To absolutely HATE New York

[GreetingsFromVenus]

Dreamed of going there for many years. Thought it would be amazing. Everyone seems to think it is.

Here now and I hate it. Extortionate prices, rude ignorant locals, so many aggressive beggars. mentally ill people shouting in the street. loads of homeless people. The subway stations are disgusting and feel very menacing compared to London.

I find it really depressing actually and feel that the way Hollywood has portrayed New York is all smoke and mirrors. It is nothing special at all IMO. In fact it has a LOT of social issues and it made me feel quite sick to be spending $100 just for a mid range meal for 2 (no dessert) while there were people asking for food outside.

Central Park - pffttt!

Cannot wait to get home next week and will never complain about London prices again!

Anyone else felt the same?

I absolutely bloody love New York, cannot wait to go back. I imagine it's not at it's best in the middle of a pandemic, in January.

I went at the beginning of December after imagining it to be amazing.

Was happy to come home! Wasn’t what I thought at all.
My aunt was assaulted by a homeless woman who tried to rip her handbag from her, we would be bothered by homeless people constantly and they never would take no for an answer

The place smelt like weed

The cab drivers had no idea where anything was so we had to google maps everything and direct them

The hotel staff - like the cab drivers - had no idea about anything.

The shops weren’t festive, not a Xmas light or song on site.

Very disappointed and would never go back!

I flew to New York on 1st March 2020
This was later found to be date of the first confirmed Covid infection:
I flew home on the 14th. Lucky

My advice would be to make the absolute most of it regardless of how much you are actually hating it and assess the experience/financial damage (!) once you have landed back home.

It is bloody expensive which ever way you look at it so stretch your budget to it's limit and cram in those experiences as you'll certainly be recalling the experience for a long time regardless! I agree that I would not go in January if I could help it.

I find that those of us living in grittier parts of London adapt to New York more easily. I convince myself that I am home from home and take it from there.

I am hoping to go this year...Will be my 4th time but not sure l would visit in January

@MrsToadflax
Ellen's Starburst Diner is somewhere I recommend. It has the singing waiters/ waitresses. Such fun. And just outside is the queue for the Movie and TV Locations bus tour.
The Boathouse in Central Park is so romantic.

I am so disappointed that New York has gone downhill @Victoriaspongecake1.
We went in late December and sat out on the open top City Tour bus. Frozen but bewitched by an amazing city.
Watching snow fall far below us on St Patrick's Cathedral - the room we were staying in was so high up - utterly magical.
Amazing memories.

Nice things to do would include the three great museums/ planterium around the park, Moma and Intrepid

@Victoriaspongecake1 - is this actually true? Not a single shop had Christmas lights or Christmas music playing???

I find that so incredibly hard to believe. We were there for Christmas (pre-Covid) and it was MAGICAL with the decorations everywhere!

I visited for first time at the end of summer. I LOVED it.

We stayed in Brooklyn, which I adored. We took subway many times every day and went all over NY. I generally felt safe, but I did need to keep my wits about me while in subway stations, and at times while out walking around.

We did a bike tour in Central Park. Our guide was great, he pointed out loads of sights to us, especially regards what had been in the movies. He was funny and enthusiastic and it was very enjoyable.
However, if I had just walked or cycled around it on my own it would just have been a nice walk, but not the memorable experience I had.

I can’t wait to go back. Hopefully sometime this year or next. I had thought Jan 2023 as it would be quieter but based on this thread it sounds like December is better if I plan a winter visit.

To those people who said they always wanted to go but would think twice about it based on this thread, I would say it can be wonderful. But don’t stay in Time Square (so many hotels are there), choose a nice neighbourhood close to subway with many small restaurants and bars around.

Nope, completely overrated filthy metropolis.

I was once in NYC in November and it was like an explosion in a Christmas bauble factory. In a good way.

@Victoriaspongecake1

I went at the beginning of December after imagining it to be amazing.

Was happy to come home! Wasn’t what I thought at all.
My aunt was assaulted by a homeless woman who tried to rip her handbag from her, we would be bothered by homeless people constantly and they never would take no for an answer

The place smelt like weed

The cab drivers had no idea where anything was so we had to google maps everything and direct them

The hotel staff - like the cab drivers - had no idea about anything.

The shops weren’t festive, not a Xmas light or song on site.

Very disappointed and would never go back!

Where the hell were you staying?! 😂 I just can’t imagine it. I was in Manhattan in early December a few years ago and it was wonderful; sparkly, Christmassy, romantic.

What I love about London is how easy it is to live well on very little

Really?

@StrychnineInTheSandwiches - exactly!
I simply don't recognise some of these descriptions of NYC but then it;s the same on lots of these threads - terrible descriptions of cities I adore - Paris / Rome / Dublin etc.

Coincidentally, The Times had a fairly long article in their magazine on Saturday about New York and how the covid pandemic has affected the city, and its people. Increased homelessness, dirt, businesses shutting down, decrease in vibrancy etc.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-new-yorkers-are-escaping-the-city-thsx707z7

I went in the early 90s and loved it but I hear a lot of the US has really gone downhill recently. Back to the old days homelessness violence no go areas again. Apparently it's the same in LA

Nothing! So disappointed as I thought it would have been magical but it wasn’t. It was like we were there in October! Not sure if covid had anything to do with it as they didn’t allow us in until 8th Nov.

Tried to do a Broadway show but that was cancelled due to covid.

Didn’t even see Santa which I’ve been told is basically on every street corner with his bell and bucket. It was very disappointing.

London is much more festive than New York and I never thought I’d say that

I'm a New Yorker.

The city is a bit chaotic at the moment due to the pandemic. I think it was unrealistic to expect a Hollywood portrayal to accurately predict your real-world experience, particularly in January and with omicron shutting so many things down. Every place is short-staffed.

You mentioned a shopping mall at the WTC. Why did you not go to the museum instead?

@MissConductUS

Do you feel it's changed a lot since the pandemic?

We are moving there in April. This thread has made me rather worried!!

@Victoriaspongecake1, that sounds disappointing and nothing like my experience of NYC over Christmas just a few years ago..it was full of decorations and fairy lights and ice-skating etc

@Victoriaspongecake1

Nothing! So disappointed as I thought it would have been magical but it wasn’t. It was like we were there in October! Not sure if covid had anything to do with it as they didn’t allow us in until 8th Nov.

Tried to do a Broadway show but that was cancelled due to covid.

Didn’t even see Santa which I’ve been told is basically on every street corner with his bell and bucket. It was very disappointing.

London is much more festive than New York and I never thought I’d say that

You really can't expect December 2021 to be representative of most Decembers. The city has been decimated by Covid. People don't live and work there like they used to, and businesses are having a horrible time attracting employees.

From what I’ve heard, NY isn’t a great place to visit at the moment, so if you have been recently, you probably won’t have the best experience.

I last went there for a week Spring 2017 and it was fantastic.
Warm, sunny spring weather, the blossom was out in Central Park, not too busy yet but everywhere had a good, lively atmosphere.
Warm enough in the eve to sit out and have a drink in the evening etc.
Also went in December one year and it was magical.

Hop on a train, DC and Philadelphia are both far nicer than NY. Philly taxi from airport to city centre is flat rate $28 (I think). Beautiful city with quite a European feel to it, very friendly, loads of history & architecture, good shopping and food, and safe to walk around. DC, obvs tons of history & museums, most of which are free entry.

[quote 20nyc]@MissConductUS

Do you feel it's changed a lot since the pandemic?

We are moving there in April. This thread has made me rather worried!![/quote]
@20nyc, NYC was the original epicenter of the pandemic when it first came to the US. We were hit really hard, but we are resilient and the hospitals are handling the current surge well, considering the number of medical staff off sick or isolating. NY'ers have a very high vaccination rate and that has helped enormously.

There have been lots of changes. More people working from home has meant fewer commuters and less business for the shops and restaurants in the office districts. Some people moved to the suburbs to get more space and because it's hard to avoid the virus when you live in an apartment building with hundreds of flats.

But there is good news too. Many of the city's problems were made much worse by an absolute tosser of a mayor who has just left office. The new mayor is much more practical, focused on quality of life, and is a former police captain.

I think that by April omicron will have long since peaked and the city will be a much more orderly, well-run place thanks to the new mayor. NYC was a brilliant place to live under prior mayors (notably Koch, Giuliani, and Blumberg). I'm confident it will be again.

Have you finalized your living arrangements yet? I'm happy to provide input on specific neighborhoods.

@user2155340308842 did you miss that I care for a relative with a serious mental health problem? He has had fantastic care throughout the pandemic. That has included face to face appointments when most people were only getting remote appointments. But he has great Drs, and his issues are serious.