New York City is for sellouts

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I don't think NYC has everything at all. There are things that are important to me that I either can't find here at all or can only be found in parts of the city I go to very rarely. It does, however, have the greatest combination of things I want.

New York has no gondolas

but it does!

http://www.rioc.com/tram.gif

xp: chester - what do you mean by large? surely not geography. the LA metro area has more people than does the NY, I think, and also greater density which is bizarre. maybe they count the bodies of water in NY? however, I'm NYC-born and bred and adore Seattle, though admittedly not for its 'urbanity'.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:32 (twenty years ago) link

All this notion that NYC is the centre of everything and self-evidently the greatest and most exciting place and why would anyone want to live anywhere else shit is very annoying - that's LONDON, people, NYC is merely a substitute.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:36 (twenty years ago) link

If you're European or philic, sure.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:37 (twenty years ago) link

I chose Cleveland much in the same way felicity chose NY. It's located halfway between my second and third favorite cities (Toledo and Erie, Pa).

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:39 (twenty years ago) link

Gabbneb: by 'large' I meant 'whoa, this is so much bigger and more exciting and diverse than Seattle, where I grew up.' Those cities have impressed me with their size; Denver, Phoenix, and other mid-size US cities haven't, they've had that same comfortable feeling I was used to. Subjective, obv, but I was really asking NA what he meant by 'large'.

― chester (synkro), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:44 (twenty years ago) link

I wonder how these rates stack up against those from Henry James' or Wharton's day.

I can tell you. I just received a book in the mail from my gradmaother, who was cleaning out a bunch of books and found "The Real New York," a personal guide on shops and ting, written by a lady reporter in 1933. By 1933 there were only 6 hansom cabs left in the city and they congregated exactly where they congregate now, across from the Plaza Hotel at the corner of 59th and 5th Ave. The price was $3 (length of ride unspecified), which this reporter says had been the going rate for at least 30 years, despite the fact the stable fees had increased five-fold. This book is so great, she says you can go to any basement-floor apartment on 47th St west of sixth ave, ring the buzzer, and when the tiny window bangs open and a pair of beady eyes present themselves you say casually that you were "there last night with Johnny Walker." She says this code works everywhere, even downtown. I'm gonna have to try that sometime.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 8 August 2003 16:58 (twenty years ago) link

The only other US cities that can compare to NY in size are Chicago and maybe sorta Boston

Philadelphia is much, much bigger than Boston. So is Phoenix.

See how mythologies work?

That book sounds great, Tracer!

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:01 (twenty years ago) link

It's expensive, it's filthy, and it's a pain in the ass to live in. It's also really big and twice as dense as any other city in the U.S.

If you can't deal/think it's overrated/like your city so much better, just don't come. We won't miss you and frankly rents are too high already. 'nuff said.

― Octothorpe (Octothorpe), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:18 (twenty years ago) link

haha Boston is the only city I mentioned I haven't been to.

― chester (synkro), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:20 (twenty years ago) link

I can't believe Ally posted a photo of the Essex/Delancey subway station. It's the bane of my JMZ-riding existence. It's a stank pit-hole of despair.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:27 (twenty years ago) link

Everything's gonna be ok, Octo.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:30 (twenty years ago) link

Phil, I sat on the floor of that subway station and drew a picture of Rufus Wainwright the night I took that photograph. I think I was trying to photograph a rat that was scurrying comically across the platform but unfortunately it was not to be seen.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:31 (twenty years ago) link

http://www.teresco.org/pics/signs/20010629/iowa2.jpg

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:44 (twenty years ago) link

more!

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:49 (twenty years ago) link

felicity it is superb!! She talks about the big stuff of course—the Italian place where Caruso dined, Lindy's, Sardi's, etc and other things that were apparently big enough to be instantly recognizeable to her readers but have lost any meaning for anyone (names of society people, especially), but she also talks about little things, like her favorite lavendar salesman (whose cry of "sweeeet lavendar for saaale!!" was heard for blocks around his stall on 2nd ave), a place to buy wigs, a woolworth's lunch counter presided over by a maitre'd in tails and white gloves where you could get duck a l'orange, and tons of places where the actors hung out, especially a Mexican place (NOT owned by Mexicans: Ned it is a long tradition!!) with "the only enchiladas in New York"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:50 (twenty years ago) link

j0hn wins

again

(xpost)

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 8 August 2003 17:51 (twenty years ago) link

This seems like such an America centred argument. (I don't mean this negatively in any way) I'm just wondering whether there's any difference between someone in, say, Canada deciding to move to NYC and someone from, say, Burlington, VT. If NYC's mystique is based on some mythologized American ideal of the city, are folks from other places in the world equally affected? (Martin's comment about London got me thinking)

Also, in terms of multiculturalism, Toronto's got everyone beat. 56 different ethnic groups speaking 80 different languages--the most diverse city in the world. (I used to work for Ontario tourism)

― cybele (cybele), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:16 (twenty years ago) link

I find it hard to believe that Toronto is more diverse than Sioux City!

(NOTE: The preceeding might be a lie.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:18 (twenty years ago) link

Judging people's life choices: dud
Experiencing normal human emotions when your friends move away: classic

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:37 (twenty years ago) link

Felicity, this isn't about my friends, really. I'm not judging their life choices. I acknowledged in my opening thread that a lot of what I think and feel about their reasons for moving is totally irrational and cynical. Confusion and even a little bit of anger are normal human emotions when your friends are moving away from you. Of course I am sad that they are leaving as well as excited for them, but that didn't really seem relevant to the question I was trying to ask with the thread. And I don't think judging people's life choices is a dud, it's pretty much unavoidable. But I'm keeping my feelings to myself and expressing only "normal human emotions" to them, so don't worry about my friends.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:43 (twenty years ago) link

Selling out is classic anyway though.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:45 (twenty years ago) link

Ha ha, I just realized that I totally contradicted myself. Awesome. I meant the stuff at the end about judging life choices, not the part at the beginning when I say I'm not judging them.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:48 (twenty years ago) link

Toronto's got everyone beat

Taking Sides: West Nile v. SARS

― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:49 (twenty years ago) link

But I'm keeping my feelings to myself and expressing only "normal human emotions" to them, so don't worry about my friends.

I reserve the right to spend a lot of time worrying about NA's friends

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:57 (twenty years ago) link

I want to worry about his friends, go find your own.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 18:59 (twenty years ago) link

My friends may or may not be a literary device.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:04 (twenty years ago) link

This is one of those "my...friend, yeah" situations, isn't it?

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:05 (twenty years ago) link

His friend Harvey.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:06 (twenty years ago) link

Nick doesn't even HAVE friends.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:47 (twenty years ago) link

BURN!!!!

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:48 (twenty years ago) link

Not after this thread, I don't.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:48 (twenty years ago) link

Wait, how does saying something that's already been implied at least 3 times, but in more direct terms, constitute a BURN!!!? I challenge your BURN!!!

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:50 (twenty years ago) link

Well, for Yanc3y, it's pretty clever.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:51 (twenty years ago) link

BURN!

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:52 (twenty years ago) link

Now, THAT's a BURN!!! I will even go so far as to say BOO-YAH!

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:52 (twenty years ago) link

Ally's like that Paula Abdul song

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:53 (twenty years ago) link

The one with Keanu Reeves?

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:53 (twenty years ago) link

i have nothing left to live for

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:53 (twenty years ago) link

Ally's like that Paula Abdul song
-- nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (littlejohnnyjewe...), August 8th, 2003 3:53 PM. (later)

BURN!!!

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:54 (twenty years ago) link

"cold hearted"

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:54 (twenty years ago) link

Look into my eyes!

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:55 (twenty years ago) link

kapatown my ass!

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:56 (twenty years ago) link

Sa da tay!!

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:56 (twenty years ago) link

you're a baddy daddy lamatai tebby chai

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 19:58 (twenty years ago) link

I'm a lady, you dirty greasebag.

― Ally (mlescaut), Friday, 8 August 2003 20:00 (twenty years ago) link

I thought the premise of the entire thread was to worry about NA's friends.

― felicity (felicity), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:01 (twenty years ago) link

Bill Parcells is a homo

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:02 (twenty years ago) link

It just seems like everyone and everything will pass through NYC at some point, that's what's appealing about it. London has that same appeal. Other cities...Chicago, San Francisco, etc. can be beautiful, but they seem stifling. They seem like dead ends, to me. More like islands.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Friday, 8 August 2003 21:46 (twenty years ago) link

London's even worse than New York

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Friday, 8 August 2003 22:59 (twenty years ago) link

Nick, I've asked myself this question before, too. I mean, NYC is awesome, and I could probably even live there for a while, but yeah, I catch your drift.

Know what blows my mind? Well, Emily and I are moving to Charlottesville, Virginia in September -- C-Ville is a small city (with a town-ish feel but lots to do) at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an hour from Richmond, three hours from the beach. It's gorgeous there, lots to do, great food, fairly progressive (especially for Virginia!), etc. Now, take Nick's question about picking NYC over any other major US city, and just think of how many minor cities like C-Ville there are out there, cool towns that hardly anyone outside of the state knows about but which are a lot of fun... the mind boggles.

― Clarke B., Saturday, 9 August 2003 05:24 (twenty years ago) link

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