Holy shit, I was gonna mention that same HD! I live right across the street on E 58th. You in my nabe?
Uncle Sam’s Umbrellas on 57th street (near Carnegie Hall) closed a few years ago. 
To the O.P. and others: I’m laughing over the misrepresentations of my city, and the collective sneers of those who live in the midwest or Southern US about NYC’s sense of superiority – as if “the heartland” isn’t constantly lauded as real!America where the real!Americans live.
I grant that we’re overrepresented on TV shows, and there’s a certain smugness to the way some NYCers laud their street cred. We’re territorial creatures, necessarily due to our close quarters, and it probably makes us seem like we’re on the offense when in fact we’re trying to play defense.
Sadly, this is how Americans are viewed by other nationalities. It’s All About America, we allegedly believe. And for too many of us, it’s true. But tarring all Americans with the “exclusionist” or “superior” or “bullying” or “insular” labels is just as wrong as it is to tar all NYCers with the same epithets.
Now let’s talk 9/11.
For those of you who don’t think the opinion of Metro NYers on 9/11 is pertinent, I’ve got a little suggestion for you. Right from where you’re sitting, imagine a place that’s less five miles away from you. Now in one fell swoop, murder 2,700+ people, destroy your town’s two biggest buildings, plus make a disaster area out of the entire center of its financial community. Oh yeah, don’t forget to include 300 of your local police and fire rescue crews among the dead. You’ll have to ensure that the dead and injured and survivors – many more thousands of course – represent not just that spot five miles away, but your entire city and its neighboring communities. Be sure to have your TV and news outlets replay this entire event over. and over. and over. so you get to relive the horror for years to come. Best of all, have the government withhold millions it promised in aid, and lie about toxins in your neighborhood so that people will think it’s safe to go back to work even though the EPA knew damn well their lungs are being poisoned. And do make sure that that self-same government mentions your tragic event every time it wants some votes or permission to do away with some more civil rights.
Do that and fucking tell me you don’t have a unique, relevant perspective on this devastating event that shattered your community, as well as strong pertinent opinions on the “war on terror” that has been drummed up as an excuse to fight said events from happening again.
I can’t comprehend the aptly named NoClueBoy seriously trying to compare the aid given to the survivors/families of the ~200 Oklahoma City bombing victims and the funding necessary to repair the entire downtown Manhattan area as well as restore the survivors’ lives and livelihoods. Are you insane?
Finally: I’ve no doubt there are brave Arlingtonian firefighters and police crews who saved lives on 9/11. Why aren’t they feted and held up? I dunno. They certainly should be. Still, it probably has to do with how many died that day. How many was it? 25? 50? 100? 200? No. And it wasn’t 300, presumably because they didn’t have to enter two deadly buildings to save people only to have them crumble into countless shards around them.
Christ. The funny thing is, I’m nauseated by the lionizing of the NYPD/NYFD as well. But when I think about what they suffered and risked and sacrificed, I gotta say “let 'em be lionized.” They’ve earned it, and God knows they’re not being paid equivalent to their tasks.
