New York

truth seeker

The Living Force
I went back to visit after not being there for about a year and a half. The food prices have doubled and while there are still a lot of tourists (sounds funny saying that now), it felt emptier. One of my friends said that a lot of people have moved to other states that may be more affordable. A lot of projects regarding "luxury condos" have stopped in progress, there a few for sale signs on brownstones which I've never noticed before and I saw a few moving vans as well which I've also never noticed before...
 
Yeah did you get a chance to walk around the West Village? There's tons of boarded up shops along 7th avenue, it's kinda creepy.

Then again, if you go through times sq at any time of day it's always a mess. Crazy tons of people everywhere. I went through last night for a anti-war protest, it was nuts.

The rent cost in Manhattan has been dropping. There was a noticeable lack of people moving into the city shortly after the 08 crash. Property value in general has fallen substantially but there are not shortage of people buying/renting places. I have a friend who works as a real estate broker and he's doing pretty well. I also have a lot of friends who are able to find employment in various other positions, waiting/bartending/refing sports or teaching classes @ gyms, so resourceful people can still find employment in one area or another.
 
[quote author=Puck]The rent cost in Manhattan has been dropping. There was a noticeable lack of people moving into the city shortly after the 08 crash. Property value in general has fallen substantially but there are not shortage of people buying/renting places. I have a friend who works as a real estate broker and he's doing pretty well. I also have a lot of friends who are able to find employment in various other positions, waiting/bartending/refing sports or teaching classes @ gyms, so resourceful people can still find employment in one area or another.[/quote]

Yeah.
Funny thing is I didn't have a job for two years( :shock:) and finally I just got a job two weeks ago.
The other funny thing is economy is declining and we had to move from the apartment where we lived and we couldn't afford to move, but the landlord and landlady sold the house -or that's what they said- and the beginning of October and we had to move before November 30th.
Then we honestly told our financial situation and that without help we can't do that.
They also told us the buyer payed for them to put us out before December.
Took weeks until they realized if they don't pay for our moving expenses then they can say good-bye to sell the house.
Long story short: finally they paid not what we asked but 60%, we found a new apartment for reasonable price and we did it just last week-end and we have a new, quiet, beautiful and big place for $300 more/month.
The old place was $950/mo the new is $1250/mo.
The old apartment was noisy, creepy and small, three rooms for the three of us.( MC, my son and me)
The new flat is 2 bedroom, quiet, sunny and renewed! :)
So even things getting more tough, I got a job, we moved to a new great place and I'm happy! :flowers:
 
The dictionary definition of toxic should be: New York.

Man huntin’

Soul Trapping Station

Key Note In the Corporate Killing Spree

Soul Hacking Illusive Tridimensional Eviscerator

Bad Apple

Want a little taste of the acceleration into chaos to come? Live here for a while, the struggle between yes and no can be no clearer.
 
Puck said:
Yeah did you get a chance to walk around the West Village? There's tons of boarded up shops along 7th avenue, it's kinda creepy.

We did a bit, but not so much 7th ave. I did get that same creepy feeling waking around in other parts though. Businesses that have been around for at least 20 years just gone in one! I was sad to see the strand bookstore downtown gone. It was one of the best, largest used bookstores. Basically it's the store that really give NY it's unique personality. A few of the chain stores have lessened or are completely gone as well although I don't miss those as much.

Puck said:
Then again, if you go through times sq at any time of day it's always a mess. Crazy tons of people everywhere. I went through last night for a anti-war protest, it was nuts.

You said a mouthful there! Being from New York, I know better than to go there, but as I was playing tour guide I jumped in. Never again! We went into this toys 'r us in a search for toy model kits - what a zoo!

Puck - Wow. I'm sorry you have to pay more now to live even though you like the place better. My friend who lives in rent controlled housing just had her rent raised by at least 40%! On top of that, they somehow managed to decrease her pay at work...

MC said:
Want a little taste of the acceleration into chaos to come? Live here for a while, the struggle between yes and no can be no clearer.

Yeah, I think this would be the place to really keep an eye on in terms of what's happening. I think unfortunately that will be when people really sit up and take notice. My friends know something is wrong, but are still unable to grasp the enormity of it.
 
Sorry to rehash an oldie but I thought it would be better than just starting a new thread. Anyone knows any places worth visiting in this city during this winter period? Or is it still just a heavily commercialised place with nothing much to offer in terms of soul? Not much of a traveller myself, but I figured I should do something with the two weeks that I'd be there.
 
bm said:
Sorry to rehash an oldie but I thought it would be better than just starting a new thread. Anyone knows any places worth visiting in this city during this winter period? Or is it still just a heavily commercialised place with nothing much to offer in terms of soul? Not much of a traveller myself, but I figured I should do something with the two weeks that I'd be there.

When visiting NY, I really enjoy the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/
I always find it inspiring walking through the indoor/outdoor gardens. :D
 
Nancy2feathers said:
bm said:
Sorry to rehash an oldie but I thought it would be better than just starting a new thread. Anyone knows any places worth visiting in this city during this winter period? Or is it still just a heavily commercialised place with nothing much to offer in terms of soul? Not much of a traveller myself, but I figured I should do something with the two weeks that I'd be there.

When visiting NY, I really enjoy the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/
I always find it inspiring walking through the indoor/outdoor gardens. :D

Great recommendation! Looks like grounds admission is free on Wednesdays. Would it be worth it to get a ticket for the exhibitions too?
 
I was going to suggest the Botanical Gardens as well! Another of my favorites is the Cloisters - its a quiet place overlooking the Hudson River in the north part of Manhattan.

I also like to visit the Metropolitan Museum - avoid it on the weekends, though if you can! There are a number of quiet places within the museum where you can find respite, like the Chinese Garden Court.

Also found this: _http://www.citylab.com/design/2012/04/ten-places-find-peace-and-quiet-manhattan/1758/

If I think of any others, will let you know!
 
I have not been in NY yet,but seems for me a city with no Soul.It is only my perception from the distance.Anyway one of my colleagues was there for New Year Eve and she says that the environment is very tense.The Trump Towers are with strict vigilance.
 
I recommend going to the top of the Empire State Building to see the spectacular 360 degree view of Manhattan. On 34th Street and 5th Avenue (where the ESB is) you can also take a double decker tour bus downtown all the way to the Wall Street area. You'll see a lot of beautiful buildings that way if you enjoy that sort of thing, and the bus travels through several interesting parts of town: the Flat Iron District, Greenwich Village, SoHo and the eeevil Financial District. But mostly, if the weather is good (or you're dressed warmly enough), you'll just want to walk around to places that interest you - being mindful of everyone and everything going on around you of course. I also raise my hand for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And there's also the Museum of Natural History - both of which are terrific. Have fun and be safe!
 
bm said:
Nancy2feathers said:
bm said:
Sorry to rehash an oldie but I thought it would be better than just starting a new thread. Anyone knows any places worth visiting in this city during this winter period? Or is it still just a heavily commercialised place with nothing much to offer in terms of soul? Not much of a traveller myself, but I figured I should do something with the two weeks that I'd be there.

When visiting NY, I really enjoy the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/
I always find it inspiring walking through the indoor/outdoor gardens. :D

Great recommendation! Looks like grounds admission is free on Wednesdays. Would it be worth it to get a ticket for the exhibitions too?

I went to the train show last year and it was spectacular! Miniature trains buzzing around and through a great variety of plants and greenery, buildings and bridges all made from natural materials, just stunning. I would suggest buying tickets in advance as they sell out pretty quick. If you are a lover of nature and plants, I would highly recommend this Garden of Eden in NYC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib8bwnYRtZI

Also there are many Broadway and off-Broadway plays. And there is the mineral and salt baths in TriBeCa http://www.ancientbathsny.com/

I would never think of going to NYC for New Years. That is definitely when all the crazies come out to celebrate.
 
I'd suggest the Botanical Gardens as well as the Cloisters, both are wonderful spots. The Metropolitan Museum has an incredible collection of art, sculpture and artifacts from around the world. Both the Cloisters and the Met are donation based, so you could donate $1 to get in making them both very affordable. If you do go to the Met, chart out what you want to see beforehand, there's simply too much to do in one day, so prioritizing is a must.

The View is a neat restaurant on the top of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Time Square. _http://www.theviewnyc.com/ It's a revolving space that does a complete rotation once per hour. I'd suggest you have a cocktail, coffee or just a small dessert there as the prices are high. The good part is you don't pay any sort of admission.

I'd recommend you try BareBurger at least once, they are all over Manhattan now and their burgers are pretty good. All their meat is grass fed and veggies are all organic, they have GF bun options and really good french fries. A full meal, plus tax and tip will run you about $30 there.

Bryant Park is walking distance from Times Square and it's home to the main branch of the New York Public Library. The building is beautiful inside and out and the park has a few coffee shops around with seating which can be nice if it's a sunny day. Times Square is my least favorite spot in the city, but you may want to see it for yourself if you've never been to NYC before.
 
Nancy2feathers said:
bm said:
Sorry to rehash an oldie but I thought it would be better than just starting a new thread. Anyone knows any places worth visiting in this city during this winter period? Or is it still just a heavily commercialised place with nothing much to offer in terms of soul? Not much of a traveller myself, but I figured I should do something with the two weeks that I'd be there.

When visiting NY, I really enjoy the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx: https://www.facebook.com/NYBotanicalGarden/
I always find it inspiring walking through the indoor/outdoor gardens. :D

I also recommend the Botanical Gardens. It's a beautiful place. But I'm not sure if it'll be worth visiting during the winter because nothing will be in bloom. The best time to visit the Botanical Gardens is during the spring or early summer.
 
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