4 ms·

If you think that Jersey City or East New York are representative of the areas around New York City, then you don't know the region well at all. Along the comm

If you think that Jersey City or East New York are representative of the areas around New York City, then you don't know the region well at all. Along the commuter train lines extending out of the city you will find many of the most beautiful, safest, most walkable, best-educated (with good public schools), most politically-engaged, and community-oriented towns in the country. Yes, there is a massive disparity of wealth in New York City, and in the region generally, and that definitely has an impact on the livability of many places within the region. The suburbs of New York are among the most wealthy communities in the US, but several of NJ's cities are among the poorest; unfortunately, there is also a racial component to that disparity that must not be ignored. To really live well in the NYC area, unfortunately, you must have money, which makes living here very hard for many young people starting out. But beyond a doubt it is easier (and cheaper) to live well around New York City and still be an hour's train ride from downtown than it is in San Francisco or LA. And only in this region do you still find successful adults who don't even have a driver's license, let alone a car. I don't know Tokyo, so I can't comment on the direct comparison you made. But I would suggest that every urban area in the world has its disadvantaged neighborhoods, and if you are comparing the wealthiest parts of the cities you have visited to the poorest parts of the NYC region, then that is not a fair comparison.

nihonde 10y ago
I lived in lower Manhattan for 20 years. I know the region well. Perhaps you would consider places like Forest Hills, Queens or Bushwick, Brooklyn or Staten Island or Hoboken or Teaneck or Westchester to be the "most beautiful, safest, most walkable, best-educated (with good public schools), most politically-engaged, and community-oriented towns in the country". For me, none of those places are within even the top 200 "most beautiful, safest, most walkable, best-educated...etc." places that I've been to in America or elsewhere. Do I have high standards? Yes. My personal opinion is that the area around NYC sets a low standard and achieves against it, and that comments like yours perpetuate the fundamental issue, which is essentially a stubborn kind of underachievement.
- legutierr 10y ago
  I was thinking more Summit, Madison, Larchmont, Bronxville, Mamaroneck, Ramsey, Ho-ho-kus, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Nyack, Nanuet...and that's a pretty short list, and not including anywhere in Long Island or the 5 Boroughs. One thing that you will probably agree with, being as you are someone who lived for so long in lower Manhattan, is the fact that most people who live in lower Manhattan will frequently find reasons to avoid leaving the confines of Manhattan and Brooklyn whenever possible. Perhaps you don't know the region as well as you think you do?
  - tacos 10y ago
    You cherry picked the one Metro North line that's not a total hellhole. Median Rent in Mamaroneck is $4700/month, Median house sale price is over a million. It's 27 miles from Grand Central and you will spend 2+ hours a day getting there and back minimum. Even Connecticut has gone nuts. Once you get past Greenwich it's a (literal) train wreck all the way to Boston. http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Mamaroneck-New_York/ http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Mamaroneck-New_York/
    - legutierr 10y ago
      I purposely named towns on four separate rail lines, and there are probably two or three dozen more communities with a similar profile in the region that are similarly well-connected by rail. Yes, Mamaroneck is one of the more expensive communities I named; for what it's worth, though, Mamaroneck is 36 minutes from Grand Central by train (which is one reason it is more expensive). Other places are much less expensive, although you may be on the train for an hour or so before you get to where you are going in the city.
      - tacos 10y ago
        44+ minutes at morning rush now. Buying a million dollar property then watching your commute times increase 10% every few years is another joy of living in the area.
  - 10y ago
selimthegrim 10y ago
Would someone care to explain the condition of Hempstead without invoking racism?

nihonde 10y ago

I lived in lower Manhattan for 20 years. I know the region well. Perhaps you would consider places like Forest Hills, Queens or Bushwick, Brooklyn or Staten Island or Hoboken or Teaneck or Westchester to be the "most beautiful, safest, most walkable, best-educated (with good public schools), most politically-engaged, and community-oriented towns in the country". For me, none of those places are within even the top 200 "most beautiful, safest, most walkable, best-educated...etc." places that I've been to in America or elsewhere. Do I have high standards? Yes. My personal opinion is that the area around NYC sets a low standard and achieves against it, and that comments like yours perpetuate the fundamental issue, which is essentially a stubborn kind of underachievement.

legutierr 10y ago
I was thinking more Summit, Madison, Larchmont, Bronxville, Mamaroneck, Ramsey, Ho-ho-kus, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Nyack, Nanuet...and that's a pretty short list, and not including anywhere in Long Island or the 5 Boroughs. One thing that you will probably agree with, being as you are someone who lived for so long in lower Manhattan, is the fact that most people who live in lower Manhattan will frequently find reasons to avoid leaving the confines of Manhattan and Brooklyn whenever possible. Perhaps you don't know the region as well as you think you do?
- tacos 10y ago
  You cherry picked the one Metro North line that's not a total hellhole. Median Rent in Mamaroneck is $4700/month, Median house sale price is over a million. It's 27 miles from Grand Central and you will spend 2+ hours a day getting there and back minimum. Even Connecticut has gone nuts. Once you get past Greenwich it's a (literal) train wreck all the way to Boston. http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Mamaroneck-New_York/ http://www.trulia.com/real_estate/Mamaroneck-New_York/
  - legutierr 10y ago
    I purposely named towns on four separate rail lines, and there are probably two or three dozen more communities with a similar profile in the region that are similarly well-connected by rail. Yes, Mamaroneck is one of the more expensive communities I named; for what it's worth, though, Mamaroneck is 36 minutes from Grand Central by train (which is one reason it is more expensive). Other places are much less expensive, although you may be on the train for an hour or so before you get to where you are going in the city.
    - tacos 10y ago
      44+ minutes at morning rush now. Buying a million dollar property then watching your commute times increase 10% every few years is another joy of living in the area.
- 10y ago

selimthegrim 10y ago

Would someone care to explain the condition of Hempstead without invoking racism?