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?

But to say Americans have a rude way of speaking and lack manners is hardly news, it's well known? They just have a very rude culture and speak to each other in a way that would never be considered acceptable in most of Europe

Not my experience at all. Americans are often disarmingly friendly. Far more so than your average English person.

Planting Tulips, I am American. When I go traveling, know what kind of people I meet? Nice people. All over the world. In America, in the UK, in Turkey, in Japan, in France, everywhere. I enjoy meeting them, and I enjoy their culture. I try to be polite and sincere and interested in their world. Every once in a while, there is a stinker. But most people tend to be nice. If you are nice. If you have a problem with a nation of 330 million strangers, it is probably more about you than it is about them.

Very much doubt anybody would be expecting historic monuments or wonders of the ancient world in a country with 300 years of history. 😂

Ah. Stupid and racist. Figures.

@PrincessNutella

💗

Planting Tulips, all those things ARE in Central Park. That's why it is silly to dismiss it as having nothing to see.

Kanaloa--it's as if you cracked some magical secret code...

I get where you are coming from. It’s distressing to see people in trouble and no-one really helping.

Just after Hurricane Katrina I was on a work trip to Memphis. There were refugees from New Orleans sleeping on every park bench. One on the bench, one underneath. No real effort to help them.

It really put me off the US in general.

I agree. If New Yorkers are consistently rude to you, it's because they're reacting to your obvious disdain for them.

@PrincessNutella

Planting Tulips, all those things ARE in Central Park. That's why it is silly to dismiss it as having nothing to see.

Hahhaaaa no. I don't think anybody built a gothic castle or an Egyptian obelisk in Central Park. Don't remember thosw chapers of the history books. 🧐😂 Appropriated objects from elsewhere are hardly interested because by being moved to the middle of NY they've lost all historical context and significance.

@MissConductUS

I agree. If New Yorkers are consistently rude to you, it's because they're reacting to your obvious disdain for them.

Lol! Except that they speak like that to each other, as well. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@ComtesseDeSpair

Very much doubt anybody would be expecting historic monuments or wonders of the ancient world in a country with 300 years of history. 😂

Ah. Stupid and racist. Figures.

Americans are not a race. 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️ There are Americans of many different races. HTH.

PlantingTulips appears to be joining us from the 1890s

I think the indigenous peoples of the Americas would strongly counter your view that they’ve only existed in their lands for 300 years and have no history or culture.

But to be honest, you’re either a troll or so incredibly idiotic that you’re not really worth any more of my thoughts.

Oh dear. No sweetie, it's 2022. Wakey wakey!

@ComtesseDeSpair

I think the indigenous peoples of the Americas would strongly counter your view that they’ve only existed in their lands for 300 years and have no history or culture.

But to be honest, you’re either a troll or so incredibly idiotic that you’re not really worth any more of my thoughts.

The discussion was about the US and the length of its history as a country. The indiginous people of the US as far as I understand it weren't overly advantaged by that, or involved in the establishment of the current culture that prevails there. Even in the '50s Americans were still making films about "cowboys and Indians" with no sense of shame. So seriously, don't try to use those communities to now pretend they are the source of a real cultural history for the modern US. How offensive. 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️

The part about New Yorkers being supremely direct and blunt did make me laugh. I was terrified when I met my Queens-born MIL for the first time. The directness was next level. Twenty years later, I adore it. You always know with New Yorkers what someone is thinking or feels about you—no passive-aggressive bollocks and messing about.

"How is it on a much larger scale than London? 🤣 NY actually has a slightly smaller population than London."

London is 2x the land area. New York is more densely built. Also, New York has a much larger metro area.

As for all the historical detail: the USA is a former colony, and given British history, there's a rather large glass house we hit with our complaints about it.

I agree. It's rude and blunt, but I prefer it to a "try to read my mind/ between the lines" approach to communication. Objectively - by most European standards - it is rude. Personally I find it much easier because I am autistic so I like it when people say what they mean!

@knitnerd90

"How is it on a much larger scale than London? 🤣 NY actually has a slightly smaller population than London."

London is 2x the land area. New York is more densely built. Also, New York has a much larger metro area.

As for all the historical detail: the USA is a former colony, and given British history, there's a rather large glass house we hit with our complaints about it.

Lol! Are you assuming I am British?

Think people may have got a little muddled up here. 😂😂

@GreenLunchBox

Not been but it looks grotty, dirty and a couple of decades behind. I imagine it has lots of rats and people are rude. Not a place I want to visit.

You've never been there but you imagine all that? You are missing a lot, but I suspect you generally do.

YANBU- I went in 2008, 2010, and 2015. It's very expensive. Times Square is horrible. Too many homeless people. Outside of that the surrounding boroughs are quite nice

@CornishGem1975

You want to be ripped off for food, go to Disneyworld 🤣 I thought New York was comparable to dining out here to be honest.

Except the food is better in NY.

@PlantingTulips

I agree. It's rude and blunt, but I prefer it to a "try to read my mind/ between the lines" approach to communication. Objectively - by most European standards - it is rude. Personally I find it much easier because I am autistic so I like it when people say what they mean!

Have you been to the Netherlands?

Have been to Florida - once - did not like except for DCs liked Disney & much more the Space Museum

A friend and I stayed a weekend in New York prior to going on elsewhere for work & I have to say one of the nicest afternoons I have spent was in Little Italy. ( We had gone round the major sights and also took a boat around Manhattan which was really interesting to see everything from the rivers ) but we ended up in a little restaurant in Little Italy where they had a football match on & it was an Italian team versus someone else - can't even remember (neither of us terribly interested in football ) & the man said - who are you supporting "Italy" we said - well it was European so we went for that - he showed us to a lovely table and gave us free glasses of wine & we had a plate of pasta each which as I recall was not dreadfully expensive - & it was just such a lovely evening - everyone was kind and cheerful - my friend said to me I would ever have thought I could have sat in a restaurant and watched a football match. Nor could I

One anecdote only - but I will remember that fondly .