I’m going to be flying into Laguardia… and spending a few days in NJ just a short hop from NYC. Everyone seems to think I should be excited to go into “the city.” I have absolutely no interest. I’ve been to Chicago, LA, Tokyo, Singapore, and many other big cities, and they do nothing for me. I don’t like crowds, I don’t like to feel rushed, I don’t like the noise. A person I’m travelling with was so excited because for only $48 we could ride an elevator in the Empire State Building and look over their balcony. I just don’t get why I’m supposed to be so excited to “experience” this.
Don’t go then.
Skip it.
That is exactly my plan… why can’t the people I’m travelling with get this. They seem to think I’m some kind of an alien because I’m not excited about it.
go see a Broadway show!
I’m with you. I live in Chicago. Other cities hold very little appeal for me. Even Chicago doesn’t interest me all that much, to be honest, although I quite like a couple dozen of the people living here.
If you’re in the right area and frame of mind, Grounds for Sculpture is quite a fascinating place, a bit more than a hour out of NYC in Hamilton, NJ. Culture without the clutter - win win.
Stay away then. There are already enough New Yorkers who don’t want to be there; they don’t need a visitor who feels the same way.
But . . . there’s really *nothing *in NYC that interests you? I find that hard to believe.
Other than seeing some landmarks, I can’t think of anything that I could do there that would be so much different than doing the same thing elsewhere.
My son was stationed in Ballston Spa, NY for Nuke School - he went to the Saratoga race track ONCE (which in my husband’s and my opinion was a crime - we’re HUGE horseracing fans) and not once did he go into “the city”. Had no desire to and just didn’t. I totally understand his not wanting to go to “the city”. Saratoga, not so much. 
Why do you care what the people you are traveling with think?
WTF?! as late as 1980 it was free to go to the observation deck :eek:
A lot can happen over 32 years. Have you heard that the Berlin wall came down! :eek:
Dozens of world class museums? Symphonies, plays, great live music? Just think how much more fun it will be, to be able to not go to these things, and then explain why they didn’t interest you. The brief bit of misery you’ll endure on this trip is a small price to pay for the lifetime of opportunity to complain about it!
There are some people who aren’t interested in New York and if you’re one of them, that’s just the way it is. But, yeah, that does make you a bit strange, you can’t deny that.
About the only thing I’ve done in New York that I’d want to do again is wander around the Frick gallery. I accidentally saw four Vermeers that way.
If it’s not your bag, that’s cool. I would never in a million years want to live in New York City, but there’s no denying the great art, food, and energy the city has. If those are not your thing, I get it, but just wandering around the city is worth it for me. NYC always has a way of energizing me, but I can only take it in limited doses.
We’re sharing a rental car… where they go I go by default. I’ll be a good sport about it, but they are all super excited and I just don’t get it. It will only be for about 5-6 hours so I’ll survive.
That’s okay, they don’t get why you’re *not *excited. It’s a big world full of crazy ideas.
No, they charge now (I think the building changed owners). Current prices are $23 per adult, $20 per senior, and $17 for children.
Or, apparently for $48 you don’t have to wait in line.