Whether it=E2=80=99s getting down to the subway or going up to your friend=E2=80=99s =
apartment in a building=20
built in the =E2=80=9930s, elevators in New York are sus as hell. Every =
time you step=20
into one you=E2=80=99re playing Russian roulette (probably with some =
Russians, too).
Take a quick survey of the other passengers. Who is the weakest? Does =
anyone=20
look particularly handy? This could be your family for the next 48 =
hours. Who=E2=80=99s=20
going to be Piggy?
We=E2=80=99re out here trying to stay fit. We=E2=80=99ve already =
accepted paying high prices=20
for gym memberships, but for some reason the idea of throwing down =
$10.50 for=20
some lettuce and two cherry tomatoes is just flat out immoral. It =
usually ends=20
up being about the same price for a bigger, non-salad item or just not =
worth the=20
hassle. Fuck it =E2=80=94 I=E2=80=99m getting a slice.
No matter how well you budget your time or prepare for the worst, =
some train=20
delays will absolutely screw you. While weekend construction is annoying =
enough,=20
at least you can plan ahead for those. But for the rest of the delays, =
which=20
seem to always happen during rush hour or when you have an appointment, =
MTA is=20
all =E2=80=9Ctough shit.=E2=80=9D
4. Income inequalities
This infographic shows the skyscrapers of wealth =
disparity in=20
Manhattan.
Everyone has the same idea as you. Whether it=E2=80=99s hitting up a =
local brunch=20
spot or getting into a free concert, the city is packed, and everyone is =
trying=20
to do the same thing.
People say New Yorkers hate waiting in lines, but this really =
isn=E2=80=99t true. New=20
Yorkers have adapted to lines, and have turned them into rites of =
passage. This=20
summer, the most interesting place you could be was the cronut line. This person even brought a cronut to the rain =
room. By my=20
tally, this picture took about ten hours to create, not counting travel=20
time.
People that are richer than you are the worst, and there=E2=80=99s no =
shortage of=20
them in New York. They are always doing rich-people stuff like eating at =
restaurants that aren=E2=80=99t Chipotle and Instagramming pictures of =
themselves in the=20
first row of Beyonce concerts. They are the worst.
If you are lucky / unfortunate enough to have a car, you probably =
spend about=20
a quarter of your life thinking about parking. This means moving your =
car to the=20
alternate side of the street for cleanings, as if you didn=E2=80=99t =
have enough to=20
worry about. If you have a good parking spot, it may be worth staying at =
home=20
for the next week.
Rush-hour traffic is bad, but at least it=E2=80=99s understandable. =
Why there is=20
traffic at 1am is a completely different story. Even if you =
don=E2=80=99t have a car,=20
you know the feeling of getting in a cab and watching pedestrians pass =
you as=20
you sit at red lights.
While bodegas and corner delis are the beating heart of the city, =
their card=20
minimums are a constant source of stress and unwanted gum. Cash-only =
places are=20
great for people who have foresight, but if you=E2=80=99re like me you =
used that $10=20
bill at a bar two weeks ago.
$14.75 per person is a lot of money. You could get a month and a half =
of=20
Netflix for that price. Where do all these pop culture bloggers get the =
money to=20
go see movies all the time?
With all respect to the fact that tourists want to visit the Big =
Apple and=20
spend Yen / Euros / Bitcoins on overpriced v-necks, you all need to walk =
faster.
You don=E2=80=99t realize how loud New York is until you leave and =
you can hear your=20
heart beating and your fingernails growing and you end up having a panic =
attack=20
from the eerie silence.
The subways are way older than smartphones, so it=E2=80=99s =
understandable that you=20
can=E2=80=99t snapchat in century-old underground tunnels. But =
wouldn=E2=80=99t that be great?=20
It=E2=80=99s very inconvenient to totally disconnect yourself while =
traveling,=20
especially when you=E2=80=99re going long distances.
The problem with living in New York is that everyone has a better =
story than=20
you. Whatever cool rooftop party you went to, someone else you know went =
to one=20
with an even better view. I once saw Stephen Baldwin at the airport, =
only to be=20
story-topped later by someone who had dinner with Alec.
James Franco lives in New York. James Franco will steal your =
girlfriend.=20
James Franco will publish your unfinished book of poems under his name. =
James=20
Franco will found a startup that you thought of years ago. James Franco =
will=20
like your sister=E2=80=99s Instagram. James Franco=E2=80=99s future =
passion project will be your=20
mom=E2=80=99s favorite movie.
With so much going on in the city, any time you are checking =
something on=20
your phone, sleeping, or relaxing in your tiny apartment, you are =
probably=20
missing out on something amazing and wonderful and at the least =
=E2=80=94 worth=20
Instagramming. You are probably missing out on something right now.
This is a common complaint, but you have to say it. Sometimes, and =
for=20
reasons often unknown, you will get a waft of something so pungent, so=20
offensive, you will swear it is not of this planet.
21. Everyone has a dog. There is excrement everywhere.
Despite the fact that everything is expensive, there is a lot of free =
shit in=20
New York to take advantage of. From concerts and movies, to museums and =
parks.=20
They say the best things in life are free, and while it=E2=80=99s true =
that Krispy Kreme=20
still charges, there=E2=80=99s plenty to do without going into your =
wallet.
Okay, there might be a few people in LA and like a handful in China, =
but for=20
the most part, everyone who matters is probably here, probably TriBeCa =
to be=20
specific.
3. Experiences that would never happen anywhere else.
On the train I witnessed a 60-year-old man in a leather vest, leather =
chaps,=20
and a leather dog-collar describe to an Italian family how to get to =
Houston=20
Street using only his sign language.
You can get authentic cultural experiences from around the globe by =
just=20
hopping trains. New York is the most diverse place in the world, and you =
will=20
meet people daily from places you=E2=80=99ve never even heard of, like =
Short Hills, New=20
Jersey.
It=E2=80=99s a fact that you can=E2=80=99t escape. The views =
=E2=80=94 from up top or down below =E2=80=94=20
are perfect and inspiring and make you feel small and big at the same =
time.=20
=20
Get more stuff like this in your inbox!
Sign up for our newsletter and get emails of great stories like =
this.
So all these photos that you used from various websites. Did you =
get=20
permission from the New York Times, Daily News, Crains, ABC News, =
etc.?=20
Because just putting =E2=80=9CVia=E2=80=9D link doesn=E2=80=99t cut =
it; you=E2=80=99re guilty of copyright=20
violations.
=20
Titi =
I love it!!! Makes me miss NYC!
=20
=20
Rebecca Hutner =
=20
New York =E2=80=94 sometimes you gotta work for your fun but =
damnit, you=E2=80=99ll be glad=20
you did. Hilarious article, totally on point.
Eileen Vicente =
=20
Yup, that=E2=80=99s New York. Actually the rich and poor part is =
all about the=20
entire USA. That=E2=80=99s what I don=E2=80=99t like. I do love the =
fact that it=E2=80=99s a melting=20
pot. That, for me, is the best part. Yes, it=E2=80=99s stinky, =
elitest, crowded, and=20
the trains are NEVER on time. I live in Oporto, Portugal now. =
It=E2=80=99s the=20
poorest country in Western Europe. Frankly, I would prefer living on =
the=20
outskirts of New York, but I am here now, so this is where I will =
stay. The=20
best part of Portugal is that it=E2=80=99s got a rich interesting =
history and I love=20
the fact that the trains are NEVER LATE. Yes you can talk on a cell =
phone in=20
a train, and I=E2=80=99m never afraid there is a bomb hiding =
somewhere, or that=20
someone will pull out a gun and start shooting. I hate the fact that =
there=20
is an abounding amount of xenophobia here, and that I=E2=80=99m a =
target for it.=20
Europe is generally this way.
=20
=20
Eddy Zed =
there is NOTHING positive about living in NY unless you are rich. =
I=20
totally disagree with the 5 reasons that make it all worth it. =
C=E2=80=99mon those=20
are BS reasons. How many times can you honestly go to XYZ museum for =
free to=20
make it worth it? I also always hate when people say =E2=80=9Cyou can =
get whatever=20
you want delivered anytime you want!=E2=80=9D. I have never been in a =
dire need for OJ=20
at 2am to have delivered and been so thankful for living in the =
disgusting=20
place.
=20
disqus_DQwCeasIJP =
=20
This city SUCKS! I was born and raised here and I am looking =
forward to=20
moving out again!!
=20
Perseus Wong =
=20
If #4 Income Inequality is a reason that sucks about living in NY, =
then why=20
do millions of immigrants from impoverished countries and less wealthy =
states=20
flock here? Why not stay in a place where incomes are equally poor =
like Haiti=20
or Burma?
=20
TuTu =
I was born and grew up in NYC and now live in New Jersey. The NYC =
&=20
North Jersey area is either full of rich phony, provincial, =
snobbish,arrogant=20
egotistical a******s or barbaric, , foreign speaking, immigrants. =
Every thing=20
here is judged by a dollar sign esp.the people. You don=E2=80=99t get =
what you paid=20
for in NYC you get RIPPED OFF, I really find it hard to believe that =
the=20
people are really happy living there. You are constantly stressed out =
and=20
never able to fully relax . This effects all the important parts of =
our lives.=20
And please don=E2=80=99t tell me it=E2=80=99s all a matter of =
attitude and not internalizing=20
it. Some twisted people (mostly in their 20=E2=80=B2s & =
30=E2=80=B2s) thrive on the=20
insane in your face,hyperactive lifestyle. I am pretty sure truly =
spiritual=20
and sensitive people would not prefer to live in NY for any extended =
time. But=20
being how money obsessed human beings are these days I could be=20
wrong.
=20
Anonymous =
=20
NYC life is hard. Its a long, unending struggle unless you got =
money cause=20
its so expensive. This city is so cluttered, crowded, stressful and =
most=20
people are assholes! There=E2=80=99s not a lot of positive things =
going for this city=20
except crime is low and generally, the city is safe now compared to =
20+ years=20
ago. But low crime rates doesn=E2=80=99t mean your sanity is safe =
here. There=E2=80=99s a lot=20
of racial tension between people, peer pressure, extreme political =
correctness=20
that mostly protects the city=E2=80=99s assholes and not the =
victimized people here,=20
political corruption is extreme here, people are rude and nasty to =
each other=20
not just because the city is crowded, but because there=E2=80=99s =
always some social=20
competition going on, whether its in the work place, school or just on =
the=20
streets and subways. i always have to deal with stare downs from =
people,=20
especially young guys my age and its been reported that these stare =
downs can=20
lead to fights, and sometimes, killings, so all you can do is let them =
stare=20
you down and walk away from what would be a potential fight waiting to =
happen=20
if you want to survive. It=E2=80=99s not a nice town. Its trashy, the =
people are=20
trashy, nothing is really high quality service here, again unless =
you=E2=80=99re rich,=20
the schools suck, and people are fucking miserable here! I=E2=80=99ve =
been here my=20
whole life and I=E2=80=99m sick of it. Wish I could get =
out.
=20
=20
Win8-TrackBlows =
=20
First =E2=80=93 New York is not a city. It is a mental =
illness.
Second =E2=80=93 Everyone who matters lives outside of New York. =
Close off the=20
bridges and tunnels to the trucks bringing in food grown by all those =
people=20
out in =E2=80=9Cthe sticks=E2=80=9D who don=E2=80=99t matter one bit. =
See if you can eat that crappy=20
off-off-off-off-Broadway play you=E2=80=99ve been writing for twelve =
years.
Third =E2=80=93 Prague is beautiful. Florence is beautiful. San =
Francisco is=20
beautiful. The Alps are beautiful. New York is a gold-plated =
commode.
Fourth =E2=80=93 If you want to see other countries =E2=80=93 see =
other countries. Doesn=E2=80=99t=20
matter if they=E2=80=99re from Burkina Faso, after three years =
they=E2=80=99ll just be rude=20
New Yorkers honking at you at a red light. Don=E2=80=99t ethnicity =
surf in your own=20
borough and pretend you=E2=80=99re seeing the world. You=E2=80=99re =
not. You=E2=80=99re sitting on=20
your couch at home.
Fifth =E2=80=93 Donald Trump everything! Now that=E2=80=99s class,=20
baby!
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