New York City Review
The Big Apple...The City That Never Sleeps...Gotham...The Concrete Jungle...The Capital of the World...The Empire City...The Melting Pot...The City of Dreams...
Welcome to the 1 new 12 Cities, 12 Months subscriber who has subscribed to this struggling blogger since last Wednesday! If you haven’t subscribed, join the 22 other people who are following the journey!
Hey everyone! I hope y’all had a great weekend! From the looks of it, it seems like I left New York and decided to go to the peace, quiet, and absolute beauty of Cape Cod at the perfect time after the Canadian wildfires made New York City look like we’re in a post-apocalyptic world. Probably is the perfect time for some big wig movie producer to shoot some zombie movie scenes if you ask me.
As you can tell from the first paragraph, I have officially concluded my time in New York City as part of my 12 Cities in 12 Months travels. After living there for a month, I truly get why it has been given the nickname “The City That Never Sleeps.” For anyone reading this who knows me, but we, unfortunately, didn’t have the chance to meet up while I was up there, we’ll do it when I’m there next time. Without further ado, let’s get into the review!
Overview
Just like every city review, I asked Chat GPT to give me quick synopses of New York to get everyone up to speed:
New York City, often called NYC or the Big Apple, is a globally renowned metropolis located in the northeastern United States. It is the largest city in the country and serves as a major center for finance, commerce, culture, and entertainment. NYC is comprised of five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island—each with its own distinct character and attractions.
Originally inhabited by Native American tribes, NYC was first settled by the Dutch in the early 17th century and later became a British colony. It played a significant role in the American Revolution and went on to become a hub of immigration, welcoming millions of people from around the world seeking a better life. This diversity has shaped the city's unique identity and contributed to its vibrant cultural scene.
Today, New York City is known for its iconic landmarks, such as Times Square, Central Park, and the Statue of Liberty, as well as its towering skyscrapers that form the iconic Manhattan skyline. It is a city that never sleeps, bustling with activity day and night, and offering a multitude of experiences, from world-class museums and theaters to diverse culinary delights and thriving neighborhoods. NYC's energy, diversity, and constant innovation make it a truly global city and a destination that captivates millions of visitors each year.
Activities: 8.5/10
Favorite Activity: Central Park
Given that it is referred to as the “Capital of the World,” you can expect that there are plenty of activities to partake in. If you are a sports fan (like myself) then you have your choice between two NFL teams (Giants & Jets), two NBA teams (Knicks & Nets), two MLB teams (Yankees & Mets), and more. Although I know NYC is the most important city in the world, it still baffles me how they fit that many sports teams in one area.
There are also lots of other things to do that are specific to NYC, such as the many museums (my favorite being the Natural History Museum which is much better than the DC one IMO), and things not specific to NYC (like the escape room I did where we lost solving the last puzzle).
I’m slightly biased here cause NYC had amazing weather during May, but my favorite activity was going to Central Park on the weekends. It constantly got overly crowded, but the people-watching in Central Park is quite the sight with everything from your typical spike ball player to people playing fetch with their dogs, to an egregious number of dudes in speedos (and I mean egregious).
The only downside here, and multiple people reiterated this to me, is that most people simply work and go out & drink. Although I am all in on going out and having fun, I don’t benefit from the drinking part, unless you consider how much money I saved by not spending $50 on two vodka sodas (trust me, it was a lot).
Landmarks/Neighborhoods/Areas: 9.5/10
Most Iconic Landmarks: NYC Skyline, Statue of Liberty
Besides Washington DC, in my opinion, New York is the best city in the US in terms of historical landmarks ranging from the gargantuan city skyline to the Flatiron building, the list goes on and on. Although the skyline, the Brooklyn Bridge, etc. are all so cool, the Statue of Liberty, in particular, had me in awe and gave me the same reaction as when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time last year.
One thing that truly makes New York special, and unlike most (if not all) cities in the US are all the different areas outside of downtown Manhattan and the neighborhoods in Manhattan itself. You could spend a week in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, or Harlem and have a completely different perception of the city than if you stayed elsewhere. What’s even wilder is that you can do the same thing across the main neighborhoods that make up downtown, such as East Village, Midtown, West Village, Wall St., etc., and see a whole new side of New York. Simply walking around and exploring these areas was fun enough for me, and made me feel like I was in a movie.
Food: 9/10
Favorite Restaurants: Strip House, John’s of Bleecker
Local Delicacy: Pizza & Bagels
As I did with the first city review blog I wrote, I will be a stickler for this section given that I am from New Orleans (which I classify as a 10/10). Saying that New York is indeed one of the best foodie cities in the world. While the city is known for its pizza & bagels, they have any type of food you could ever want in NYC, and it’s usually pretty good as well.
I need to dedicate one entire paragraph on the food section to the pizza, which, going into New York, was incredibly hyped up. Out of the 10-15 food recommendations I got before arriving in the Big Apple, 90% of them were pizza spots. Simply put, New York pizza is actually just better than everywhere else. Thanks to some fantastic recommendations, I tried pies from Joe’s, Prince St., Village Square, Rubirosa, and more, with the king of them all being John’s on Bleecker St.
The one downside to NYC food overall (and really the city in general) is the price. Although there are tons of spots (especially in East Village) where you can eat for a pretty reasonable amount, expect to pay a pretty penny anywhere you go. However, some of these expensive restaurants are also incredible to try, such as Strip House, which was not great on my wallet, but made for a fantastic night for some of my college friends and I. Not only are the restaurants expensive though, even groceries are insane (one place sold Frosted fricking Flakes for $9!). The only place with normal prices was Trader Joe’s, and I honestly had no idea how any other grocery store stayed in business when Trader Joe’s offered items for half the price of some other stores.
Nightlife/Social Scene: 8.5/10
Favorite Venues: Brass Monkey & McSorley’s
I don’t think a city can get the nickname “The City That Never Sleeps” without having a vibrant and active social scene. What I thought was very fun about New York was that the vibe in each neighborhood in terms of going was so different from place to place. East Village definitely attracted the younger & hipster crowd while West Village attracted a more “professional clientele” for instance. For me, I had the most fun on the west side of the island in West Village & the Meatpacking District, but it changes from person to person.
The biggest downside for me about the nightlife in NYC was that there wasn’t a big, outdoor, sit-down place to go to. I understand the city isn’t built for those types of establishments, but those are typically my favorite type of places to go (shoutout to Tchoup Yard in NOLA). Also, the ridiculous cover fees in NYC, although sometimes warranted, were laughable IMO. At this one bar that didn’t seem overly packed, some Machine-Gun Kelly look-a-like of a bouncer said our group would have to buy a table for $450 to get in 😂😂😂!
One funny quirk about going out in New York is that everyone just wears neutral colors (most notably black). Given my mostly “country club” style of clothing and the fact that I decided not to bring my pair of black pants as I traveled around the US, this made me stick out like a sore thumb at times, but I just laughed it off tbh. I have one black bomber jacket from my company (shoutout NEAR) that I never wore previously until my roommates said it was the most fitting article of clothing I owned. Guess I need to get a wardrobe change soon (comment for suggestions, lol).
History & Culture: 9/10
Similar to my alma mater Tulane, New York has a big work hard, play hard culture, which makes sense given that NYC is THE single best place in the world if you are looking to grow your career. I did an informational interview with someone from NOLA (shoutout Britt if you are reading this) and they said something along the lines of:
While other cities may excel in specific sectors (ex: Boston for medicine), New York City has established itself as a global powerhouse that boasts the best of the best across diverse fields including finance, fashion, media, technology, art, and entertainment. With its dynamic and competitive environment, New York City attracts top talent and fosters a vibrant ecosystem where innovation and creativity thrive in every sector imaginable.
With this kind of work-hard, best-of-the-best culture, you get to be on and hear about the frontlines of so many interesting developments as they happen, which is pretty unique to NYC. You can just play Wiz Khalifa on repeat while there.
Given that New York is referred to as “The Capital of the World” in many instances, then it should be of no shock that there is a boundless amount of history to explore. If you like to learn about financial history, you can go check out Wall St. and see the bronze bull. If you want to learn about immigration into the US in the 19th & 20th centuries, you can visit Ellis Island. As mentioned earlier, there are also tons of museums to see ranging from a wide array of subjects as well. If you’re a history nerd, there is no shortage of material in NYC for you.
Natural Beauty/Outdoor Spaces: 6.5/10
My biggest takeaway from the outdoor spaces of NYC is that Central Park is insane! Although I had been to NYC when I was younger, I never truly realized and admired how big the park itself is, fitting everything from baseball fields and tennis courts to large ponds. Although City Park in New Orleans is still the largest park in any metropolitan area in the US (slight flex), Central Park takes the crown in terms of park size/city size ratio (at least I think so).
Even with Central Park and a few smaller ones scattered around the city, NYC truly is the “Concrete Jungle.” Unless you consider the Hudson River pretty, there’s nothing outdoorsy that is reasonably close to do besides going to Central Park. For instance, if you live in Manhattan and are looking to just play golf, you’re going to have to travel for at least an hour to do that most likely.
Transportation: 8.5/10
With DC being the first place I lived outside of NOLA, I thought the DC metro was the creme de la creme in terms of public transportation in the US. However, the subway (or trains as the locals call it) in NYC tops it tenfold. It’s easy to use (Apple Pay enabled), has consistent pricing (DC varies by time), and can get you anywhere inside and outside Manhattan. The only place to live where it’s somewhat inconvenient is in East Village (where I predominantly stayed), but it is still a 10-minute walk max to get to the appropriate stop. I also ended up not having a single subway horror story like most locals have, so lucky for me I guess.
Although the city is much less walkable than I originally expected, it’s still not too big if a hassle to get around on foot. Similar to DC, parking was brutal (as expected though). However, I somehow managed to find free street parking during my time in NYC as you could bounce from spot to spot as long as you avoid the designated street sweeping times. I ended up paying less in parking tickets than it would’ve cost for a garage, so I’m happy tbh.
People: 7/10
Similar to DC, one of my favorite aspects about NYC is that it’s one of the few places in America where you have the chance of meeting people from all over the place. However, while DC offers you the opportunity to meet people from all over the country, New York allows you to meet people from all over the world. While I was at a networking event for work, I met people from India, China, the UK, and more.
Another surprise for me was that the people in NYC were much friendlier than I originally anticipated. The best way to describe it is that, unlike the South, people wouldn’t go out of their way to help you with something, since New Yorkers always have something to do. However, if you were to step into their bubble/world for whatever reason, they would be friendly and courteous. Here are my thoughts on the niceness of New York folk
However, one thing I thought was kind of funny about the people in NYC is that I got the vibe many people I passed by thought they were really cool. This is less prevalent with the true locals (shoutout to Billy who had the most stereotypical Brooklyn accent ever, was the man) I met and more with the folks who moved to NYC for work or just because they want to live there. Just seemed like many people had an ego, which I don’t really understand or appreciate.
Overall: 8.3/10
In conclusion, New York City truly lives up to its title as the "Capital of the World." With an abundance of activities and attractions, including a multitude of sports teams, world-class museums, and unique experiences, the city offers something for everyone. Its iconic landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty and the breathtaking skyline, showcase its historical and cultural significance. Furthermore, the diverse neighborhoods and areas within the city create distinct experiences, making each visit feel like stepping into a different world. The food scene is unbelievable, with renowned pizza joints like John's on Bleecker Street and a plethora of international cuisines. The vibrant nightlife caters to various tastes and preferences and fits in well with the city's work-hard, play-hard culture. Although outdoor spaces are limited, Central Park's vastness provides a retreat from the concrete jungle. The efficient transportation system, highlighted by the extensive subway network, makes traversing the city a breeze. Lastly, New Yorkers, while focused and driven, surprise with their friendliness and willingness to help others around them. Despite the occasional ego, the people of New York embody the city's dynamic spirit. Overall, New York City stands as a global hub where history, culture, opportunity, and excitement converge, making it a must-visit destination for anyone seeking the best of the best in every aspect of city life.
Thanks for reading! Not sure what I will be writing about next week. I’ll be in Boston housesitting and taking care of a dog then. Until next time, stay thirsty my friends.
Click the links below if you dare: