

I had the chance to move to New York about twelve years ago when I handed in my resignation at a job and they were so desperate to keep me that they said that I could work in any of their offices of my choice, anywhere in the world. I seriously considered NY, but ultimately didn't have the confidence to emigrate.

In retrospect I probably made the right decision, but I do love the place for a few days at a time.

[PAULYBEE2656]

never been to nyc.. will be at some stage tho.. just one of those places i have to see along with montecarlo and paris.

[batreleaser]

i go to nyc all the time. my uncle's partner is geffrey sellers, who is one of the 3 producers of 'rent, as well as many other successful plays. obviously theyure rich. my uncle has a guest apartment on then upper east side where i stay as much as possible. the prices these days though are getting absurd. i remember i was at this little punk clothing shop on bowery street and they had all these old concert shirts. i picked up a crass, butthole surfers, mayhem, and nausea shirt. these things were beat the fuck up, holes and shit. at the counter, the dudes like, ok, thatll be 600 dollars please. i was like are you fucking kidding me. no one who listens to this music woulad actually pay that prices, just trendy hipsters who want something to match their new vintage leahter.

[Cantankerous]

i love living there. my favourite city in the world.
i will never live anywhere else (in the US)

[Everyneurotic]

i have gone to ny pretty much yearly since i have been like two years old, needless to say i love it.

i too would love living there, but not for too long, for some reason i don't see myself becoming a new yorker so to speak.

but yeah, i love that you can walk anywhere in the city, love the diversity, the record stores and yeah most people are pretty cool. i once almost got my ass beat at other music for looking at some guy's copy of sparks' kimono my house, though.

[mangajunky]

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

i once almost got my ass beat at other music for looking at some guy's copy of sparks' kimono my house, though.

Why would someone get so pissed off that they'd want to fight you over that?

[demonrail666]

It is an incredibly seductive city. London is much more of a slow release (although I think ultimately more fulfilling) than New York's sheer in-your-faceness. The one thing I can't say about it is what it'd be like there without much money. When I've been there I've always had a lot of money with me, so the city has been something of a playground for me - providing a welcome escape from the harsh realities of London. I love it, but do wonder how much I'd like it quite as much if i was broke while I was there. Saying that, I don't care how much money I have when I'm in Paris, it always bores me.

The one thing NYC would have over London if you were broke is that you could still get around. Without money for the tube, London is pretty much reduced to whichever little pocket of it you happen to live in. Depending on where that pocket is, you can easily forget you're actually in London when stuck in a single part of it.

[uhler]

my favorite place in the world and that's why i'm moving there in exactly two weeks now. i'm scared about not finding a job but everyone says it's actually pretty easy especially if you have cooking or serving expierence like myself. going to school up there is expensive especially with the out of state tuition added on.

you can easily find a 500-600 dollar a month room in brooklyn. it's expensive there, but if you find a job you'll be able to get by.

[Everyneurotic]

Originally Posted by mangajunky

Why would someone get so pissed off that they'd want to fight you over that?

i'd like to know that myself!

there was a crate of albums on the floor and the cover of the first record there seemed familiar, so i ducked to have a better look (the crate was not at reaching distance though), recognized it was the sparks album and went to the door as i was already leaving. this hand reached for my shoulder and yelled "HEY!!!" really loud and this black guy, a good two heads taller than me starts yelling at me "why did you do that?" "what?" "you were looking at my record!" "what record?" "that one" *points at crate* "sorry, i didn't know it was yours, i just looked at it" "why did you do that?"

i then spent the next 3 minutes saying "sorry" until the guy let me go.

my only explanation is that it is new york after all.

[Cantankerous]

Originally Posted by uhler

my favorite place in the world and that's why i'm moving there in exactly two weeks now. i'm scared about not finding a job but everyone says it's actually pretty easy especially if you have cooking or serving expierence like myself. going to school up there is expensive especially with the out of state tuition added on.

you can easily find a 500-600 dollar a month room in brooklyn. it's expensive there, but if you find a job you'll be able to get by.

it's cool, i've always been able to find a waitressing job and made decent money and if you know where to look and everything you can find a reasonably priced apt. in manhattan. i had about 1200 sq. feet on the lower east side for something like $1600/month.

[uhler]

Originally Posted by Cantankerous

it's cool, i've always been able to find a waitressing job and made decent money and if you know where to look and everything you can find a reasonably priced apt. in manhattan. i had about 1200 sq. feet on the lower east side for something like $1600/month.

that is a good price especially for manhatten. i would need at least 2 other roommates before i could afford something like that at this point.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Everyneurotic

i'd like to know that myself!

there was a crate of albums on the floor and the cover of the first record there seemed familiar, so i ducked to have a better look (the crate was not at reaching distance though), recognized it was the sparks album and went to the door as i was already leaving. this hand reached for my shoulder and yelled "HEY!!!" really loud and this black guy, a good two heads taller than me starts yelling at me "why did you do that?" "what?" "you were looking at my record!" "what record?" "that one" *points at crate* "sorry, i didn't know it was yours, i just looked at it" "why did you do that?"

i then spent the next 3 minutes saying "sorry" until the guy let me go.

my only explanation is that it is new york after all.

isn't looking at a dj's records a big faux pas though?

[Cantankerous]

Originally Posted by uhler

that is a good price especially for manhatten. i would need at least 2 other roommates before i could afford something like that at this point.

well i'm living with another person so at the time it was two incomes
i got lucky though and now i don't work and i don't pay rent either

[demonrail666]

That's weird. My memory of New Yorkers was that they were incredibly friendly. Saying that, they seemed to like the fact I was English and often passed sly remarks about people from other US states or cities. One guy I met, who seemed like an absolute cunt to everyone around him, was buying me drinks all night and telling me The Fall were the greatest thing in the world.
For British people, NYC can be a total ego-boost, but I get the feeling people from other parts of America might witness a bit more hostility.

A great anecdote. I was in a bar in Alphabet City last year when a woman told me about a guy that comes in and tries to hit on the girls there by faking a British accent and dressing in Fred Perry polo shirts, etc. She was really hoping he was gonna be in that night because, her words not mine, 'he's an asshole and he's TOTALLY gonna hate you.' Apparantly he was from San Francisco but went to college in the UK and came back thinking he was Damon Albarn or someone. Either way, he never showed and I got hit on by three women during the course of that night. God bless NY is all I'll say.

[mangajunky]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

A great anecdote. I was in a bar in Alphabet City last year when a woman told me about a guy that comes in and tries to hit on the girls there by faking a British accent and dressing in Fred Perry polo shirts, etc.

That's frikkin hilarious. I would LOVE for some of the ex-pats that I ride with to bump into this poseur.

PS - Post #666 w00t!!