# It's perfectly legal for women to walk around New York City topless. Yet so few do?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-perfectly-legal-for-women-to-walk-around-new-york-city-topless-yet-so-few-do/585272>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 13, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-perfectly-legal-for-women-to-walk-around-new-york-city-topless-yet-so-few-do/585272 "2011-06-13T01:27:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-perfectly-legal-for-women-to-walk-around-new-york-city-topless-yet-so-few-do/585272/61 "2011-06-16T22:22:12Z")

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In the many, many cultures (all in hot areas) where female toplessness is/was traditional, female breasts are considered not as to barely-even sexual (and whatever body parts are traditionally covered, usually the buttocks, thighs and genitals, in particular are regarded as very sexual). I’ve read about it quite a bit, it seems to be a very clear and observable phenomena.

Also, anectode, but I’ve heard a lot of guys who traveled or stayed in the more liberal areas of Europe talk about (or lament) how relatively desensitized to the sight of naked boobs they became.

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**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-perfectly-legal-for-women-to-walk-around-new-york-city-topless-yet-so-few-do/585272/62 "2011-06-17T00:48:25Z")

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> [@rhubarbarin](#):
>
> In the many, many cultures (all in hot areas) where female toplessness is/was traditional, female breasts are considered not as to barely-even sexual (and whatever body parts are traditionally covered, usually the buttocks, thighs and genitals, in particular are regarded as very sexual). I’ve read about it quite a bit, it seems to be a very clear and observable phenomena.
> 
> Also, anectode, but I’ve heard a lot of guys who traveled or stayed in the more liberal areas of Europe talk about (or lament) how relatively desensitized to the sight of naked boobs they became.

Re: Post #38

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**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-perfectly-legal-for-women-to-walk-around-new-york-city-topless-yet-so-few-do/585272/63 "2011-06-17T01:59:05Z")

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> [@CalMeacham](#):
>
> Please note that this says Rochester, New York, which is far removed from New York City (It’s about a four hour drive. Even New Yorkers often don’t realize how far away it is).

It’s actually a six hour drive. NYC and Rochester are really fucking far apart.

> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> For the record, I’ve never seen a topless woman in public anywhere in the Rochester area.

The Park Ave Festival usually has one or two.

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