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 think in NY you need to be visiting museums and seeing shows. I agree Central park - I have nicer scenery outside my window. I've seen some amazing parks in London.
I hated the noise, square grid roads means cars are stopping and starting and peeping the whole time. Awful.
But Jan is a bad month for anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere.

I agree OP- we went a few years ago and found it pretty grim and we did most of the stuff the NY lovers suggest and still didn't enjoy it! And everything is closed on Mondays! Ended up in New Orleans and didn't want to leave, though, so decided that everyone has a place in the US and New York wasn't ours!!

I just got home from here yesterday, I went two years ago and it was amazing. This time I still loved it but the New York feeling wasn’t there it’s not the same since covid! We spent 3k in 3 days as a family of 4 prices r horrendus! Enjoy yourself wile you are there you’ve paid enough to get there.

OP I signed in relief as I was driving through the streets of London from the airport see a week in NYC. I did like Central Park though. We need to stop idolising America.

@MrsTerryPratchett, LA is a weird one. LAX is definitely the most hideous airport ever. As for the city itself, I stayed once in a fairly well known, nice hotel. It was shit. I remember going to the pool, and no fucker actually got in it. It was just all people sitting around posing by the pool, on their laptops, utterly joyless. On that trip, we also had a fun experience when DH asked in a bar if they had a particular beer (that clearly wasn't cool enough), and the bartender scowled and said, rather aggressively, 'why the fuck would you ask if we have that shit?' Yes there is definitely some arsiness, and public transport is awful.

However, it also has Canter's on Fairfax, Tusquellas in the Farmers Market, and Amoeba Records.

@ElftonWednesday

You sound like a Florida person, OP, not a NY person. Florida doesn't have much appeal to me apart from the flora and fauna.

This is such a classically mean and snooty MN post it made me laugh out loud!

I'd love to meet you @ElftonWednesday and hear all about your fantastic levels of sophistication and erudition in person.

I love it - one of the world's great cities.

However, it's been hit brutally hard by the pandemic, and January isn't a great time of year, because I think the magic comes from street life and you experience that better in Spring and Autumn.

Focus on the great museums and art galleries is what I'd do, and get out and experience some neighbourhoods as best you can - get off the island a bit.

YABVVVVU! New York is amazing! Loads of incredible things to do - if you stick to the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty of course you’ll have a crap time.

Here are some suggestions for alternatives:

• book a tour of the Tenement Museum and learn about some of NYC’s social history in the 20th century;
• go to a donation-only Yoga to the People class (in Manhattan or Brooklyn);
• go on a free walking tour (or four!): freetoursbyfoot.com/new-york-tours/
• go and buy dessert from Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery in the Lower East Side;
• find the best bagel! My favourite are from Russ and Daughters or Kossar’s (compare and contrast!);

- download the Central Park app and go on a long, self-guided walk (or join an organised tour arranged by the park);

• go for dinner/brunch/breakfast in a classic NYC diner (I recommend Skylight Diner). It will definitely be cheaper than $100! There are loads of cheap places to eat in NYC.

Have you got a long, warm down coat with you? If so - skip the subway and walk everywhere. If not, give yourself a trip to Macy’s and buy one, and then walk everywhere!

It’s my favourite place in the world. Have fun!

Sorry you're having a bad experience @GreetingsFromVenus but I agree with other posters in that January is generally an awful time to visit NY. Central Park in spring or fall is just wonderous. I last visited NY in November 2017 (having only ever visited between March & September) & I found it hard going due to the freezing cold & grey days (which I hate).
I'm from Ireland & even Dublin has really suffered with a rise in homelessness & violence during the pandemic & for the first time in my life I would feel more wary of walking around Dublin at night. I think cities have been very badly hit by the pandemic & here in Ireland prices are also rising - businesses trying to compensate for 2 years of losses. I also think that most people are really on a short fuse at the moment & are also not feeling very upbeat.
I've always loved NY & think it's so vibrant, but I also think it's been so glamorised in movies & tv that it's bound to be a disappointment for some.
It has an amazing history that is often glossed over & if you've time left I too would recommend The Tenement Museum (it really is excellent), Big Onion Walking Tours (all tours given by history grads who really know their stuff), The (new) Whitney Museum (the views alone are worth the visit), The Highline (walk off lunch from the Chelsea Markets) & defo get to Brooklyn & walk the waterfront if you can.
All that being said I do think if you're a Florida person you may just not be an NY person. I found Miami very interesting but I wouldn't go back - couldn't find the soul of the city at all .

I loved NY when I visited but that was ten years or so ago and in December so everywhere looked stunning prior to Christmas. With any city break I think you need to have a concise plan of what you want to see and do and your first stop should be your hotel concierge.

I thought the service I received everywhere was excellent as staff rely on their tips. It is not acceptable not to tip. It is just the way it is there.

I thought Central Park was beautiful but we are all different.

I went in 2001. The subway felt v safe, I remember being told how much had been invested cleaning it up. We didn't really meet any locals or even Americans whilst there, our hotel was ran by French ppl

I don't remember it being expensive but I do remember the beggars. We thought they seemed to be drawn to our accents so kept quiet when approaching them

No plans to go back

I agree with you. I didn't hate it exactly, but i was definitely underwhelmed by it. We had a nice time but I wouldn't rush back. It wasn't especially attractive. I found everything quite shabby and dated compared to London. I was expecting the shopping to be amazing but it wasn't a patch on most decent shopping cities in the UK. It was quite interesting just people watching though.

I have been twice, both in early autumn and overall liked it.

But yes the people are incredibly rude and unhappy. It is dated, almost stuck in the 1980s. Im not sure why the locals think they are so modern - maybe because so few of them leave? I also suspect it is very different if you are super wealthy - I suppose like any city.

January would be particularly bleak.

I am so sorry you aren’t enjoying your trip.

I haven't been to New York as i suspect i would hate it as i find London to be exactly as you describe, dirty, overpriced, don't feel safe on the tube, there's always the feeling something could kick off. There's a huge homelessness and crime problem. I bloody hate London.

YANBU.

It’s weird how crap it is. Although I loved the breakfasts.

Going in July and I’ll actually have a schedule of things to do - I don’t think mindlessly walking around NY will give me the best impression the city has to offer. Museums, shows, walking tours, that’s what I like to do in big cities. Broadway will keep me entertained for half a week.

Never once had a bad experience with US immigration. They were always polite and efficient. I’ve had two uncomfortable border experiences - one in Serbia a decade ago entering by land, and one at Stansted Airport last year. I was interrogated as to what the purpose of my visit was, did I have a job back ‘home’, when was I flying back … I have an EU passport. Two of them actually. And settled status. It seems that their online database didn’t remind them of that. One pays taxes for years, has a life built in the UK and is then interrogated for simply coming back home…

Haven't been for a long time but in that decade went several times and loved it so sorry it's fallen on hard times. But even now I'd be happier there than in the miles and miles of Trump-supporting wastelands beyond.

Yabu.
I’ve been a couple of times, one of which was January. You’re really not seeing it in its best light.

It sounds like you are letting the beggars outside your hotel are cloud your whole trip. Maybe you had created a fantasy city in your mind by 'dreaming about' it for too long- reality can't compete with a great fantasy...

I loved NYC when I went a couple of years ago- there weren't beggars outside my hotel. I went in the summer when everything looks fresh and you have sunshine to light the buildings up. Yes, it's a big city so it obviously will have social problems and plenty of poor people, you expect that! However, the sights were fantastic to see and we had a great time- you need to do your research of places to eat, like in all cities- we had amazing food at reasonable prices.

My main memory of it in January is it's just soooo cold! I love visiting nyc, but usually would go in May as it's lovely temp wise. Check out south street seaport, get in out of the cold and catch a movie at the ipic, visit the Irish famine memorial and get breakfast at Bubbys. I don't know what part you are staying in but like London, it varies a lot place to place. Hopefully the rest of the week is better!

Obviously January is frigging freezing but Central Park is just a park to walk through

Sounds like you overhyped your expectations a bit. Of course Central Park is just a park to walk through. What else would it be??

I went to NYC a few times when I was younger and I loved it. I also lived in London at the time and loved that. Now I'm glad not to live there and don't have much interest in going back to NY either! Both are great when you're young and care more about gigs, bars, museums, restaurants, shopping, mad nights out, etc. than the cleanliness of the public transport system and homeless people.

There was an article in the Sunday times yesterday about how hard hit it had been by Covid, how homelessness, aggressive begging and serious violence have dramatically increased.

It’s terribly sad, but it has put me off going back.

I liked NYC, but I went in 1995, so I expect much may have changed since then.

I was shocked at Hollywood, which is a huge dump! Tons of crazies around. Quite dirty and armed guards in places like Burger King, because it's so dangerous. It's nothing like the movies.

Yes I’m going to say it’s probably not at its best right now.

I’ve been four times, school trip when I was 17 back in feb 2004 and it was dirt cheap as the exchange rate was immense, again for an elective placement for uni in June 2007 (stayed in Brooklyn, was there almost 3 weeks and lived like locals, went to Long Island, the bronx), again was dirt cheap. Went again in May 2009 and stayed in New Jersey, still super cheap. Went for my 30th with my OH in April 2017, it was Expensive!!! Exchange rate is shit now, just not as great as it once was. But there’s still some fab things to do.

The high line is great, lovely walk down there and there’s a market at the bottom in like an industrial building with lovely cheap food.

I adore NYC, been 4 times, in Nov, Dec, Apr & Jul. I’ve never been in Jan because you get the freezing weather but not the pretty Christmas lights!

I find people there much more polite than in London, my DD and I were standing on a corner looking at a map and a business man offered us help to find our way.

Walking is definitely the best way to see the city, although sitting on the top deck of an open top bus tour is also great as you get to see the amazing architecture of the tops of buildings.

It sounds like the pandemic has really done a number on this amazing city, it’ll bounce back I’m sure.