WHY do you LIKE living in NY?

Sherri

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 8:22 am

People grew up there, have family there, it's a large Jewish centre which many people do enjoy- quite convenient, too- perhaps more job opportunities for people in specific occupations, more options for schools for kids, frum organizations and support systems, close to many other frum communities, a great metropolitan city vis a vis the secular world, too...

There are many reasons to like living in NY. Sorry that you did not like your Shabbos experience.

tzipp

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 8:43 am

I agree with Sherri. There are certain job opportunities, a large jewish infastructure that ppl with all sort of special needs can turn to. Also, it's nyc, even if ppl live inthe boroughs, they can hop on a subway and go to all kinds of great places.

Can I ask op, where are you from? And where in ny were you for shabbos?

I do think the dirt and noise is hard for outders and even insiders sometimes to stomach.

smilingmom

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 9:05 am

24 hour public transportation.

Kosher restaurants that don't close at 8:00 PM.

You never run out of free things to do.

Kids don't need you to take them to their friends. Each of my kids have at least a dozen kids their age within a one block radius of my house.

24 hour bodega's for emergency shopping.

We don't need a car.

Best doctors in the world.

and much much more.

freidasima

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 9:10 am

Because it is one of the most amazing cities in the world and probably the one easiest to be an orthodox Jew in, outside of EY.

When I dream of living anywhere outside of here for a while it is definitely to live in NY. Definitely on the Upper West Side. Definitely with a lot of money in the bank.

Which is one reason I don't live there...but it would be nice to have a summer home there!
Dream on Freidasima!

Grandmama

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 11:42 am

I LOVE NY.

If I were coming in for a short time, I would be bewildered and unable to comprehend lots of things.
But after living here for more than 50 years, I would not choose to live anywhere else (except Yerushalayim with Moshiach IYH Bimheira Bayameinu). No matter where I have travelled, I am still a very happy NYer.

We have a huge community with many different choices. Choices of schools, shuls, organizations, friends, and places to go. Freedom of choice is what we have here. You don't like this grocery? Go to another one. You don't like this block? Move to another one. You want excitement? It's here. You want variety? It's here. You want to go out in middle of the night? You can. You want a minyan at 12 am cuz you just arrived from out of town? You got it.
Most people also get used to and tend to like and identify with the place of their birth.

BusyBeeMommy

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 3:38 pm

NY State is also very generous with its social programs and education programs for those in need. They provide Early Intervention, CPSE, CSE, P3, and Title 1 for all those eligible, very generously and more so than in other states. And they provide public bus transportation for all school age children.

yo'ma

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 3:41 pm

BennysMommy wrote:

smilingmom wrote:

Kosher restaurants that don't close at 8:00 PM.

ha...my DH has a hard time with NY restaurants. Here they don't OPEN for dinner until 8ish. You can easily find somewhere to eat until 2 at least! (and I'm not talking Motzei Shabbos)

That's why when we go, very, very seldom, with our kids out for supper, we go for pizza or mcd's. LOL

The first time we were going to go out for dinner over here, before we even moved here, we got there (al galope) around 6:30-7 and we were quite miffed because we wanted to be out by 8. I don't remember what we ended up doing.

louche

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 4:33 pm

freidasima wrote:

...but it would be nice to have a summer home there!

That you can say such a thing shows how long you've been away. NYC is miserable in summer. Always was. Natives flee to the mountains for their sanity and health. The air reeks of a combo of fermenting dog feces, rotting garbage, automotive exhaust and lighter fluid from illegal fire-escape BBQs. Or of dead fish if you're near the water. The sun bakes the concrete all day, and then the concrete returns the favor by radiating heat back all night, so the air doesn't cool appreciably. The subway stations are like ovens.

Winter...now that's when you want to to be there. The cold freezes the dog do and trash so it doesn't smell, the subways let you laugh at the weather, the public buildings are well-heated, the streets are embellished with lights, and if you're into that sort of thing, the store windows are decorated to within an inch of their lives.

manhattanmom

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 4:44 pm

It's the best city in the world.
I love the conveniences of having things--stores, restaurants open past 8:00!
I love the endless things of free things to do--especially family friendly things.
Great parks, museums, etc. all local.
I love being independent--like not having to drive everywhere--for errands, especially--putting a baby in the stroller and WALKING to where you want to go--not in and out of the car, baby/toddlers falling asleep and then being woken up to go in and out of stores--in a stroller, a baby can sleep and stay asleep until after you get home.
I love having 4 season--as much as I LOVE warm/hot weather, I couldn't deal with it for 12 months!
Education is great--much more of a selection of schools.
Early Intervention--other states services don't even compare to what residents of NY get.
I could name more if I had more time...

I'm sorry, OP you did not have a good experience for over your shabbos stay in NY. If you want a fabulous shabbos in the city--I can try to set up accomodations for you--here on the Lower East Side.

Simple1

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 5:14 pm

Transportation!
Well, I live in Lakewood but grew up there. My teens find it frustrating that they have to rely on me to take them anywhere they need to go. Some kids even hitch rides which I think it's dangerous. In NY it's fairly easy to take a bus or a train. Besides for the fact that many people live within walking distance to stores, schools, and friends and relatives.

smilingmom

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 5:31 pm

louche wrote:

freidasima wrote:

...but it would be nice to have a summer home there!

You could not be more hopelessly wrong!!!

Why the summer in the city is fun and Free .... By smiling mom

Biking in Governors Island while enjoying the free concerts.
Kite flying in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Watching the sunset in Coney Island with in the water up to my thighs
Central Park Victorian Gardens.
Playing frisbee on the Great Lawn
Hiking in Fort Tyrone Park.
The Cloisters.
M & M & Hershey store.
Lincoln Center free concerts and giveaways
Shakespeare in the Park
Street fairs.
ABC community gardens.
Sprinklers, sprinklers everywhere!!!
50 cents gets you into Museum of Natural History and Met. Museum of Art/

What other city compares?????

sequoia

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 5:41 pm

Everything smilingmom said. I love NY because I'm a new yorker and couldn't live anywhere else, but I love it most in the summer!

It is beautiful in the winter too, but I hate winter. Better in NY than in Chicago, though, where I grew up!

Fall is nice, we have a nice long Indian summer.

Spring is nice, good mild sunny weather.

I love NY! It is very safe, it's the city that never sleeps! Mom came to visit, she said, "I couldn't believe how many people were out at 2 a.m. Now I don't worry about you anymore!"

Tablepoetry

Sun, Jul 18 2010, 6:04 pm

Funny to see this posted now.

I'm not from NY. I spent maybe 5 days there my entire life. But my teen son just returned from a visit to my brother and I think he truly fell in love with the city. (I actually wrote a blog post about it this week). As others have said, the choices, the action, the possibilities - it's all so dynamic and so 'happening'.