Well… it’s just like the Yankees being the greatest team in baseball. It’s a fact. You don’t have to like it, especially, or anything else. It’s just that, well, NYC is the greatest city in the world. The capital of the world, some people call it. It used to be Paris. It’s not, anymore.
And, after the 70s, most of us are really glad to live and work in a place we can be proud of.
After Sept 11th, and the Blackout of '03, we’re even more proud that most of us did the right thing, stuck together, and helped our fellow man. Because it didn’t use to be that way.
But now it is. And that just makes a great city even greater. That was one of the coolest things I ever saw, when the lights went out, how people shrugged, looked around, and started directing traffic… and the drivers obeyed.
In NJ, I always got confused by people occasionally referring to Philly or Trenton or even Red Bank as going to the City. It is not Ego, The City just commonly means NYC. Philadelphia is Philly. Trenton is a large Town, Red Bank is a small Town. NYC is the City. This is just how most of us in NJ were raised. I am sure this is true for Long Island and most of NY state and large parts on Connecticut.
As far as NYC vs. London, Paris and Tokyo. Please don’t forget Tokyo. These are the top 4 cities. I can’t say which is #1 they all offer more than anyone can do in a lifetime.
To the point where some of us forget the distinction doesn’t exist to everyone. :smack: Would that clear things up for you, Rodgers01, if you knew those people were saying “I’m from Manhattan?”
I know you’re making a joke (I might have used Russian, having lived in Forest Hills in the past), but for those who don’t know, Queens County is often cited as the most diverse population on the planet.
Posting here before I read the rest if the thread, so if someone else said this - sorry.
We here know how cool Chicago is. It’s our secret, and if the rest of the world doesn’t catch on, it’s because we are discreet enough to laugh and snicker quietly to ourselves.
And yes, I love in suburbia, but I was born in the city and spent most of my adult working life downtown, and make it down as much as I can whenever I have a decent enough excuse.
Ahem, and shall I say one more time: World Champion White Sox
In da Bronx, we also say “we’'re going to the city” meaning we’re going into Manhattan, although you also hear “downtown” meaning the whole boro too, not just below 14th St. or something.
Went to college near Boston and we said “going downtown” if we were going into Boston, but “going to the city” meant the girl was going to NYC. Weird.
I lived in San Diego, I visited LA often and my BIL lives there. I have been in Frisco 3 times. All 3 together don’t add up to NYC. I like Frisco the best, it is an interesting city. LA is just too spread out with too little mass transit to have a real city feel too it. It reminds me of North Jersey with better Weather and better Beaches, but at least in North Jersey is a quick train ride to “The City”.
Frisco feels like a city, it has the sounds and the rhythm of a city. You can get to most places by Cab or transit. Very nice place. Not NYC, but a great city. San Diego just wasn’t a city to me, I lived there almost 4 years and I never did figure out what San Diego was. I am thinking it is just a giant beach community.
I don’t know which city you live near, but this was my East Coast view of California.
Having lived in/around Chicago for all of my life, I can agree that I enjoy the Second City status. I was in and out of NYC (mostly 5th Avenue, for work) fairly often, and loved every minute of it. There’s an energy, a feeling of being “in” the whole melange of NYC. It is a great, vibrant feeling. Is it the “Greatest” city? Not sure, I haven’t been to London, Paris or Tokyo yet.
One thing I don’t like about smaller cities (I guess everything from Phoenix on down (btw…hate Phoenix)) is that there usually isn’t much variety. There is usually one museum, a bunch of chain restaurants, and one area of bars filled with people who go to the same area weekend after weekend. I cringe to think what that would be like.
I think it was Rodger01 who mentioned Chicago first…I will happily be my hometown’s #1 promoter.
Lastly, we do the “City” thing around here, too. For most of the Midwest, I think “The City” is Chicago.
Seriously. The first time I saw it I was convinced it was a charity thing until the end; the second time I saw it I nearly threw something at the TV when it got to the “my heartbreak” bit. Blech.
Something weird is going on in Commercial Land at the moment. Somehow, ads are getting out that are clearly not viewed by a single human being before release. Here in the UK there’s one for City & Guilds, a vocational education college, called The Real You. Go to the site, watch the ad, and see if you can tell me that the message isn’t (and don’t peek before watching):
“City & Guilds courses: they’re a bit like getting caught wanking by your mum.”
I would just like to say, to those that don’t like New Yorkers saying that New York is the greatest city in earth, thank you.
Thank you for hating me. I really appreciate it. You are wrong of course in your opinion but you are entitled to it. But I am glad that you can now openly hate New York again in a way that hasn’t been done since 9/10/01. I prefer the hate. The loathing. The fear. I didn’t move to NYC and put up with all the hassle of NYC to be pitied. I like the fact that when I say, “I’m from Brooklyn” strangers instantly get a look of fear, and although they wouldn’t admit it, respect in their eyes.
Nooooooooooo! Don’t encourage them! There are no worse, more homicidally aggressive, or purely incompetent drivers than those with the NY tags! They’re a major scourge on the roads of New Jersey (like we don’t have enough bad drivers, and potholes, and other problems to contend with).
and you would be correct - with the addendum (because I cannot spell ‘proviso’) that you need a mother of an income to reside there
If NYC is “The City”, then where I live is “The Island” - try saying that to someone from, say, Minnesota!
Long Island is nice - close enough to NYC to have it accessable at will (if you can stand that traffic) and far enough away to not have to deal with it 24/7
(Westchester can claim that as well)
What I find ojectionable is NYC area based TV stations taking about only NYC or “North & West” of the city as the only geographic locations worth reporting on. What are we that spread over 200 miles to the east? Chopped Liver?
Wow my brother just loves the Food & Bars. Oh yeah and the fact he can jump on the subway to Manhattan & Yankee Stadium.
On Food: I think Cemetery Savior you might be mistaken. NYC has great food and largest variety of any city I have ever seen. (I have not been to Paris)
Chicago has great food; NYC has great food and a larger variety. New Orleans had the best food but that might take a while to recover.
Then that is a dreadful persicution complex, if having someone disagree with your belief that you live in the greatest city in the world is the same as hating, fearing and loathing you.
And what is this ‘I come from brooklyn so fear me’ crap. ‘I come from a modern city where I am never more than five minutes from a tripple caramel mocha latte and double McCheeseburger so fear me’. It’s just laughable.
