With culture and excitement to spare, New York stands alone among modern metropolises. As Complex.com notes, “there’s something for everybody if you’re willing to look.” Here are just eight of those things.
1. It’s a city that’s truly alive and kicking
New York is known for being ultrafast-paced. It’s “the city that never sleeps” and where anything is possible. Not only do bars stay open until 4 AM, but New York’s creative spirit makes it one of the most unique, vibrant cities in the entire world. Greenwich Village, Soho, the East Village, and Williamsburg in Brooklyn are all havens for the visual arts and music. If partying is more your scene, there are literally hundreds of different happenings and nightclubs to choose from on any given night. Prefer something more low key? New York is home to dozens of microbreweries and distilleries.
2. It’s diverse
New York is a massive melting pot. “Over 37 percent of New York residents were born in another country, according to a new report, the highest percentage in over 100 years,” the Huffington Post reports. “A record high 3.07 million foreign-born immigrants live in New York, more than any other city in the world.” Perhaps most notable is New York’s Chinatown, which offers culturally unique attractions and some of the best Asian cuisines outside of Asia. New York is also home to Little Italy, where you can find authentic pizzas and pasta. New York is so culturally diverse that you’ll find exotic cuisines such as Tibetan, South African, Serbian, Barbadian, and Yemeni food.
3. It inspires achievement
Most people move to New York to get their big break in life. It’s filled with aspiring artists, singers, dancers, writers, and film directors. Not only are these people inspiring in their own right, but the urban life New York offers is inspirational as well; just look at the subway walls or the streets for evidence of this. You’re bound to connect with others who share your same interests and become inspired yourself. New York is a place where dreams happen and the sky is truly the limit.
4. Its neighborhoods are amazing
Though New York is home to over 8 million people, its distinct neighborhoods and boroughs make it feel small and quaint. Each neighborhood has a distinct personality and character. Harlem offers old landmarks and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Brooklyn boasts Nordic delicacies and the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg has many independent art galleries. Culture abounds, no matter which neighborhood you choose to visit.
5. It has tons of famous landmarks
One of the reasons why New York gets so many visitors each year is because it has some of the most historic, phenomenal landmarks in the entire world — the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grand Central Station, and the Guggenheim, just to name a few. The list of landmarks is immense. You could easily spend a whole month in New York and only touch the tip of the iceberg of tourist possibilities.
6. It’s an exciting place to be
The Telegraph puts it bluntly: New York is “the most exciting city in the world, bar none, with more restaurants, bars, museums and iconic sights than virtually any other big city in the world.” Thousands of famous celebrities call New York home. Combine that with the millions of diverse residents and you’ll soon learn that anything can happen there. Each month, movies are filmed in New York, bands go on tour, and famous artists host art shows. Thus, celebrity sightings aren’t uncommon, and New York is home to some of the best cultural events the world has to offer, such as the Tony Awards. Each day in the Big Apple ends up being truly extraordinary.
7. It offers immense variety
You’ll never get bored living in New York. And if you do, you can easily hop on the subway and escape to another borough. In fact, New York has so much to offer in terms of variety, that you can live there your entire life without having tried all the pizza places in the city. It’s rare to find a city where you’ll never run out of new things to do, people to meet, dishes to try, events to go to, or places to visit.
8. It’s convenient
“A convenient city is both walkable and easily accessible by public transportation,” notes The Street, “with jobs, schools, hospitals, groceries, entertainment and other amenities all within striking distance.” This describes New York to a “T.” Want a midnight manicure? A steak in the wee hours? A beer after 2 AM? Pizza 24 hours a day? New York offers it all. New Yorkers are truly spoiled when it comes to convenience. In such a densely populated city, drug stores, bars, restaurants, retail shops, and supermarkets are all within reach.
Burrow into the boroughs
Known as “the Big Apple,” New York is a huge tourist destination, drawing over 54 million visitors each year — and for good reasons, too. Not only is it home to New York style pizza and the Manhattan cocktail, it also boasts an unforgettable iconic skyline and is a cultural hub. Just look around at what all New York has to offer — plenty of parks, world famous museums, and epic cuisines all within easy reach.
