> 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 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.