New York City

[mercaptovizadeh]

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I just wanted to make some comments on New York City. I think it is overhyped by pre-meds. As someone who grew up on Long Island and has had recurring encounters with this place, I would have to say that many SNDers are deluding themselves about it. It's not that it doesn't have everything - it does. I just don't think you can enjoy the place without a lot of money, which med students don't have. Last year I visited for a couple of days. The museums are cheap, but nothing else is. We paid over 100 dollars per seat for a Met Opera concert. I don't know what NY Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall or Broadway tickets must be like. Not to mention that food, transportation, housing are crazy expensive. Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C. (if we're staying in the U.S), not to mention places like Rome, London, Prague, etc. You're exposed to more crime and you don't have the money to enjoy the unrivalled cultural perks of the place. So, what's the big advantage in living here?

 

[Shredder]

youve grown up there so youre used to it, but for a lot of ppl it is a lot more fast paced, more hustle bustle, true big city living. in europe and worldwide there are a lot of cities with the metropolitan feel and where you dont need a car, but in the usa nyc is the only true place like that. im pretty into the idea of going to columbia, and wall street seems appealing too. nyc is the center of the universe, no? and is it really overhyped by premeds, or everyone?

 

[King Arthur]

well, ny is probably the greatest city in the country. however, you're right in that a poor student isn't really in the best position to enjoy what it has to offer.

 

[pushkin]

I just wanted to make some comments on New York City. I think it is overhyped by pre-meds. As someone who grew up on Long Island and has had recurring encounters with this place, I would have to say that many SNDers are deluding themselves about it. It's not that it doesn't have everything - it does. I just don't think you can enjoy the place without a lot of money, which med students don't have. Last year I visited for a couple of days. The museums are cheap, but nothing else is. We paid over 100 dollars per seat for a Met Opera concert. I don't know what NY Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall or Broadway tickets must be like. Not to mention that food, transportation, housing are crazy expensive. Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C. (if we're staying in the U.S), not to mention places like Rome, London, Prague, etc. You're exposed to more crime and you don't have the money to enjoy the unrivalled cultural perks of the place. So, what's the big advantage in living here?

At least New York has an opera. If you go to a cheaper city, often they won't have the kinds of attractions whose prices you're complaining about. So the only reason you'd save money is because you have fewer options.

Rome and London are not exactly cheap either. And food in New York can be very cheap! It's expensive if you eat out--but again, it's only cheaper to eat out in other cities because the restaurants are often less tempting. Also, isn't crime reasonably low in New York, at least in most of Manhattan?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Every city seems overrated by its occupants. Most everyone gushes over San Diego and feigns envy when they hear that I go to UCSD, even though I don't find it to be that great of a city. But I realize that I had the same notions of the city before I became a resident, and that the novelty wore off after a few years. So it's not surprising that NYC isnt that impressive to you, as the novelty never even existed in the first place. But I find NYC to be a fascinating city - I don't think I'll ever forget the first time that I visited Times Square at night with a few of my friends. 🙂

 

[Avenue Q]

I just wanted to make some comments on New York City. I think it is overhyped by pre-meds. As someone who grew up on Long Island and has had recurring encounters with this place, I would have to say that many SNDers are deluding themselves about it. It's not that it doesn't have everything - it does. I just don't think you can enjoy the place without a lot of money, which med students don't have. Last year I visited for a couple of days. The museums are cheap, but nothing else is. We paid over 100 dollars per seat for a Met Opera concert. I don't know what NY Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall or Broadway tickets must be like. Not to mention that food, transportation, housing are crazy expensive. Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C. (if we're staying in the U.S), not to mention places like Rome, London, Prague, etc. You're exposed to more crime and you don't have the money to enjoy the unrivalled cultural perks of the place. So, what's the big advantage in living here?

First of all, lets get this straight - new york city has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the united states.

you can get standing room at the met for 25 dollars.

you can get half price broadway tickets for 45, or you can get lottory tickets for 20. mostly new yorkers take advantage of these, because tourists don't have the time or the patients to stand on line for an hour waiting at TKTS, or just chance it at a lottery when walking by after work and then quickly calling a friend to go when they win.

enjoying the city is also talking long walks down columbus avenue on saturday afternoons, or jogging in central park. you don't need to spend money to do that.

there are tons of free/cheap events, get a time out and see for yourself.

FREE Shakespeare in the park every summer.

FREE Summerstage concerts in central park.

Yes, new york is a more expensive city than some others, but that doesn't mean students cannot enjoy it.

Oh, and that transportation - it is one of the only cities in the world that doesn't stop public transportation overnight. there never is a last train. AND - NYC is one of the only cities that has a subway system that does not discriminate-it goes into both good and bad neighborhoods, costs a universal amount (important in many cities where the farther away from the city center the more it costs and the poorer people are), and is used by people in all socioeconomic classes.

As a native NYer, it is hard to imagine living (perminently) anywhere else. Sure, i will apply all over for med schools - i'm even looking forward to maybe going somewhere outside of the city for a new experience - but there is a reason that NY is so "hyped" - its because it really is that great, and i can really only picture myself living my life in NYC and working and having a family there. I am pretty well traveled, both in and outside the US, and although i have loved some other cities to visit, i could see myself living in very few.

And Long Island, as a side note, might just be my worst nightmare.

 

[Doc.Holliday]

it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston

agreed. i havent done a whole lot of travelling, but coming from New Orleans most cities seem pretty boring to me. San Francisco and Boston are probably the only two with enough character to satisfy me, but id put NYC on the list also, its just so freakin huge there's not much it doesnt have.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

First of all, lets get this straight - new york city has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the united states.

you can get standing room at the met for 25 dollars.

you can get half price broadway tickets for 45, or you can get lottory tickets for 20. mostly new yorkers take advantage of these, because tourists don't have the time or the patients to stand on line for an hour waiting at TKTS, or just chance it at a lottery when walking by after work and then quickly calling a friend to go when they win.

enjoying the city is also talking long walks down columbus avenue on saturday afternoons, or jogging in central park. you don't need to spend money to do that.

there are tons of free/cheap events, get a time out and see for yourself.

FREE Shakespeare in the park every summer.

FREE Summerstage concerts in central park.

Yes, new york is a more expensive city than some others, but that doesn't mean students cannot enjoy it.

Oh, and that transportation - it is one of the only cities in the world that doesn't stop public transportation overnight. there never is a last train. AND - NYC is one of the only cities that has a subway system that does not discriminate-it goes into both good and bad neighborhoods, costs a universal amount (important in many cities where the farther away from the city center the more it costs and the poorer people are), and is used by people in all socioeconomic classes.

As a native NYer, it is hard to imagine living (perminently) anywhere else. Sure, i will apply all over for med schools - i'm even looking forward to maybe going somewhere outside of the city for a new experience - but there is a reason that NY is so "hyped" - its because it really is that great, and i can really only picture myself living my life in NYC and working and having a family there. I am pretty well traveled, both in and outside the US, and although i have loved some other cities to visit, i could see myself living in very few.

And Long Island, as a side note, might just be my worst nightmare.

Who wants to stand during an 4 hour Wagner opera? PLEASE! (OK, when I went, it wasn't Wagner, it was Dvorak's Rusalka and Fleming was divine!)

As for public transportation, I am surprised that you are not too embarrassed to even consider bringing this up. My sister went to school in NYC and she had to pay 200+ dollars (to my best recollection) for a monthly ticket from Queens to Manhattan. Please! That is absurd. And the subway is HIDEOUSLY dirty and disgusting. Go to the Washington, D.C. metro and it is great. Go to the Moscow metro and they have WORKS OF ART in their subway. My dad worked on Wall Street and he saw someone knock to the ground a disable man so he could get the seat; he also saw a woman running for the train, trip, fall flat on her face and scream, and no-one lifted a finger. How putrid!

Last point: at least on Long Island I could sit on the pebbly and sandy beaches of Orient and Montauk point, feed chickadees on the palm of my hand in Noyack, walk on the boardwalk of Fire Island among the sand dunes, walk in the forests of the pine barrens, the arboretums of Planting Fields and Bayard Cutting, etc. I didn't have to live in that concrete hole you worship. And I hope you don't end up being one of those invading ingrates who colonizes the east end of "hell" Island.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Go to the Washington, D.C. metro and it is great.

Unfair comparison - Washington's metro is the cleanest metro system in the world. It has to be; it's how we show off to foreigners.

 

[Shredder]

washington is crime and drug infested like anything, the subway is irrelevant

 

[Dr Who]

Last point: at least on Long Island I could sit on the pebbly and sandy beaches of Orient and Montauk point, feed chickadees on the palm of my hand in Noyack, walk on the boardwalk of Fire Island among the sand dunes, walk in the forests of the pine barrens, the arboretums of Planting Fields and Bayard Cutting, etc. I didn't have to live in that concrete hole you worship. And I hope you don't end up being one of those invading ingrates who colonizes the east end of "hell" Island.

Well then,
You always have the option of staying on long Island and feeding all the chickadees you want.

 

[JimiThing]

Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C.

Natural beauty (ever been to Central Park on a cool fall day, or seen the great lawn after a snow fall). That misses the whole point. NYC isnt a supposed to exhibit the coexistence of man and nature, it's a city very much based on mans dominance of nature. Growing up in its shadow has skewed my perception of what a city is. I've lived in Baltimore and San Diego since, and they just dont feel like cities. Far too spread out, not nearly enough vertical development.
Historical attractions? Such as Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Wall Street, St. Patricks Cathedral, Yankee Stadium.
And, does SanFran have as many historic attractions as NY, or Boston and DC as much naturally beauty. Part of the attraction of NYC for many is the balance of everything, a melting pot if you will.
(Oh, and San Fran and Boston, two cities you seem to think of much more highly than NYC, are also more costly).

My sister went to school in NYC and she had to pay 200+ dollars (to my best recollection) for a monthly ticket from Queens to Manhattan.

First of all, just for clarification, Queens is part of NYC, (though oddly enough not really considered part of "The City" by Long Islanders). Second of all, horse****. You can get from almost anywhere in Queens to Manhattan for $2 on busses and subways. I commuted from LI to Upper Manhattan for 4 years and it never cost me more than $160 for both LIRR and MTA.

And the subway is HIDEOUSLY dirty and disgusting. Go to the Washington, D.C. metro and it is great.

DC's transit system is brand new, half the size in track length, services half as many people per day, and shuts down every night. The NYC Subway system is going on what, 100 years old and always running.

Go to the Moscow metro and they have WORKS OF ART in their subway.

NYC has museums for that, lots of museums. I dont need to be entertained when I'm on the subway. I need to get somewhere.

My dad worked on Wall Street and he saw someone knock to the ground a disable man so he could get the seat; he also saw a woman running for the train, trip, fall flat on her face and scream, and no-one lifted a finger. How putrid!

And I've seen people rush over to help some one who passed out on the platform, help pull wheelchair passengers on to the bus when the lift wouldnt work, chase after another persons mugger, and helped me too many times to mention when lost, late, on crutches etc. Are you really willing to base your opinion on a few pieces of second hand anecdotal evidence.

Last point: at least on Long Island I could sit on the pebbly and sandy beaches of Orient and Montauk point, feed chickadees on the palm of my hand in Noyack, walk on the boardwalk of Fire Island among the sand dunes, walk in the forests of the pine barrens, the arboretums of Planting Fields and Bayard Cutting, etc. I didn't have to live in that concrete hole you worship. And I hope you don't end up being one of those invading ingrates who colonizes the east end of "hell" Island.

I'm glad you enjoy LI so much. Feel free to stay there.

*Standard disclaimer: I like other cities just fine. I just prefer NYC.

 

[Blue Scrub]

I hate NYC too Mercapto, horrible city....I'd rather live on Strong Island anyday of the week 👎

 

[boobah16]

Go to the Washington, D.C. metro and it is great.

As much as I love being in the District, I have to disagree with this comment... It sucks some nights running back to the metro just so you dont miss the last train, because no one wants to pay for a cab if you dont have to. And the prices are NOT cheap... they just went up even more last summer- and vary depending on where you are headed. More often than not, tracks are closed for some reason, causing massive delays- and the thing runs so slow!
I have only been to NY a couple of times, but the subway there gets you where you need to go and fast...

 

[myodana]

i'll take on the challenge.

I just don't think you can enjoy the place without a lot of money, which med students don't have.

absolutely untrue. you just have to know where to look. depends also on what your definition of "enjoying yourself" is -- if you need to go out have orchestra seats at a broadway show and then dinner and a bunch of drinks somewhere in midtown to enjoy yourself, then yes, you're going to need some cash. however, people in new york know how to have fun no matter where you put them - run or bike in the park, walk through all the different neighborhoods, or seek out the more unknown places to eat and drink, or venture to brooklyn or queens for staggeringly good ethnic food... just a few ideas.

Last year I visited for a couple of days. The museums are cheap, but nothing else is. We paid over 100 dollars per seat for a Met Opera concert. I don't know what NY Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall or Broadway tickets must be like.

first of all - the museums are not that cheap, but there's usually a student discount. secondly, what did you expect from the opera?? third, you had to be sitting somewhere good to pay that much. if you've ever gone to an opera, you'll know that it really doesn't matter much where you sit, since the music gets better the higher you sit. i see the opera fairly frequently, and i know for a fact that family circle tickets at the met are $25, and sometimes you can even get student tickets for certain shows for the same price. i saw a christmas eve performance of benvenuto cellini last year for $25 and sat right in the orchestra. in addition, standing room tickets are $12 (or maybe it's $16)!!! and you can even usually grab a seat after intermission if you see someone leave (i did that for the rake's progress). for broadway, you go to TKTS for discounts, and if you want to see a more popular show, go for the balcony tickets. sure, the tickets are pricey, but you can save yourself some money by not buying orchestra seats!

Not to mention that food, transportation, housing are crazy expensive.

i'll agree with you on housing, but it also depends on where you live. if you go to einstein, the housing is super cheap! if you live in brooklyn and commute, you can save yourself plenty. as for transportation, few people in NY have a car, so you've saved yourself a bundle right there. a $70 monthly metrocard which gives you unlimited trips to anywhere in the city doesn't compare to car and insurance payments. yes, our subway is not as pretty as the DC metro, but it covers a far greater area and also runs ALL NIGHT. regarding food, as i said before, if you have expensive tastes (or are lazy) you will spend a lot on food. but you don't have to (grocery prices also vary by neighborhood).

Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C. (if we're staying in the U.S), not to mention places like Rome, London, Prague, etc. You're exposed to more crime and you don't have the money to enjoy the unrivalled cultural perks of the place. So, what's the big advantage in living here?

well, crime is way down these days -- in fact i think it's got one of the lowest, if not THE lowest crime rate for a big city. so, depending on where you live, it's really not what it used to be. i think it really comes down to personal preference. as much as i love boston, washington, and san fran, i love new york more. new york is definitely not for everyone... it's a tough place to live, sometimes very stressful, and from time to time you want to just get out of the chaos for a bit... but once you've lived here, you know that nowhere else quite compares.
🙂

 

[musiclink213]

I have to agree with everything jimithing said. I've lived in NY my whole life, and living there, ie- not just visiting from the island, you learn how to do NY cheap. You get student rush tickets for broadway, operas, ballet. If you know where to go, you can eat cheap too. Most long islanders, I find are cluless when it comes to the city. A monthyl metrocard is around $75 a month. So why your sister paid over $200 is probably ignorance of something called unlimited rides. And really, it's not such a great idea to bash another person's city. What you don't like, everyone else loves.

 

[jjmack]

I agree NYC can be very, very, very expensive, but you can also learn the secret free or very cheap things. Like how the Guggeneheim is free on Friday evenings and they serve free wine and cheese. Or how the Met is a "suggested donation" so instead of paying the recommended $15 you can probably get in for as little as $1. Seems like a good deal to me considering when I was out in seattle the experience music project was $19.95 to simply look at CDs and posters. There are also a ton of places to eat that are cheap and are open 24hrs or at least very late. And if you feel like dropping big $$$ there is good food that even serves until 4am, Blue Ribbon comes to mind-- try that in other "cities."

 

[myodana]

Who wants to stand during an 4 hour Wagner opera? PLEASE! (OK, when I went, it wasn't Wagner, it was Dvorak's Rusalka and Fleming was divine!)

she was divine. i saw that opera too...for $25. fabulous seats in the front/center of the family circle (high balcony). quite honestly, you'll have to be less picky if you want to survive in NY on limited funds.
and as far as standing room, you rarely have to stand for the entire opera--when i did standing room i had no trouble getting a seat during intermission (so i was only standing for the first act) when someone left. also, BAM, NYCO, NYCB, ABT, all have student prices.

 

[MJB]

Just my thoughts...being from the heart of flyover country....the Kansas City area...

I've visited NYC and Long Island once...and would love to live there...though I don't know if I would enjoy it as a permanent residence...as I like to have my one acre lot here in the midwest. I love the fact that public transit is so easy and everything is so accessable...and the city itself was awesome in the very short time I was there.

I felt more safe walking through NYC (day and night) than I ever have in some spots in Downtown Kansas City.

I'm afraid I would like to have money while living there too, however.

In my opinion, if you are going to live on Long Island, you might as well live in the midwest...it was virtually the same thing to me.

 

[medstylee]

In my opinion, if you are going to live on Long Island, you might as well live in the midwest...it was virtually the same thing to me.

Wow - from someone who has been a resident of Long Island, NY for 22 years and who has attended college in the suburbs on Chicago, I'm gonna have to say no way. haha.

 

[MJB]

Perhaps the midwest is a bad comparison due to ocean access, but other than that, I saw virtually no difference...and would be interested in why you think it is so different...especially considering my limited exposure.

It was more congested..yes...

 

[medstylee]

the vibes of the midwest and long island are just totally different. everyone on long island seems to have an agenda with 100 things to do on it when they only have time to do 50 of them. people are very pushy and obnoxious and i just feel like most of it is completely unnecessary. i don't find that at all in the midwest. i found it less stressful to do normal things like driving to the grocery store or going out to eat in the midwest. people there just seem more sensible.

in terms of cities, i prefer washington or chicago to nyc any day. i suppose that's because i'm more used to nyc and more sick of it. but, i dunno, i just always feel gloomy when i'm in nyc. i find it much more enjoyable to walk around dc on a nice day. sure nyc probably has more to offer in the grand scheme of things, but i guess it's just a personal preference.

 

[MJB]

I figured that's what you were thinking...I agree that the "attitude" is COMPLETELY different between the two...what I was saying, or trying to say was that if you want to live in a "suburban" environment like Long Island, you might as well live in the Midwest...It blows my mind that people choose to pay the high cost of living to live there...

I figure if I'm going to live there, I'm going to live IN THE CITY...not some suburb, but that's just me...

My brother-in-law lives there and is always complaining about the cost of living...and I just think to myself..."then why in the hell do you live there"?

As far as other cities go, I've thoroughly enjoyed every city I've been to with the exception of Paris, which was just "ok"...the others (D.C., NYC, Boston, London, Dublin, Munich, Vienna, Prague, etc...) were all pretty much awesome, and have their own special traits that make them very cool...even Baltimore. Our latest two favorites, however, are NYC and Charleston, S.C. (and I realize Chucktown isn't a "big" city)

 

[j0v1al]

The OP makes good points about NYC, but also generalizes and only introduces a small portion of the NYC story. I think you're the first person from LI or NYC to ever bad mouth the city after growing up in it. NYC is the foundation, no other domestic city compares to its grandeur and opulance.

You don't need tremendous amounts of money to live in NYC, sure the costs of living are greater than a lot of other cities, but an adept person can survive very comfortably there. Especially in a medical/college campus...take advantage of all the free stuff available, in terms of food, entertainment, etc.

I'm sure schools will subsidize subway or other public transportation. Financially, you can make do if you consciously make an effort to be frugal. As for the experience and the people, I've seen bad things happen in the subway in Boston too. NYC's reputation almost always precedes every visitors expectations. But Manhattan is no where near as bad as parts of DC and South Boston. Since there are always people up and about and lights everywhere, you will feel safer walking down the street at 2am in NYC than in most other cities.

NYC is the OG city. It ain't for sissies or tree huggers. That's for sure.

 

[missbonnie]

I'm sorry, but living in LI and "visiting" NYC doesn't make you qualified to say these things. It's definitely not for everyone, but if you've only visited, of course you are going to spend money cuz you won't know where to go anyway. My 2 cents..

bonnie
(10+ yrs living in NYC)

 

[MDposer]

I am a Boston native...GO RED SOX!!! but aside from my fanatical devotion to my cities baseball team, and my dislike for the much hated baseball team from the discussed city, NYC is certainly the biggest and best city that I have ever been to. Boston has history, great people, feels unique, is my favorite place to live and has some of the vestiges of a "city", but my extensive time spent in NYC has disabused me of the notion that Boston is anything more than a large town. All of the Long Island - NYC hating is pointless, because NYC stands as the benchmark of what a city should be.

 

[stinkycheese]

Dude, New York is the greatest city in the world. (This from a Bostonian, to boot.) If you don't like it, it's just because you're not a city person. Nobody can really dispute that it is the center of the world. Either you get the feeling when you step into Manhattan, or you don't. I love that feeling... I love that city.

One dissent: Boston is not more pricey than New York, at least for real estate. Not by a long shot. Still, you can find reasonable deals in the city.

 

[superdavykinz]

I am a Boston native...GO RED SOX!!! but aside from my fanatical devotion to my cities baseball team, and my dislike for the much hated baseball team from the discussed city, NYC is certainly the biggest and best city that I have ever been to. Boston has history, great people, feels unique, is my favorite place to live and has some of the vestiges of a "city", but my extensive time spent in NYC has disabused me of the notion that Boston is anything more than a large town. All of the Long Island - NYC hating is pointless, because NYC stands as the benchmark of what a city should be.

Indeed go sox. It's a shame they're not doing all that great as far as pitching. I schilling and wells hurt and the guy from texas. doesn't look like there will be a repeat but who knows at least the yankmees are doing pretty terrible for a 200 million dollar team full of "allstars". Now celtics need to step it up. They have enough talent but obviously not the mental strength to get past the pacers.

 

[daisee82]

I grew up in NYC, then went to undergrad in upstate NY and realized how much i missed the city life even though we all complain about it when we have to live with it. Now that I'm in DC and can compare it to NYC, NYC is a hell of a lot better in my opinion. It's still expensive to live down here - rent and food isn't cheaper, although the metro is, compared to NYC's subways. And even though the metro's clean, it's not as convenient as NYC's subway. The metro isn't far reaching and doesn't have as many stops so it's not very convenient. And unless you're in a college town like Georgetown that resembles Manhattan's busy streets and shops, eveything else is long strip malls and shopping plazas that are very unattractive. The buses down here aren't as frequent and predictable as those in NYC, unless its on crowded commuter routes in DC. Plus there's just something about NYC's subway system that is comforting even though it's grimy. There's always life and action on the subways, whereas the metro can be DEAD by 8pm. I can't wait to move back!

 

[KatKlink]

I hardly that being from Long Island qualifies you as an expert on New York. Perhaps you have had "recurring encounters with this place" but have you ever lived here?

I always hated it in college when Long Islanders identified themselves as New Yorkers. You are no more a New Yorker than someone who is from Buffalo or Syracuse.

There are lots of cheap and free things to do in New York. You can hear music for the price of a drink at an open mic, and there are talented people performing. Don't forget that really talented people flock to this city, and before they make it big, you can enjoy their work for peanuts. The MET, one of the greatest museums in the world, allows you to pay what you wish. There are plenty of places of natural beauty in the city. Maybe you are unimpressed by Central Park. What about Prospect Park? Riverside Park? The Bronx Botanical Gardens?

Food is much cheaper here than it is in London. I should know- I just came back from London, where I spent 15 pounds ($30) on pizza for lunch for myself and my boyfriend. A ride on the underground in London costs twice as much as a ride on the subway here, only in New York you get a free transfer on a bus.

I find your post utterly ignorant and disgusting. Why don't you stick to writing about things with which you are more familiar- you can start with the Roosevelt Field Mall.

If anyone has questions about NYC, I would be happy to answer them. I have lived here for my whole life, and I truly think it is the greatest city on earth.

I just wanted to make some comments on New York City. I think it is overhyped by pre-meds. As someone who grew up on Long Island and has had recurring encounters with this place, I would have to say that many SNDers are deluding themselves about it. It's not that it doesn't have everything - it does. I just don't think you can enjoy the place without a lot of money, which med students don't have. Last year I visited for a couple of days. The museums are cheap, but nothing else is. We paid over 100 dollars per seat for a Met Opera concert. I don't know what NY Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall or Broadway tickets must be like. Not to mention that food, transportation, housing are crazy expensive. Besides cultural things, it doesn't have as much natural beauty as, say, San Francisco, or historic attractions as, say, Boston or Washington, D.C. (if we're staying in the U.S), not to mention places like Rome, London, Prague, etc. You're exposed to more crime and you don't have the money to enjoy the unrivalled cultural perks of the place. So, what's the big advantage in living here?

 

[King Arthur]

I hardly that being from Long Island qualifies you as an expert on New York. Perhaps you have had "recurring encounters with this place" but have you ever lived here?

I always hated it in college when Long Islanders identified themselves as New Yorkers. You are no more a New Yorker than someone who is from Buffalo or Syracuse.

hey there. just wanted you to know, i'm totally awed by your superiority!

 

[King Arthur]

I hardly that being from Long Island qualifies you as an expert on New York. Perhaps you have had "recurring encounters with this place" but have you ever lived here?

I always hated it in college when Long Islanders identified themselves as New Yorkers. You are no more a New Yorker than someone who is from Buffalo or Syracuse.

hey there. just wanted you to know, i'm totally awed by your superiority!

 

[KatKlink]

I'm not trying to establish any superiority. I just think, if someone were to launch into a massive critique of a particular city, it would be smart to pick a place where s/he had actually lived. I think we are all educated enough to put some real knowledge behind our rants.

And, I want you to know: I got your point the first time. You didn't have to post twice. Why are you so overzealous?

hey there. just wanted you to know, i'm totally awed by your superiority!

 

[jdovez]

I'm not trying to establish any superiority. I just think, if someone were to launch into a massive critique of a particular city, it would be smart to pick a place where s/he had actually lived. I think we are all educated enough to put some real knowledge behind our rants.

And, I want you to know: I got your point the first time. You didn't have to post twice. Why are you so overzealous?

Yeah.....I love nyc. I grew up there and went to college there. I have lived in every borough except the bronx. I also lived in davis, ca and near houston, tx so I have a little comparison. I think there are 2 places in this country in which I would WANT to live. They are easily NYC and San francisco. San fran is also amazing, but nothing compares to the bustling manhattan streets. You can walk from chinatown to little italy to broadway etc. If you take the subway its super cheap (even tho 2 bucks is ridiculous when you can recall it being 1 buck). You can easily find good places to eat that are amazingly inexpensive if you know where to go (chinatown, little italy, little india, etc).

I have pretty much decided that I am willing to spend an additional ~130K for medical school in order to return to nyc and get away from texas. I am tired of having to drive my ass everywhere and not being able to adequately go "people watching". NYC is practically a microcosm of the world in its diversity. In all likelihood I will be completing the clean borough sweep by going to med school at aecom in the bronx.

To those of you aspiring to go to nyc, its a rough transition (I knew many people from across the country that came to nyu), but its infinitely doable and will be a great experience (whether it is "for you" or not). Best of luck to you all.

 

[SarahGM]

I think that NYC is a great place to be in your twenties. I'm here now for medical school after growing up in Syracuse and going to school in Hanover, NH.

However, I do find it loud, crass.... and filthy. Yuck. Thank goodness I have a boyfriend up in Vermont that I can retreat to when I want to hike or ski or pick apples somewhere really beautiful.

For right now in my life, I think I'd be bored anywhere other than NYC. And I've always wanted the experience of living here for a few years. But as soon as I get my diploma, I'm out... most likely for good.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I think that NYC is a great place to be in your twenties. I'm here now for medical school after growing up in Syracuse and going to school in Hanover, NH.

However, I do find it loud, crass.... and filthy. Yuck. Thank goodness I have a boyfriend up in Vermont that I can retreat to when I want to hike or ski or pick apples somewhere really beautiful.

For right now in my life, I think I'd be bored anywhere other than NYC. And I've always wanted the experience of living here for a few years. But as soon as I get my diploma, I'm out... most likely for good.

A fellow Dartmouther!

As for KitKatlink's comments, I'm not trying to trash NYC in general. As I said before, it is truly a unique city and the cultural aspects are unrivalled. I just said I thought it was too expensive for med students and that there is little point into flocking into the probably busiest city on the earth where you can't afford most of the things it has to offer.

However, it seems that others here who have lived long-term in the city know about cheap deals, so I will concede defeat and say that I simply was not aware of them.

As for Klink, you are ridiculous. I was raised on LI and I would never say I was from NYC. I'm not crazy about living in big cities, so why say I'm from one? And LI is not about the Roosevelt Mall anymore than NYC is about FAO Schwartz or other crappy stores. But I would say that Brooklyn and Queens are very much part of Long Island; NYC cannot just annex outlying areas....although I know they're boroughs as well.

As for the person who said LI was like the midwest, are you on drugs? LI is an island! Furthermore, it's expensive because it has, generally, excellent public schools and arts/music programs. In fact, as far as I know, many of the Intel finalists and winners went to Long Island schools. In college there was a whole contingent of Long Islanders - maybe like 10%, so LI is certainly not the midwest.

 

[DrRads101]

Count me in as one of the countless number of Chicagoans who moved here from NYC.

They say one of the hardest things to do is get someone to move from NYC to Chicago. The only harder thing to do is to get them to move back! 😀 Chicago has everything I loved about NYC, and doesn't have everything I hated about it (namely the attitude, constant competition, outrageous rents for just a hole on the 2nd floor, and the outright dirtiness of the city). Plus it is SO much easier to meet and talk to girls here. 😀

 

[DrRads101]

I thought this was kind of interesting too... I read this in Men's Health about NYC being one of the most depressed cities in America and I was like "no ****" after having lived there. It's hard to be happy when everyone around you is an assh*le and could care less about you... 😀 The funny thing is you don't have to be rude to be in a big city. I've also lived in London and now Chicago, and both cities are MUCH more friendly and courteous (it's like night and day), despite the density and activity... Same with Tokyo. But NYC has this competitive "me me me" attitude that really wears on you...

http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100103843

The 20 Most Depressed Cities

1. Philadelphia, PA: F

2. Detroit, MI: F

3. St. Petersburg, FL: F

4. St. Louis, MO: F

5. Tampa, FL: F

6. Indianapolis, IN: F

7. (3-way tie) Mesa, AZ: F, Phoenix, AZ: F, and Scottsdale, AZ: F

10. Cleveland, OH: F

11. New York, NY: D-

12. Salt Lake City, UT: D-

13. Atlanta, GA: D

14. (3-way tie) Yonkers, NY: D, Pittsburgh, PA: D, and Kansas City, MO: D

17. (3-way tie) Long Beach, CA: D, Los Angeles, CA: D, Nashville, TN" D

20. Portland, OR: D

 

[funshine]

I'm thrilled that so many people adore the "hustle bustle" (according to Shredder) of the overrated New York City. Likewise, I'm glad whenever people say they are moving to LA, SF, etc. This means the smaller cities and more rural areas of the US will be kept for people like me.

As someone who lives near NYC now (and visits it regularly), but grew up in two comparatively rural places (New Mexico and WestVirgnia) I have to say that there are tremendous benefits to living in remote, more sparsely populated places. The housing is fabulous. Beautiful country to explore. You can live in a huge, beautiful house with plenty of land for your dogs/horses/whatever to roam around in. Compare this to NYC or SF area, where you end up living in a dinky second-rate apartment or house for the same price (or more!). People say it's "convenient" but whatever, they have obviously not experienced the pleasure of wide open spaces, both inside and outside. There is plenty of culture here...maybe not of the Broadway/opera/international/wallstreet kind but honestly I don't want that type of culture anyway. Anyway, the best shows I saw were not in NYC, but in Albuquerque and Pittsburgh (two cities very near where I live).

Some additional thoughts: I think the Northeast/east coast in general is way overrated. To me, it's basically prep schools, snobbery, bad weather, and a highly stressful environment to live in. Some people might be attracted to this "fast-paced" lifestyle, but I think they will end up being very unhappy albeit slightly more sophisticated individuals. There is a reason why so many people from Cali end up being depressed their first year at an east coast college. At least Cali with its gorgeous weather earns its expensive cost of living. Don't get me wrong--I love some of the people who come out of the northeast culture--but I think they missed out on having the simple childhood that I was blessed with.


Oh, and ctwickman, I totally agree about Chicago. If I HAD to live in a city, I'd choose Chicago, hands down 🙂

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

I'm thrilled that so many people adore the "hustle bustle" (according to Shredder) of the overrated New York City. Likewise, I'm glad whenever people say they are moving to LA, SF, etc. This means the smaller cities and more rural areas of the US will be kept for people like me.

As someone who lives near NYC now (and visits it regularly), but grew up in two comparatively rural places (New Mexico and WestVirgnia) I have to say that there are tremendous benefits to living in remote, more sparsely populated places. The housing is fabulous. Beautiful country to explore. You can live in a huge, beautiful house with plenty of land for your dogs/horses/whatever to roam around in. Compare this to NYC or SF area, where you end up living in a dinky second-rate apartment or house for the same price (or more!). People say it's "convenient" but whatever, they have obviously not experienced the pleasure of wide open spaces, both inside and outside. There is plenty of culture here...maybe not of the Broadway/opera/international/wallstreet kind but honestly I don't want that type of culture anyway. Anyway, the best shows I saw were not in NYC, but in Albuquerque and Pittsburgh (two cities very near where I live).

Some additional thoughts: I think the Northeast/east coast in general is way overrated. To me, it's basically prep schools, snobbery, bad weather, and a highly stressful environment to live in. Some people might be attracted to this "fast-paced" lifestyle, but I think they will end up being very unhappy albeit slightly more sophisticated individuals. There is a reason why so many people from Cali end up being depressed their first year at an east coast college. At least Cali with its gorgeous weather earns its expensive cost of living. Don't get me wrong--I love some of the people who come out of the northeast culture--but I think they missed out on having the simple childhood that I was blessed with.


Oh, and ctwickman, I totally agree about Chicago. If I HAD to live in a city, I'd choose Chicago, hands down 🙂

I mostly agree with you, but would have to say that there are actually areas of the Northeast that are more suburban/rural and slow paced. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are examples. Also, parts of upstate New York (not to mention LI 😉), Connecticut, and Massachusetts are like this. I never felt cheated out of a childhood where I grew up. I do agree with you when it comes to cities, though. The strangers in San Fran are MUCH friendlier and more helpful than New Yorkers ever were. So maybe it's an east coast city thing. The snobbery point is true, and I am guilty of it too: I think Northeasters consider themselves sophisticated, modern, and worldly, and tend to look down on just about every other region of the country, with a grudging acceptance of the West Coasters as "laid back" but generally OK.

 

[freaker]

no other domestic city compares to its grandeur and opulance.

I would argue that Charleston is more opulent than NYC, though in a more genteel way. In the same way that Paris is more opulent than New York. There is just something that time does to a city (though I'd argue that Paris is living off of borrowed time now). That's partially my preference for the past over modernity speaking, as well.

With that said, New York is what it is, and it does it better than anywhere else I've visited. There is an energy to the place that I've only felt rivalled in London, and only faintly so. There is at once trendiness and a sense of place, which I find rare. The dinginess only really adds to the appeal at times. Especially knowing you can walk through a door and be surrounded by an immaculate interior 10-seconds later.

With that said, there is also a very real danger in being sucked into the energy of a place like New York. It seems to absorb people, make them more indifferent to other people, to the world around them, to the rhythms of life, to cause them to doubt themselves, to become untrusting. Yes, there's something very magical to it all, but I find a hollowness in urban living. To throw out an analogy, I've always felt that Sartre really needed to just get outside some more. Just leave Paris, spend some time in the country, and reacquaint himself with life outside of the artificial existence of urbanism and modernity. No way he could have written Nausea had he done such.

Don't get me wrong; I think New York is an amazing place. But in everywhere I've been that has that pulse to it, I've encountered the same thing. Be it LA, DC, NYC, Chicago...to one degree or another, people just get absorbed and lose a sense of comfortableness with self and the outside world. Almost a move to endlessly purge the self of concrete identity and take every foreign surrounding and make it their own. I found myself doing it and backed away.

Just my 2-cents.

 

[Avenue Q]

can i just point out that this location/city bashing is pretty useless since each person has their own opinion and experiences place differently.

all of the so called negatives for all of you is a positive for me, and vice versa. i can appreaciate most places, but know that many of them are not for me. there, done.

clearly we are not going to all agree, and thats what makes us human, and thats what makes life interesting.

 

[funshine]

I mostly agree with you, but would have to say that there are actually areas of the Northeast that are more suburban/rural and slow paced. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are examples. Also, parts of upstate New York (not to mention LI 😉), Connecticut, and Massachusetts are like this. I never felt cheated out of a childhood where I grew up. I do agree with you when it comes to cities, though. The strangers in San Fran are MUCH friendlier and more helpful than New Yorkers ever were. So maybe it's an east coast city thing. The snobbery point is true, and I am guilty of it too: I think Northeasters consider themselves sophisticated, modern, and worldly, and tend to look down on just about every other region of the country, with a grudging acceptance of the West Coasters as "laid back" but generally OK.

True...I've only been exposed to a certain type of East coast culture, so I am sure that there are laidback communities/lifestyles in the NE I don't know about.
Mercapto--you should really visit the southwest sometime. Utah and Arizona are especially gorgeous. And if you can believe it, people in the southwest are even warmer than people in Cali. 🙂

 

[pushkin]

As for public transportation, I am surprised that you are not too embarrassed to even consider bringing this up. My sister went to school in NYC and she had to pay 200+ dollars (to my best recollection) for a monthly ticket from Queens to Manhattan. Please! That is absurd. And the subway is HIDEOUSLY dirty and disgusting. Go to the Washington, D.C. metro and it is great. Go to the Moscow metro and they have WORKS OF ART in their subway.

I agree that the Moscow metro puts the NYC subway to shame (so do a lot of the world's subway systems). But what are you going to do--I mean, are you seriously considering going to medical school in Moscow? Otherwise your comparison does not seem relevant if you ask me.

As far as price, isn't it $2.00 per ride and slightly cheaper if you buy a pass? So even if you go to Manhattan and back every day, that's 60 trips, which means $120 at most.

 

[pushkin]

As for KitKatlink's comments, I'm not trying to trash NYC in general. As I said before, it is truly a unique city and the cultural aspects are unrivalled. I just said I thought it was too expensive for med students and that there is little point into flocking into the probably busiest city on the earth where you can't afford most of the things it has to offer.

The busiest city ON THE EARTH??? Have you ever been to Cairo? Moscow? Tokyo? Hong Kong? Please. That is a very naive thing to say.

As for the person who said LI was like the midwest, are you on drugs? LI is an island! Furthermore, it's expensive because it has, generally, excellent public schools and arts/music programs. In fact, as far as I know, many of the Intel finalists and winners went to Long Island schools. In college there was a whole contingent of Long Islanders - maybe like 10%, so LI is certainly not the midwest.

Um, what do you know about education in the midwest that you are basing this comment on? Just as an example, I think here in Minnesota we have the highest graduation rate in the US, and our neighboring states are always high too. Big deal if "Intel finalists and winners" went to Long Island schools--that alone does not place Long Island in some special sphere of excellence that justifies its expensiveness.

 

[King Arthur]

i must say, i've seen some silly comments in this thread so far:

1. It's silly to diminish the significance of NYC. it's the economic and cultural center of the strongest nation on earth, ever. sadly, the subway is not picturesque. move on.

2. it's equally silly to imply that it's cheap/affordable b/c there are student ticket deals at the opera from time to time. studio's are 2000/mo, drinks are $6-10 at a bar. NY is great, but it aint cheap.

3. long island is not expensive b/c of the schools. yes, school taxes are high, but that's not what sets the cost of living. it's expensive b/c some people like to be near NYC w/o actually living in NYC. As for the comparison to the midwest, it may be true that some of the towns aren't drastically different from some towns on LI, but last i checked, one couldn't spend the day on a beautiful beach and the evening at lincoln center and le cirque in topeka.


thank you.

 

[DrRads101]

As for the comparison to the midwest, it may be true that some of the towns aren't drastically different from some towns on LI, but last i checked, one couldn't spend the day on a beautiful beach and the evening at lincoln center and le cirque in topeka.

How come when coasters talk about the Midwest, they always talk about places like Nebraska and Kansas (which are the Plains states BTW, many wouldn't even call this "Midwest") and conveniently forget about the Great Lakes and all of the wonderful cities and beach towns surrounding that beautiful area. Here in Chicago, looky here, I'm right in the heart of the Midwest and I can see a world class play and spend the evening on a beach that is just as beautiful as those on LI. And I can do all of this in a cheaper, friendly, cleaner, more modern looking city, which is so hard for guys like my who lived in NYC to move back. I just can't think of a single reason to move back. I'm not putting down LI BTW, but I think some people need to do a little more travelling on this forum. I mean WHY must people, when they talk about the Midwest, pick the WORST possible examples they can find, to the point of even stretching the very definition of Midwest. When I talk about life in the coastal states, I don't use Bakersfield and Syracuse as examples! Everytime my coastal friends visit me here out on the Great Lakes, I am amused that they are so shocked how much it feels like the ocean and how nice the beaches are. How can you be shocked? Look at a freakin' map or maps.google.com. Do people even know the Great Lakes exist and how many miles of shoreline they have? I digress. But it makes for amusing conversation when they visit and I drive them up Lake Shore Drive here or in Milwaukee and they think they are driving on along an ocean and there are hundreds of sailboats, jetskis and windsurfers out at play. 😀

Also as far as previous posters regarding education, I think you need to look at a list of states with the highest ACT/SAT scores. The Midwestern states are all at the very top for education. I think part of the thing that urks people about the coasts are some of the silly comments in this forum that assume that the Midwest is all farmland with no great cities, and that the education is subpar, which is just total ignorance. But what sucks about it is it is mixed with cultural arrogance--a bad combination. At least it keeps these types of people out of the Midwest, which keeps the Midwest friendly and a laid back place to live. The less people that move here because "it is the place to be" the better---who wants those types who always think they are cooler than you sharing a seat next to you on the train? Places like LA and NYC are just chock full of them, and to be honest it just wears on you after a while, I guess this part of the reason we see so much negative domestic migration in NYC and LA and so many natives want to get the hell out (count me in)--the only thing keeping these cities growing is international migration according to the latest census data.

 

[King Arthur]

i've never been to chi, but i don't doubt that the suburbs there would be similar to the NY suburbs.

 

[melimi]

i think theres just certain personalities that love NY and certain ones that dont
personally, i dont think its expensive (same or lower than boston), public transportation is fine (even tho its fuc.king hard to figure out), and there are lots of things to do in that city (every time i go i find something new; next weekend its gonna be the Sony Museum, which is free 🙂 )
however, i have to admit that im one of those people who does not love NYC at all
my main reason: filthy; every time i get there i just feel this wall o' dirt hit me, and its disgusting; i had always wanted to live in NY and ive tried to make myself like it, but simply put, its just not for me
so thats the deal, its gonna be a different fit for each person
ive realized that to find YOUR perfect city, all u have to do is travel and compare
im actually thankful that interviews made me visdit diff cities that i would have never gone to, and i came to LOVE philly and chicago as much as i love boston
so just go get on a greyhound and see if that city is for u.......... if not..... too bad, it doesnt mean that its not gonna be for anyone else

 

[Clocks]

Exactly- there's no absolute best city. It's all a matter of tastes. I could not imagine being anywhere except NYC personally. Heck of a lot better than London, where I spent half a year living.