New York City is for sellouts

Why move to NYC and not anywhere else in the world? Is there anything left that's special or unique about NYC that doesn't exist in any other large US city?

Really there's probably nothing more hipster than moving to Brooklyn these days other than doing so while wearing a trucker hat.

When Paul's Boutqiue came out I was fourteen and had it set in my mind then that I *had* to live in NYC. I did move there ten years later but was back in TX in less than two. It was something I had to do, for my own reasons. I'm glad I did but it's not a place I wanted to stay.

Part of me would still love to live in SF b/c I just think it's a fantastic city. But moving is a pain in the ass and any move away from TX would just be temporary for me so why bother?

although i would be interested in the OC. I have never seen california.

1) Laziness (I'm originally from here)
2) School
3) Innate hatred of the type of people who come on a thread about NYC and then proceed to big up Worchester and LA.

this line is bending my brain

Yeah, this is kind of my point.

There are better spots than OC out here, believe me, but I'm comfortable enough. :-)

3) Innate hatred of the type of people who come on a thread about NYC and then proceed to big up Worchester and LA.

Show me where I specifically talked about LA on this thread and I'll agree to this point. ;-)

Other reasons for NYC is a built up image of glamour and star power and grit that is long gone and no longer a reality. AKA what Tracer said, it's kind of hard to add anything to what he said. He didn't really mention the drugs.

I'll agree. Right now if I was recommending places to get out to from somewhere -- strictly in American terms -- I'd suggest Seattle or SF, actually. Those living there would probably have their own perspectives on why this would be good or bad.

I've encountered far more grit living in East Dallas than I did in NYC.

Who's moving here, Nick? Anyone I know?

And c'mon: NYC = Disneyland? Don't believe yr own hype, yo. NYC's nightlife is amazing, it's the center of the arts universe, it's filled with a ridiculous amount of beautiful people, you don't need a car and if you are aiming for an entertainment- or financial-related job, it's the place to be.

...and entertainment jobs are moving to Canada because of the "Canadian Advantage"

It's stuff like this that sticks in my craw, Yanc3y! I'm not blaming you, I've just heard it too often with further explanation or context -- I'm all for self-fulfilling prophecy and everything but is it actually true?

http://www.hollyeats.com/images/New%20York/Hallo-Menu.jpg

Where I worked up there, only two of us were native NYers. Everyone else came from somewhere else. One of those natives, my Creative Director, never travelled in the US really. Why should she, she reasoned, when she lived in NYC. She was half French, half English, hardly bathed and was the most obnoxious person ever.

I'm glad NY exists.

i hate it, Chris, or at least i've told myself that many times

Ya think? I dunno. I have wanted to be/always felt like I am a writer and all, but I figure urban mystique in your brain is where you find it, I can pitch to editors and hash out ideas on-line, you can download all the music and art and whatever you like in life these days, and I can walk out from my door and get great ramen, soul food, Cuban cuisine and fish tacos (and Iranian and Indian food etc.) within a hundred yards. So I dunno, it seems less necessary that NYC specifically should be it.

NYC undoubtedly offers more writing-related job opportunities than many places, though.

(The German Soul Food is one of the few things that has made me want to visit NYC.)

Being moved to write verse/stories/songs/scripts about it and capture the "vibe"=horribly cliche.

I'm sure you're right there, given the publishing houses and all -- since that's never really appealed to me as a career path, NYC was never going to be a beacon on that front, but for others (Nabisco, for instance?) it would be a darn good holy grail.

it's pretty much our platonic ideal of 'the city;' anywhere else is just 'a city.'

*rubs chin* Sorta yes, sorta no. Mine seems to be a combination of NYC's transit setup with Melbourne's beachfront and SoCal's food.