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>> Everybody talks to everybody, people are very friendly to each other... > Dont get me wrong I like NYC but you cant spend much time in Manhattan and continu

>> Everybody talks to everybody, people are very friendly to each other... > Dont get me wrong I like NYC but you cant spend much time in Manhattan and continue to hold this belief. Eh?! I think people in Manhattan are very friendly, probably more so than any other American city I've been to. They're also often extremely blunt, of course, and won't hesitate to tell you if they think you're full of it, and if they're busy, well, they'll tell you that too, but in general New Yorkers seem quite outgoing and social. I've never talked to so many strangers in so many settings in such a short time as I have when visiting Manhattan. This was true everywhere, on the street, in cafes, in restaurants, on the phone (receptionist offers her opinion), waiting for the subway, on the subway, ... I found the combination of bluntness and sociability pretty refreshing, especially compared to the constant "plastic smile" one finds in many other cities. [A favorite incident: walking down the street in Manhattan on a hot summer's night, talking with my GF about a book I read. She reacts strongly (it was a scary scene)... two girls walking the other way jump in out of the blue: "Yo, what's up, what's wrong?!" ... "It's this book I read, she got scared" ... "What happened in it?" ... <describe scene> ... [girl 1:] "is that it?" [girl 2:] "No, no, actually that was kinda scary... what was that author's name? Have you read <other book>??" <etc etc>]

vacri 13y ago
Maybe NYC has changed? My only visit was in 2009, but I found them to not be particularly unfriendly. I think you might be right about the bluntness, and as you say bluntness and friendliness aren't in opposition. I was eager to get there since "at last, I can talk to someone at normal speed!"... but they still didn't talk fast enough. They could understand me at normal pace though, so that was enough :)
- snogglethorpe 13y ago
  > Maybe NYC has changed? I dunno; the first time I visited NYC was in 1989, the last time a few years ago. Details always vary of course, but the general vibe always seemed pretty much the same to me. [By reputation, the 1970s were sort of a low point for NYC in general, but I don't know how that was reflected in peoples' behavior...]
  - dfc 13y ago
    I was a little suspicious of your initial reply but the "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles" was too much. 1989 was close to if not the peak of the crack epidemic in NYC. Its almost impossible to say crack epidemic and smile or think happy thoughts. Have you ever experienced southern hospitality? Instead of rattling off a bunch of cities lets stick to the "Chars;" Charlotte, NC, Charlottesville, VA, Charleston, SC?
    - snogglethorpe 13y ago
      > I was a little suspicious of your initial reply but the "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles" was too much. You were "suspicious"? So what, do you think I'm lying? Anyway, I didn't say "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles," I said people were outgoing, sociable, and friendly. That certainly doesn't mean there wasn't any crime, or that there weren't social problems, but those things are not the same as an unfriendly populace. My impression of NYC is probably more influenced by later visits, but I certainly don't recall any particular difference in people's overall demeanor in 1989 (and that would have been surprising; such things don't change quickly). As a visitor I no doubt avoided the nastiest areas of the city, but spent quite a bit of time walking around in Manhattan (though the farthest north I ever got was just north of Columbia). And yeah, people were friendly. In 1989. In 1991. In 1994. ...etc... Maybe you have a different opinion, but I very much stand by what I wrote.
      - dfc 13y ago
        "As a visitor I no doubt avoided the nastiest areas of the city" That was so blatantly obvious that it is a little weird that you thought you needed to mention it. I think its mind blowing that someone could think that the general vibe in NYC (let alone friendliest city in US) was the same in 89, 97, 01-02, 06, 09? If you dont like years that is crack epidemic, Giuliani crime cleanup, pre/post 9/11, bull market, and housing crash.

vacri 13y ago

Maybe NYC has changed? My only visit was in 2009, but I found them to not be particularly unfriendly. I think you might be right about the bluntness, and as you say bluntness and friendliness aren't in opposition. I was eager to get there since "at last, I can talk to someone at normal speed!"... but they still didn't talk fast enough. They could understand me at normal pace though, so that was enough :)

snogglethorpe 13y ago
> Maybe NYC has changed? I dunno; the first time I visited NYC was in 1989, the last time a few years ago. Details always vary of course, but the general vibe always seemed pretty much the same to me. [By reputation, the 1970s were sort of a low point for NYC in general, but I don't know how that was reflected in peoples' behavior...]
- dfc 13y ago
  I was a little suspicious of your initial reply but the "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles" was too much. 1989 was close to if not the peak of the crack epidemic in NYC. Its almost impossible to say crack epidemic and smile or think happy thoughts. Have you ever experienced southern hospitality? Instead of rattling off a bunch of cities lets stick to the "Chars;" Charlotte, NC, Charlottesville, VA, Charleston, SC?
  - snogglethorpe 13y ago
    > I was a little suspicious of your initial reply but the "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles" was too much. You were "suspicious"? So what, do you think I'm lying? Anyway, I didn't say "NYC in 1989 was all rainbows and smiles," I said people were outgoing, sociable, and friendly. That certainly doesn't mean there wasn't any crime, or that there weren't social problems, but those things are not the same as an unfriendly populace. My impression of NYC is probably more influenced by later visits, but I certainly don't recall any particular difference in people's overall demeanor in 1989 (and that would have been surprising; such things don't change quickly). As a visitor I no doubt avoided the nastiest areas of the city, but spent quite a bit of time walking around in Manhattan (though the farthest north I ever got was just north of Columbia). And yeah, people were friendly. In 1989. In 1991. In 1994. ...etc... Maybe you have a different opinion, but I very much stand by what I wrote.
    - dfc 13y ago
      "As a visitor I no doubt avoided the nastiest areas of the city" That was so blatantly obvious that it is a little weird that you thought you needed to mention it. I think its mind blowing that someone could think that the general vibe in NYC (let alone friendliest city in US) was the same in 89, 97, 01-02, 06, 09? If you dont like years that is crack epidemic, Giuliani crime cleanup, pre/post 9/11, bull market, and housing crash.