New York: Love It or Leave It?

this is so funny. the typical American tourist. I just want to add one thing. Think very hard about what you want to do in life. There is nothing worse than regret. I was born & grew up in Bk,NYC all my life. I spent some time in Florida. I don't think I've ever been more down. I can not wait to return to my Beloved City no matter how bad these fucken people say it is. Native people know whats important to them. especially Artists. plan on doing a Foto essay- "No Counties For Young Men - Florida". So If you want to sell you private parts to men in Vegas- Sleep day & night in Utah GO- Waste life.

Some US travelers tell me that Kansas City is a very beautiful city. Sure it ain't New York, but it's not like she moved into an amish town. That's life.

I, for one, I'm psychologically ready to leave this city if it ever comes down to it. To be honest, unless I score a job that makes a lot more $$$ in the next 5 years or so, I'll probably start looking elsewhere. I don't want to live with a roommate all my life!!!

which was infested with bedbugs and giant cockroaches,

The cockroaches in the south would make the cockroaches in the city feel inadequate. Seriously, those things are the size of mice.

And, yes, please give me a city where I have to swim through the air in the morning. That sounds just fantastic.

All you "native new yorkers" are a bunch of cocksuckers. This entire comment thread is a bunch of idiots talking shit to justify the cost of living in a city that's moment has passed.

i moved to las vegas. the weather is better, the women are better, the bars are cheaper..haven't looked back for second. see ya, fuckers!

Haven't looked back for a second? Then what are you still doing on Gothamist? Shouldn't you be starting Vegasist or something?

I live three blocks from the house my parents live in. That house has been in my family for about 80 years. We've been through pretty much everything the city can throw at you and we're not going anywhere.

I'm a native New Yorker. I spent three days in Kansas City while on a cross-country trip. I cried the whole time. Literally. Weeping. All people do there is go to estate sales or the mall, or drink and play with guns. Oh, yeah... and I got my bag stolen... for the first time ever. I'd rather live in East New York.

@Amanda Harlech

best comment in my opinion!

I have lived in various cities around the globe and NYC is one of those that only mean a check in my list to get more mobility, not a goal on it self. After all we are in a mobile society.

From my experience i say this urban center has a very weak life quality compared to other big cities such as green as hell, and totally cool Berlin,or for example uber-cultural and way smaller Paris...And this is not even talking about South American cities with gorgeous climate, nature, and flare for everyday life.

NYC is the place were the bankers come to procreate... and those in bottom feeders circle around. The lifestyle is only for those making more than 100.000 and then, THAT is comparable to barely to a middle class life standard somewhere else.

NYC is just weak if you have traveled, get some factual info or lived in ANY other city.

I have lived in various cities around the globe and NYC is one of those that only mean a check in my list to get more mobility, not a goal on it self. After all we are in a mobile society.

From my experience i say this urban center has a very weak life quality compared to other big cities such as green as hell, and totally cool Berlin,or for example uber-cultural and way smaller Paris...And this is not even talking about South American cities with gorgeous climate, nature, and flare for everyday life.

NYC is the place were the bankers come to procreate... and those in bottom feeders circle around. The lifestyle is only for those making more than 100.000 and then, THAT is comparable to barely to a middle class life standard somewhere else.

NYC is just weak if you have traveled, get some factual info or lived in ANY other city.

I don't see why anyone would WANT to stay in the same place, same city for more than a few years! There's a world out there that like others have mentioned, can sustain the same lifestyle one leads here, only on a smaller scale perhaps, or a better quality of life ;)

Economic times such as present only help to clarify the true desires of some, waking them up from the monotony of everyday life, be it in Manhattan, Greenpoint, or beyond.

I think the real tragedy here is people who hold on to a beloved city/neighborhood/career only because a deep fear of change in themselves...

best comment in my opinion!

I dont get why people want to live in Greenpoint. Even the folks who lived there for 2-3 generations want to get the hell out of there.

If you've got your head on straight, friends around you, and money coming in, it's possible to be happy anywhere.

And I'm a native New Yorker saying that.

Haters to the left.

I love NY, but I do think we are overrated.

The days when only cities like NYC could support and allow much of what the rest of the country hated or ignored are long over. We don't support what made us special, like great theater, as we use to.

The level of parochialism in these comments is ridiculous and yet not unexpected. An awful lot of smart-mouths think they're better than other people for no other reason than they were born or grew up in NYC, just like so many rednecks think being "born in the USA" automatically makes them special. The fact is that many people who didn't move to NYC until late into their lives are better New Yorkers than the self-described natives here will ever be. Some can't hack it and leave, but some stay and love NYC with a passion and don't take the city for granted like the lifelong residents often do. NYC is a state of mind, not just a physical address.

seriously. what would NY look like if not for all the non-natives moving here? answer: detroit.

Dude. You just channeled Billy Joel.

I had a friend from college that was trying to convince everyone that NYC was dying and anyone who was anyone was moving out of the city. This was in 1971.

He still lives in western Massachusetts.

haha. i bet you laugh at people who say "i've lived in new york since the 90s!"

and I agree about natives vs. non-natives. People who move to new cities tend to be bright and ambitious - particularly in a place like nyc.

now that everyone's moving out of new york i'm going to move in just to be contrary.

Might I recommend a sumptuous apartment at 56 Leonard St.? Fabulous views, convenient to everything.

Leave, go, now, far, far, away, tell, everyone, you, meet, to, stay, away.

I hope she bones up on her bible talk

and lay off the weed and take up gun collecting.

in other words, keep one's mouth shut before they find out there's an evil librul in their midst.

This is idiotic. It's not a badge of honor to live in New York and no it's not fantassssstic. It sucks a lot of the time...it's expensive, you live in your own filth, the people are often disgusting (some for basic hygiene, others for being nasty plastic people who wear giant sunglasses). Yes, there are wonderful museums, and some great restaurants. But I always wanted to live in Henry James' New York, or in Woody Allen's, but that place is dead.

I wake up now in Chapel Hill, and I think to myself "thank god Im here now." It's full of trees, clean, the people are friendly, and the food is just as good. Sure, I miss the museums, but oh well, my quality of life is 10 times better here. I read this blog because it's like Jerry Springer...you never know what kind of weird shit happens in this city.

@Snoopy Kansas City,MO It is a big difference. It's a real city, it isn't like she's living next door to Dorothy in the middle of a wheat field.

My dear there are two Kansas City's. One on the Missouri side and one on the Kansas side. Neither of them are worth a second look. Unless of course you want cheap housing, or your a cattle rancher driving stock to market.

I think the 8,000 pound elephant in the room is that NYC has become totally unaffordable. Even if you live in a sketchy neighborhood your rent will be out of control. If you're something vaguely resembling middle class, you'll never own where you live, you'll raise your kids in a tiny apartment, and spend so much time working you'll never get to enjoy all this 'wonderful' culture surrounding us. It's not a bad way to live, I grew up here that way. Unless you are very wealthy your quality of life in NYC will always kind of blow, and I just see that aspect of leaving here growing. It's disheartening that everyone's argument is 'Place X isn't NYC'. Somehow belittling other places is the NYC way of shifting off some of the burden it takes to live here.

The Chicago guy's point about Andrew Bird illustrates that exceedingly well. Quality of life is better in other places if you don't have a lot of money.

Please!

NYC is still an amazing city, and always will be.

If you don't like it, get the fuck out and move to Kansas City like that chick.

By the way, I'm proud to live in downtown Jersey City.

I left a tiny apartment on 14th st in 1999 and have a huge place now for the same money.

So what if I have to take a 10 minute PATH ride to get into the city?

Did she move to Kansas City, Kansas or Kansas City MO? There is a difference. It's kind of like moving to Philly or Camden.

Ah, but Camden has the best view of Philly just as East St. Louis has the best view of its namesake and Jersey City has the best view of NYC. ...too bad those wonderful views are the last thing you'll see as some thug blows your head off for some pocket lint.

The idiot in Kansas omits one important detail: every morning, as she gets out of bed, she looks around and realizes she's in KANSAS!!!! Honey, you tried and you failed. FAILED. It's New York, dearie. You make it, or you don't. You got a job that paid a sick amount of money (and held on to it during this shit-storm,) or you managed to weasel your way into rent-control, or you were lucky enough to win a HUD lottery and buy a place for a sick price (like me and my family, suckas!), or you're some trust-fund douche, or something, and then it works and you stay and every day is indeed like Sunday, and you live in NY and raise your kids in NY and it's expensive but it's f**king fantastic. Fantastic. Or you're you, and you failed, and now you're in Kansas. Yes, it costs less. Because it's worth less, much less. And you're welcome to it. Have fun.

God, did you drink your 6th cup of coffee or perhaps is your 6th pass of coke?!

Man, I am a bitter, hostile f**k.

kansas girl = bbw

NYC sucks ass! Guatemala has even better living standards than the island or any surroundings. To think than to have a washer at home is a luxury, to have no fresh food in other place than 2 whole foods, to fear all people around, and to think people born in NYC think they are de facto more informed than people in Kansas?! It is proven this city is the worse to create wealth!

keep thinking otherwise, smart asses. This place is a stepping stone for those that can see.

omg my very frist internet doppleganger! It's an honor and a privilege. :D

Mucho Gusto!

Mucho Susto!

http://uncle-semite.com/menschhealth/images/050829_fw_bloomberg_ex.jpg

Can't Israel take Bloomberg?

When you guys/gals get tired of trying to recreate Sex and the City lifestyles that you'll never have, maybe you'll take a look around and see that the world is much a bigger place than what you can get to riding the subway.

On second thought, please stay here. The rest of the world doesn't need the arrogant, narrow minded attitude of the people that seem to have occupied the city the last 15 years.

NYS is a festering shithole. the idiots that run albany have already run upstate into the ground, and this financial crisis is going to put the hurt on downstate.

The only thing left to do is raise taxes to make sure sure we can pay for Shelly Silver's sandbox of a state government.

When I get laid off from my finance job It'll almost be a blessing in disguise. If you need me I'll be enjoying my pro-growth government in a state that gets it.

Wait, Kansas City has no bedbugs? I wonder how long that will last.

UhOh:

http://www.kctv5.com/news/17727509/detail.html#-

http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g44535-d97169-r21743544-Comfort_Suites-Kansas_City_Missouri.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g44535-d224270-r24373391-Hampton_Inn_Suites_Country_Club_Plaza-Kansas_City_Missouri.html

Kansas City soon to be just as unlivable as NYC now that some midwest transplant has brought back all of our bedbugs with her!

Seriously though, one bedbug infestation and I'm outta here, and even your accusations of me not being "real" enough for nyc won't stop me.

when will bloomberg leave?

LA is boring. If it weren't for the weather, I would almost honestly pick Kansas City over LA. At least the people in KC are real.

Also L.A is the "it" place to be now.

L.A. is pretend.

You must be farking kidding. Any New Yorker who is happy living in LA wasn't a New Yorker to begin with.

That was such a heart warming story. Moving to Kansas City is like getting free room and board for a month at Tony Orlando's theater in Branson, MO.

On another note, please don't come back when you die of boredom. Watching college football at your local sports bar on a wide screen TV is not quite the same as living in NYC. Oops you really didn't live here. You lived in Greenpoint. Sorry.

Be careful what you wish for.

Mayor Bloomberg recently said: "One percent of the people that live in the city, the households that file in the city, pay something like 50% of the taxes. In a city that's about 40,000 people".

40,000 people cover half the taxes in the city. If just 10,000 of them left, we'd be in deep doo doo.

I know. Before people get so cavalier, lets remember that Bloomie and the city grew the city services to large levels. And a government job created is a job that is never destroyed.

So, honestly, this is going to cause some chickens to come home and roost.

That chick sure is fat enough to fit in to Kansas.

I agree about the energy that chicago is lacking compared to NYC. Then again it is extremely liveable here with some of the best food, culture and entertainment in the country.

I will say new york felt deserted when i was there a couple months ago. Maybe it was just me.

"One 26-year-old says she... moved into a palatial palace in Kansas City"

She wasn't a New Yorker, she came here after high school, stayed for a few years, and now has returned to the city where she grew up.

And a Jameson on the rocks is also $5 at my favorite dive bar here, which is just a few blocks from her last apartment. The typical visitor from the midwest, she never looked around enough.

Now is the time to stay in NYC and reshape it - there is an opportunity here and I am going to take it and stay. if you cannot stomach this place in the bad times... then you're not cut out for this place in the first place. Kansas City sure is a nice place... maybe to some, but it's not NYC and never will be... even if it has things like Critical Mass (gag)... they do have real BBQ though.... but then again... NYC is working BBQ too.

Go for it!!! Do it! Leave! DO THIS NOW!!!

NYC has enough fair-weather friends to populate 5 Bostons.

Amen. With fair-weather friends like these, who needs enemies.

well said my friend.... WELL SAID!!!

BTW, the population of Boston is 574,283. Making the NYC fair-weather friend population a staggering 2,871,415.

Which, not coincidentally, was the total number of sales made last year by "neighborhoody" brand sweatshirts.

yes. seriously, get out, if you can't take it.

Good riddance!!!!