Transit Strike

[Vicki Richter]

Having been in NYC twice in my life... the first time being put up in a crappy hotel in Queens Korea town, I was wondering how all of you felt about the transit strike going on. I would think this would make travel in NYC impossible. Isn't it causing crazy traffic jams? Are most of you guys in NYC still trying to get to work?

V

[Vicki Richter]

I'm still really curious about the whole NYC thing... What makes the city so great. I am not saying it isn't... but I just haven't been able to get it.

You get to pay huge sums of money to live in tiny little apartments. It is traffic congested, expensive to get around, and the transit people can strike and ruin your whole holiday season. Furthermore you have to rely on transit to go from point A to B for the most part.

People here have admitted the club life is kinda sucky and run down now. It's freezing cold in the winter. The beaches are cold water. And... there are a gajillion people all crammed in there together.

For me quality of life (outside of good friends/family) =

Great nightlife (clubbing experience)
Great food (NYC might have that one but I wouldn't know as Korea town only sold duck feet and chicken intestine and the diners seem a lot like Denny's)
Spacious living quarters
Minimal congestion
Nice or reasonably nice weather
New construction
Reasonable cost of living

I just don't see it.

Vicki

ps - Where do people goto the bathroom on New Years in Times Square?

[hung4real2002]

And where are you from?

[Vicki Richter]

West Coast... Cali/AZ

Keep in mind, I'm not critisizing you guys... I just want to understand what is so great about it. I mean there must be something good for millions to want to live there despite the issues.

[hung4real2002]

Great Night-{There's only a few places in the world that have a better nightlife than Nyc.}

Great Food-{We definitely have that, we also have shitty food, but that can be said for anyplace.}

Spacious Living-{I don't know if you talking about have a big place to live in or non-crowded neighborhoods but we have both of that. If you live in the bronx, brooklyn, queens or staten island then you can get that. If you live in manhattan good luck.}

Nice or reasonable weather-{We have that also, but we have extreme weather too when it gets too cold or too hot, but seeing that you live in cali, i'm sure you are use to the heat.}

New Construcstion-{You must be kidding me on this one, We also building something new over here, lol.}

Reasonable cost of living-{You got me on that one, you need to jobs and now how to hustler too live here.}

[JackHammer]

Vickie,

People in Buffalo, NY ...their city...go figure, 100's of inches a snow every year, bitter cold for a good deal of the year...short summers... the Bills...but they love it.

New York is expensive, and if you're not rich you will live in a cramped apartment...but it's where you call home, and all the things that go to make up your surroundings, your environment are pleasing to you, the person who lives there.

If you want to compare to places with wide open spaces, it's apples and oranges...I can see advatages to not having to bother with owning a vehicle (gas prices, theft, pollution...c'mon, Southern Cali? what do i think of...SMOG...yeah you have fantastic vistas over there, but you don't always get to enjoy them (because you can't always see them!) As for cold water beaches...damn, the Pacific is not exactly a heatred pool...but Cali folks love it...and so do visitors to the area (which I can't say the same for New York beaches).

I'm not a Noo Yawker, and I wouldn't live there...but I can see why many people would. Also remember, New York is not only the island of Manhattan...so there are regular Joe's that own and live in houses with ards and such.

I'm not buying that you're not crticising, because you are...just by saying you don't get it makes your views critical. Hey, we aren't supposed to "get" everything are we (mountain/rock climbing springs to mind for me...but there are those who find these activities downright spirtual.

Let it go, let it flow

Peace

[Vicki Richter]

I disagree on spacious living. This ties into cost of living... Anywhere in the world has spacious living if you have millions of dollars or bought when real estate was cheap.

How much does a 2000 sq/ft free standing home cost in the Bronx?

[hung4real2002]

It all depends. I'm not disagreeing with you that it's expensive to live in nyc, your right about that. Where you are living might be cheaper, I don't know, but saying you don't get living in nyc is a bit critial, don't you think?

what makes where you are living so much better?

[Quinn]

I'm still really curious about the whole NYC thing... What makes the city so great. I am not saying it isn't... but I just haven't been able to get it.


To answer your initial question, this strike really sucks. My associates and I all work on-line from our homes, so it isn't so bad for me personally. My wife, however, does work in mid-town. I had to get up at the crack of dawn to drive her to the MetroNorth train station. Frankly, I didn't think the union would actually go this far because of the financial and legal repercussions, but I was wrong. This could get interesting before it's over.

Regarding your second question, NYC definitely isn't for everyone. For many, its an acquired taste; others never grow to like it. Still, NYC is to this nation's most ambitious what Jerusalem is to the religious. With the exception of acting, this city is North America's Mecca for just about all of the arts. The city also has a great night life and college scene. If you like partying, I know a number of underground clubs that never close (though I haven't been able to go to any of them for almost two months do to my work schedule). For those strong enough to make it happen, they can do or be anything here in a way that they can't in most other cities.

-Quinn

[Vicki Richter]

It all depends. I'm not disagreeing with you that it's expensive to live in nyc, your right about that. Where you are living might be cheaper, I don't know, but saying you don't get living in nyc is a bit critial, don't you think?

what makes where you are living so much better?

Well lets see... The clubs are better in every possible way, the housing is bigger, cheaper, modern, and better -, the city is more "new" attractive (which means newer bigger more advanced theatres, malls, etc), it is much more convenient, traffic and commuting is much better, the weather is better (although that is arguable depending on whether you like hot or cold), the city is spread out which is bette.

NYC has food, character, and Broadway. I just can't agree with nightlife.

Not getting something isn't critisizing. It is just trying to understand it. For example, if you came back with an explaination that the people were nicer, it was more family oriented, etc... I could understand it better.

[DJ_Asia]

I was born and raised in L.A....and never got the hype about NYC til I actually visited there.

what I like about NY:

Manhattan has a "vibe" a life of its own,an energy that cannot be denied.The closeness of everything breeds familiarity and forces people to co-exist and interact with each other.NYC is dog friendly...NYC has the best Italian food in America..NYC has a Korean grocer on every block...NY has girls still wear long acrylic nails(haha)The clubs..I like the people too...honest to a fault..i dig it.

What I dont like about NY: The weather...The Knicks...the prices of good housing

What I like about L.A...The mexican food is the best in the world(better than Mexico!)The Lakers.

What I dislike about L.A. everything not mentioned above.....LA sucks!

DJ Asia

[hung4real2002]

okay, what part of cali/Az are you from exactly because if you are compareing your whole state to just one city, thats crazy.

Bigger Houses=that might be true
better nightlife=questionable
Bigger Malls=don't think so
More advance theaters=don't think so
traffic here in nyc=sucks
Weather=that depends on what you like

But like quinn said, it's all about your taste. Some people love and and some hate it, but you can't deny there's no place like nyc, no place.

[Quinn]

What I don’t like about NY: The weather...

When it comes to winters, I have to agree with this one. There are some days when mid-town feels like Northern Canada. The wind blowing between the buildings makes you feel like you're in a wind tunnel.

-Quinn

[lurker]

I have no desire to visit New York City, but I would love to visit other parts of the state. Comparing NYC and it myriads of pros/cons to some unnamed city in the west is unfair. Most of the probelms about living in NYC accompany every large city in America. But the people that live there would choose it over almost anything else. Just as the people in Cleveland,OH , Pittsburgh, PA, and even Vicksburg, MS would probably choose their hometown.

So Vicki, name your city adn let us see if we "get it". We promise not to come there looking to stalk you.

[BOATER]

First the strike sucks. Just got home did a 6 hur work day.Trafic was horrable.

Now Vicki's other question. I have live on both coast and will definitley agree the weather sucks.
And I will retire in San Diego. But I love NYC, all the same.
DJ Asia said it well, it is just has a special feel. The city is full of activity. You can find so much just in a 20 block radius of where you live. Clubs, bars, resturants of every flavor, retail stores, movies, transportation, massage parlors. You can really experience something new each day.

I hat the expense. But we pay to have all the convienances. Let hiope this strike is over ina few days.

What I love about most other cities out west is the weather. And most times the little things that remind me of NYC.

[chefmike]

These jabs at New York aren't directed at New York...it's pretty obvious that this is another passive-aggressive attack on the same person that vicki always attacks...

[hwbs]

hmmmm only tourists would be dumb enough to goto times square on new years.....once u really learn the city then maybe u can comment on that, lol...ive been to LA plenty of times ....can u say gridlock....the major difference between la and new york is that , in nyc the rich and poor mingle together . where in la , all the rich live up on the hill with houses on stilts away from everyone else....but i also agree with the other poster about it being more of a personal attack , lol.....not really saying one place is better than the other...they are just different...

[Ecstatic]

Oh, "transit" strike...I misread that at first, thought you were referring to some other kind of "trans" strike....

[BeardedOne]

Oh, "transit" strike...I misread that at first, thought you were referring to some other kind of "trans" strike....

Unless you're talking about striking it rich with their company. :)

[Vicki Richter]

These jabs at New York aren't directed at New York...it's pretty obvious that this is another passive-aggressive attack on the same person that vicki always attacks...

Not at all. Allanah isn't NYC. She just lives there like any of you. Silly.

I could say I hate green cars and you'd accuse me of a passive aggressive attack against her. Totally unrelated.

[AllanahStarrNYC]

Mahattan is the financial, cultural, fashion, and arts capital of the US- amongst many other things. It is the only major city in the world- where the goverment's capital and financial capital are not in the same place. God knows why- though I do believe Manhattan was once the capital of the US for a brief period of time.
NYC is a money making place- it was established as a commerece port and has been the center of finance in the US.

What do we have in NYC? You can't even describe it unless you live here. BUt we have
the best restaurants, the best museums, the best theater, the best shopping, the best fashion, etc, etc, etc

There is no place like it. It is the most fabulous city in the US period. I have been to every major metropolis in the US and everything fails in comparison. Mahnattan is by far the most convinient city in the world. Within a two blovk radius I can do all of my errands and then some. I can have anything pretty much delivered at any time of the day I want.

I would not live anywhere else- and consider myself very lucky to live in Manhattan.

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

few other places have businesses open 24 hours even on Xmas day

[slinky]

I'll tell a little story, and the "NYers" will get it:

I used to live in a tiny appartment off Bleecker Street with my GF. Every morning she would pick up the phone, dial, and then say "Hi.... yeah.... ok...bye", and 10 minutes later, a guy would show up at our door (fourth floor walk-up) with 2 bagels (one whole wheat, dry, the other cinamon raisin, light butter, heavy jelly), 2 coffees (one decaf with milk and suger, the other regular) and a foreign language newspaper.

The actual conversation was:

Her: "hi"
Deli on the corner: "M*****?"
Her:"yeah:
Deli: The usual?
Her:"OK"
Deli: 10 minutes
Her:"Bye"

BTW They didn't carry the newspaper. The delivery guy would pick it up at the news stand across the street on his way over.

In other words, everyone in every dingy little flat in NYC has room service.

PS People who live in basement studios in the East Village look down their noses at folks who live in 6 BR Colonials .... outside NYC.

[Vicki Richter]

great question vikki and untill a lil while back i had no idea what was amazing about nyc...till i left...

i was born and raised in nyc and 3 years ago i went to miami for the summer and fell in love, i moved down there and said exactly what u did, what the fuck am i doing in NYC my whole life, what a fucking joke, its cold, smells, busy, congested, dirty blah blah...every day in miami was amazing, fresh air, nicer people, great clubs, great food, diverse people...BOOM...then 6 months later iw as like oh shit, i made a mistake...im bored as fuck...yeah, driving to work every day in a nice car and seeing the beach on one side and palm trees on the other was fun at first, but got tiring pretty quick..and to be honest, the hot weather sucked too, i really missed the snow and the cold and that running around cause its freezing attitude...i missed the seasons, the vibe, the attitude...and everytime i would come visit nyc i realized more and more i made a mistake, till i rented a big ass uhaul truck and a few weeks ago drove all my shit up to nyc, put it in storage and YAY i finally found a place in the city:) move in date friday...damn i miss this city...

oh and for the record...my speciality in law is immigration and for my CLE credits (continuing learning, something the bar started recently) i usually opt to go to seminars across the country, rather than the classes offered...so i get a great chance to visit every part of our great country...and without question, the most overrated place in the usa is LA...aside from some hot chics, u need to burn the place down and start from scratch...no character, so phoney, its a half hour fucking drive to take a shit and the whole im so famous look at me thing is disgusting..i wanna run outside and be able to grab a slice of pizza at 4am, i wanna hear some fucking noise when i fall asleep, not chirping and shit...i would live in montana if i wanted that...fuck, i dont need pay per view, i can look out my window and watch 2 puerto ricans fighting, damn i love this city;)

and for the record, nothing, fucking nothing, beats NYC new years eve!!! if some of u guys have considered coming to allanahs, but cant decide on a time, that would be a good fucking time to burst ur allanah party cherry...muahs and happy new year tyall

See... This is a good response... Not defensive. Not accusing me of being mental... This was a good response. I could give this same type of response about why I like Arizona. I was born in Cali and lived there for about 10 years of my life, but I'm not a huge fan. I do like it better than NYC from what I've seen... but you have some compelling arguments.

[Vicki Richter]

Mahattan is the financial, cultural, fashion, and arts capital of the US- amongst many other things. It is the only major city in the world- where the goverment's capital and financial capital are not in the same place. God knows why- though I do believe Manhattan was once the capital of the US for a brief period of time.
NYC is a money making place- it was established as a commerece port and has been the center of finance in the US.

What do we have in NYC? You can't even describe it unless you live here. BUt we have
the best restaurants, the best museums, the best theater, the best shopping, the best fashion, etc, etc, etc

There is no place like it. It is the most fabulous city in the US period. I have been to every major metropolis in the US and everything fails in comparison. Mahnattan is by far the most convinient city in the world. Within a two blovk radius I can do all of my errands and then some. I can have anything pretty much delivered at any time of the day I want.

I would not live anywhere else- and consider myself very lucky to live in Manhattan.

On my two trips there, I did a lot of shopping around Time Square and I wasn't at all impressed with it. To be honest, it reminded me a lot of Tapei or Hong Kong with all the electronics botiques and fast talking street vendors.

Again, I don't claim to be an expert, but I just haven't seen anything which made me feel like, "I'd want to live there"... I mean I've seen some of that in LA. I've seen some of that in Thailand or Chicago even... but I guess some how it's been totally lost on me.

I like that other guys description of the bagel delivery. That is pretty cool. Having neighborhoods where people actually know you would be something different. You don't get any comradere on the west coast.

[Quinn]

Another thing I like about this city is that nobody really cares who you are or where you came from. For example, this summer I saw two film stars. The first was Steve Martin, who was dinning at one of the tables adjacent to my own at an eatery in mid-town. The other was Julia Styles who was taking part in some sort of walking interview in Washington Square Park. The neat thing about both sightings is that no one who was there really cared. Not one person asked for an autograph or bothered them. Few, if any, stared or paid much attention. Like myself, most people simply looked over and then went back to what they were doing.

-Quinn

[JohnnyWalkerBlackLabel]

Heidi Klum stopped traffic crossing the street last Spring.................. literally

the fucking light was green and not a car or truck moved

[BeardedOne]

The only thing I really dislike about New Yawk (Manhattan) is how compressed it is. I grew up in and around Boston and, except for what we called "downtown" it is much airier than NY. Even Chicago, outside The Loop, is far more open.

I do enjoy jaunts through the other buroughs, both Brooklyn and Queens, though jam-packed, have the neighborhood feel that I am more comfortable with and Staten Island/Richmond is downright countryfied in some places (To the point of retaining a couple of volunteer fire companies in the lower end of the island). Even the Bronx has some nice neighborhoods (Though they are a trick to find).

Having been a professional driver for many years I did get an appreciation for the Manhattan streets and actually enjoyed driving there...At three in the morning. :) When I was visiting the city frequently I would "launch" out when I left, driving down to the lower end of Park Avenue and scooting through the old trolley subway/underpass and up and around Grand Central and through the old NY Central tower (Now the Helmsley Building). If you ever drive to the city, a run up Park Ave, from 48th to 125th is a magnificent drive.

The West Side drive is quite a trip, too. As in San Francisco's Embarcadero project, the entire west side of Manhattan came to life in the late 80's and through the 90's. It's amazing, in the cases of both cities, how the community can rally over a highway collapse. :shock:

Of course, these opinions come from an agorophobic nut-job that now lives in a town so small that the entire place could fit in the lobby of the Pennsylvania hotel on Eighth Avenue (Pennsylvania Six, Five Oh Oh Oh :!: ) 8)

Oh, as for the local deli service: Twenty steps away and run by a retired canal tug pilot. :)

[BeardedOne]

Heidi Klum stopped traffic crossing the street last Spring.................. literally

Of course she would. :)

Seen her new stamp? Makes you wish they weren't peel-n-stick :!:

[theone]

Now I'm fairly thankful I live in Australia. I'm not critising New York at all, but in comparison - AU$400,000 will get, where I live, a big 3 or 4 bedroom house with a double garage on a fairly large block. I'm happy to be Australian.

p.s. Merry Christmas to everyone.

[AllanahStarrNYC]

Seeing famous people here is like seeing anyone else. They are all over the place and only the tourist hound them.

As far as shopping-when I speak of shopping I am not talking about street vendors or tourist shops- I am talking about 5th Avenue, Madison Ave., 57th St, Henri Bendels, Bergdorfs, Soho, The East Village, 8th street for shoes (where the BEST SHOE STORE IN THE WORLD IS WWW.PETITPETON.COM ) amonst many other ares- there are amazing shops here for vintage, designers goods, consignment, specialty shops- whatever you can imagine.

ANd of ocurse if we are talkign about discounted desinger goods- Century 21, Loehmans, Filene's Basement, and The Designer Shoe Warehouse- just to name a few.

[Ecstatic]

Ah, but be fair, Allanah: Filene's Basement originates in Boston! (Another fair city, not so big and busy as NYC, but the world leader in education, life sciences, and among the greatest cities for music, arts, and sports in the country--ya know I hadda plug Bahston!)

[flabbybody]

there's no place on this earth that's free of prejudice or hatred. but NYC is as close as it comes to tolerating everyone.

You can be any race, color, or sexual orientation here. We'll hate you, but it will be cause you're a loser, not cause you fall into any category.

that's why I'll never live any place else.

[JackHammer]

Been to NYC twice huh...well no woner you don't get it! As for someone calling you mental, I can't say if anyone did (I know I didn't, don't know you to make that kind of judgement...probably not qualified to even if I did know you).

I've been to Montana twice (same part both times...loved it...but couldn't assess the rest of the state by those two visits (hey, it's Big Sky country...but I was in the NW corner where it's big glacie(but getting smaller by the hourr/mountain country). You can however get a "does it suit me vibe" from the minute you enter a place (for me Salvador, Bahia San Fran, Seattle/Bellevue did that)...other places take a little time to sink in Miami Beach for instance, still others just don't cut it or I'm completely neutral about - too many to mention here.

Point is no place is perfect, and everyone has their own tastes.

I like where I live, partly because of its proximity to NYC (I wouldn't live there either, and for some of the same reasons Vickie cites...but that's my preference, I'd not even bother questioning why people live there.

As a matter of fact, I'm done with this...carry on...but don't CARRY ON!

[BeardedOne]

Ah, but be fair, Allanah: Filene's Basement originates in Boston! (Another fair city, not so big and busy as NYC, but the world leader in education, life sciences, and among the greatest cities for music, arts, and sports in the country--ya know I hadda plug Bahston!)

Don't you mean "Bawsten", E? :)

Ah, Filene's Basement, claustrophobia central. The original was on Washington Street, across from Temple Place (There was another side street there, name which I forget, that was swallowed up by the mall/hotel complex built there in the 90's).

You'd enter the store at the corner and just opposite the doors was a stairway down to a landing and another ten steps or so down from that, to left and right. The sales floor was huge and occupied by all of these big wooden bins. I don't recall there being any racks, but they may have had them along the walls. It was a typical commercial basement, full of pipes and conduits and the old pneumatic transfer tubes running all over the place. As a kid I loved watching those tubes in action, shooting the Addressograph charge slip up to the credit department and then whicking the approval back moments later, landing with a bang next to the hunormous National cash register (With a hundred keys, a backup hand-crank, and =FOUR= departmental drawers, oh my!). Veri-Fone, eat your heart out. :)

After my having almost gotten trampled on an early trip across the sales floor, my mother later left me at the rail on the stair landing with instructions not to move. I've never been to a wrestling match, but I think the sight of the original Filene's basement on a sale day was much akin to one, sans beer. The landing afforded a bird's-eye view of the entire sales floor with only the occasional four-foot-wide column blocking the view (These would later take lots of dynamite and jackhammers to bring down).

Oy. Mildy on-topic, Filene's, Jordan's, and Raymond's all rose in the late 1800's - early 1900's in the era when buildings were designed for the ages. Though many worried about their stability during the construction of the Washington Street subway a hundred years ago, the Transit Commission project didn't so much as make the paint chip on the walls of those stores and their neighbors, even though the subway ran not more than a couple of feet from their foundations.

[lmw222001]

Vicki, Give Boston A Shot Sometimes. Cool, Young City. Great Nightlife.
Champion Sports Teams. Great Food. The Best Colleges In The World.
Filene's Basement. One Of The Oldest Transexual Niteclubs in The Country; Jaques. Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard.
All Cities Have Their Own Personality. I Like Going Down To NYC. It Has
The Best Of Everything And The Worst.
The Downside About Living In NYC And Boston Right Now Is That It's
Really Cold.
Right Now It's 23 Degrees And It's Time To Walk To Dunkin Donunts.
Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

[popperluv]

Have you guys heard Madonnas new song "I love NewYork"?

She's got a great line in it "New York is not for Pussies"!

New York is not for everyone it has the best and worst of everything.

Its the melting pot of the world.

One thing I havent heard anyone mention is that in New York you dont need a car . You can get around everywere at anytime using MassTransit or a taxi.
Well...except for now.

[Quinn]

You can be any race, color, or sexual orientation here. We'll hate you, but it will be cause you're a loser, not cause you fall into any category.


LMAO. So true.

-Quinn