Comments on: Why I don’t like living in New York http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/ I've got the brains, who's got the looks? Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gladtobegone http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 Gladtobegone Tue, 17 May 2011 00:50:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-1001 I lived in New York for the first 30 years of my life (with a small 5 year sabbatical when I left for college). Finally moved away for good in 2002 and I've been happy with my decision every day for the past 9 years.  Now I live under palm trees, near the ocean, in a house with a driveway..... and fenced in yard where I can hang out with my friends, or all by myself, and just chill out whenever I want to.   I still have regular nightmares that I had to move back for some god awful reason.  They wake me up nearly in tears. Yes, I grew up in NYC.  If I go back every two years or so for a long weekend, I'm fine and dandy with it.  I hope someone is enjoying taking up my two inches of space up there.  It's all yours.  :) I lived in New York for the first 30 years of my life (with a small 5 year sabbatical when I left for college).

Finally moved away for good in 2002 and I’ve been happy with my decision every day for the past 9 years.  Now I live under palm trees, near the ocean, in a house with a driveway….. and fenced in yard where I can hang out with my friends, or all by myself, and just chill out whenever I want to.   I still have regular nightmares that I had to move back for some god awful reason.  They wake me up nearly in tears.

Yes, I grew up in NYC.  If I go back every two years or so for a long weekend, I’m fine and dandy with it.  I hope someone is enjoying taking up my two inches of space up there.  It’s all yours.  :)

]]> By: EricaJoy http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-999 EricaJoy Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:47:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-999 Done. http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/08/30/hello-sunnyvale/ Next assignment? ;) Done. http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/08/30/hello-sunnyvale/

Next assignment? ;)

]]> By: Prettybrown132 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-998 Prettybrown132 Fri, 15 Apr 2011 04:37:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-998 I just don't understand the need to detail this in a manifesto. Just work on moving. Voila! I just don’t understand the need to detail this in a manifesto. Just work on moving. Voila!

]]> By: Anduarto http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-995 Anduarto Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:53:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-995 Even with all my misgivings about NYC, it breaks my heart you feel this way. Who told you never to look anyone in the eye? It's a NYC fallacy. It's a habit. A throwback to the good bad old days when NYC truly was a dangerous place to live. It's nonsense. In fact, part of what makes living in NYC bearable for me, is purposefully breaking through the barriers, the habitual walls. People are still people and I find most folks (with the notable exception of certain young climbers who have some sort of hipness thing going on) are remarkably open to connecting if given the chance. Even with all my misgivings about NYC, it breaks my heart you feel this way. Who told you never to look anyone in the eye? It’s a NYC fallacy. It’s a habit. A throwback to the good bad old days when NYC truly was a dangerous place to live. It’s nonsense. In fact, part of what makes living in NYC bearable for me, is purposefully breaking through the barriers, the habitual walls. People are still people and I find most folks (with the notable exception of certain young climbers who have some sort of hipness thing going on) are remarkably open to connecting if given the chance.

]]> By: Anduarto http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-994 Anduarto Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:51:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-994 Just been reading all the posts. Wow. Even with all my misgivings, I think some of you are being a little harsh. (I don't bring this up to be argumentative, just for the sake of discussion). I can't believe it either, but it actually makes me want to defend NYC a little bit. The saddest take is from Buffalobirdie. Who told you never to look anyone in the eye? It's a NYC fallacy. It's a habit. A throwback to the good bad old days when NYC truly was a dangerous place to live. It's nonsense. In fact, part of what makes living in NYC bearable for me, is purposefully breaking through the barriers, the habitual walls. People are still people and find most folks (with the notable exception of certain young climbers who have some sort of hipness thing going on) are remarkably open to connecting if given the chance. Just been reading all the posts. Wow. Even with all my misgivings, I think some of you are being a little harsh. (I don’t bring this up to be argumentative, just for the sake of discussion). I can’t believe it either, but it actually makes me want to defend NYC a little bit.

The saddest take is from Buffalobirdie. Who told you never to look anyone in the eye? It’s a NYC fallacy. It’s a habit. A throwback to the good bad old days when NYC truly was a dangerous place to live. It’s nonsense. In fact, part of what makes living in NYC bearable for me, is purposefully breaking through the barriers, the habitual walls. People are still people and find most folks (with the notable exception of certain young climbers who have some sort of hipness thing going on) are remarkably open to connecting if given the chance.

]]> By: Anduarto http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Anduarto Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:43:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-993 I started to ask if you still lived in New York, but I see now that you're in California. Good for you. I'm a little more conflicted about New York than you seemed to be. I like urban life. It's just that New York is so brutally urban. It feels claustrophobic at times. I keep thinking I'd be better off in a city with just a skosh more room, just a little more green. I love being able to walk to a coffee shop, cafe, restaurant without having to get in a car. But give me some trees and a little bit of space along the way. New York is wonderful in a lot of ways. It truly is exciting and energizing on many levels. Unfortunately, the cost of living - more specifically the cost of housing - have degraded the quality of life here in a real way. The artists, writers, thinkers, bohemians and just plain characters that gave it so much of it's power, can no longer afford to live here. There are actually more fertile art / intellectual scenes in smaller, less expensive cities. And, yes, New Yorkers can't shut up about how much they love New York. To suggest otherwise is paramount to heresy. That's a good thing, I guess. It's good that people love their city. But one does sometimes get the feeling that some of this praise amounts to a collective pep talk. New Yorkers trying to convince themselves that New York is, in fact, worth the rather substantial price tag - financial and otherwise. I started to ask if you still lived in New York, but I see now that you’re in California. Good for you.

I’m a little more conflicted about New York than you seemed to be. I like urban life. It’s just that New York is so brutally urban. It feels claustrophobic at times. I keep thinking I’d be better off in a city with just a skosh more room, just a little more green. I love being able to walk to a coffee shop, cafe, restaurant without having to get in a car. But give me some trees and a little bit of space along the way.

New York is wonderful in a lot of ways. It truly is exciting and energizing on many levels. Unfortunately, the cost of living – more specifically the cost of housing – have degraded the quality of life here in a real way. The artists, writers, thinkers, bohemians and just plain characters that gave it so much of it’s power, can no longer afford to live here. There are actually more fertile art / intellectual scenes in smaller, less expensive cities.

And, yes, New Yorkers can’t shut up about how much they love New York. To suggest otherwise is paramount to heresy. That’s a good thing, I guess. It’s good that people love their city. But one does sometimes get the feeling that some of this praise amounts to a collective pep talk. New Yorkers trying to convince themselves that New York is, in fact, worth the rather substantial price tag – financial and otherwise.

]]> By: Talullah http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-895 Talullah Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:36:11 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-895 All y'all, I totally agree! I moved from Vancouver Canada to NYC and stayed for almost 2 years. First in Park Slope Brooklyn and then in Manhattan (SoHo area). I have some great friends there, but I noticed that I was the only one working to get people to hang together - everyone there is used to being 'too busy' to get together and I felt like I never ever saw some of my best friends - it was a monumental effort always and when I gave up trying to organize get-togethers, the get-togethers stopped. Apartments are generally too small to hang out in, so you're forced to go to bars and cafes to socialize (no potlucks in NY!) the class divide is creepy and awful, and the people in the middle are so desperate to claw their way up the ladder to claim the 'dream' - it's entirely depressing and soul-sucking. I'm so glad I got out. I only wish I could have convinced my boyfriend too, but he won't give up his 150G salary doing a job he hates (and he still feels like he's 'poor', go figure) because he hasn't 'made it' yet and he doesn't want to 'leave with his tail between his legs'. He is over 50 now. No kids. No marriage. Living alone. Trying to achieve the dream. Miserable. "But it's New York, the greatest city on earth". Sad. And the weird sense of entitlement that I feel everywhere in America (sorry) is multiplied by a thousand in NYC. To me, it's a case of the emperor has no clothes. My friend once commented, 'you go there, and you see people all dressed in black, carrying their cloth bags with baguettes in them, dour-faced and grumpy, rushing down the street, trying to pretend it's all worth it'. Garbage. Noise. Sirens. Rude people. A park where the 'nature' is man-made. No thanks! All y'all, I totally agree! I moved from Vancouver Canada to NYC and stayed for almost 2 years. First in Park Slope Brooklyn and then in Manhattan (SoHo area). I have some great friends there, but I noticed that I was the only one working to get people to hang together – everyone there is used to being 'too busy' to get together and I felt like I never ever saw some of my best friends – it was a monumental effort always and when I gave up trying to organize get-togethers, the get-togethers stopped. Apartments are generally too small to hang out in, so you're forced to go to bars and cafes to socialize (no potlucks in NY!) the class divide is creepy and awful, and the people in the middle are so desperate to claw their way up the ladder to claim the 'dream' – it's entirely depressing and soul-sucking. I'm so glad I got out. I only wish I could have convinced my boyfriend too, but he won't give up his 150G salary doing a job he hates (and he still feels like he's 'poor', go figure) because he hasn't 'made it' yet and he doesn't want to 'leave with his tail between his legs'. He is over 50 now. No kids. No marriage. Living alone. Trying to achieve the dream. Miserable. “But it's New York, the greatest city on earth”. Sad. And the weird sense of entitlement that I feel everywhere in America (sorry) is multiplied by a thousand in NYC. To me, it's a case of the emperor has no clothes. My friend once commented, 'you go there, and you see people all dressed in black, carrying their cloth bags with baguettes in them, dour-faced and grumpy, rushing down the street, trying to pretend it's all worth it'. Garbage. Noise. Sirens. Rude people. A park where the 'nature' is man-made. No thanks!

]]> By: EricaJoy http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-850 EricaJoy Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:36:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-850 Honey, I left that hellhole a year and a half ago. I'm afraid my "spot" has probably been taken as I'm sure someone has already moved into my overpriced POS apartment in Brooklyn.<br><br>Regards from normally sunny but rainy for the moment California! Honey, I left that hellhole a year and a half ago. I'm afraid my “spot” has probably been taken as I'm sure someone has already moved into my overpriced POS apartment in Brooklyn.

Regards from normally sunny but rainy for the moment California!

]]> By: AXE http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-849 AXE Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:01:31 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-849 Wow! If you don't like NY, then get the f*** out. Don't take my profanity as a sign of hostility, but I have been trying to get into NY for some time now. Finding an apartment is impossible (although i think I found one yesterday), and to hear someone who knows that they value the suburbs stay in NY if only to complain bothers me. Please, there are millions of people who want to be in NY don't hold down one of their spots. Wow! If you don't like NY, then get the f*** out. Don't take my profanity as a sign of hostility, but I have been trying to get into NY for some time now. Finding an apartment is impossible (although i think I found one yesterday), and to hear someone who knows that they value the suburbs stay in NY if only to complain bothers me. Please, there are millions of people who want to be in NY don't hold down one of their spots.

]]> By: EricaJoy http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/comment-page-1/#comment-841 EricaJoy Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:36:00 +0000 http://www.ericabaker.com/2008/04/14/why-i-dont-like-living-in-new-york/#comment-841 Honey, I left that hellhole a year and a half ago. I'm afraid my "spot" has probably been taken as I'm sure someone has already moved into my overpriced POS apartment in Brooklyn.<br><br>Regards from normally sunny but rainy for the moment California! Honey, I left that hellhole a year and a half ago. I'm afraid my “spot” has probably been taken as I'm sure someone has already moved into my overpriced POS apartment in Brooklyn.

Regards from normally sunny but rainy for the moment California!

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