New York City?

Hello, readers! I must admit, I had to find a lot of motivation to write this blog—lots of motivation, coupled with listening to Frank Sinatra on repeat. I managed to summon enough energy to write about my disappointment with New York City.

Growing up, I had this glamorous view of NYC. Now, as an adult, my husband and I planned a 9-day vacation to NYC. We stayed in the SOHO area from December 25, 2023, to January 3, 2024. I couldn’t wait to try the famous New York pizza or the marvelous authentic cuisines in Chinatown. I wanted to walk in the city famous for not giving a damn about who you are or where you are from. I couldn’t wait to navigate the concrete jungle and experience all its hype. Well, I went, I saw, and I was disappointed. I saw The Charging Bull, Times Square, and people-watched at Central Park, but none impressed me. All I could see was the trash on every corner. All I could smell was the weed that wafted through the halls of my hotel or the urine that ran down the stairs as I made my way around the subway station. Not only was there trash everywhere, but there was also shoving and pushing among pedestrians as they made their way through popular attraction sites. More than once, I almost stepped on poop. New York was not beautiful. In my opinion, it really is the concrete jungle that we humans deserve. It’s as filthy or as clean as we want it to be. And NYC was filthy.

On a positive note, I love the accessibility. I could walk anywhere. I would take the subway on Canal Street and end up near Central Park without a car and without hailing down a cab. With a simple swipe of the metro card, I had access to the entire city. My family and I averaged around 5 miles each day just by walking to our destinations. Here in Alabama, walking 5 miles each day would have to be intentional. I would have to come home, take the time to find a park with a walk-path, drive the 2.3 miles to get there, find a parking spot, walk the 5 miles, then drive back home.

Though I understand the hype about New York City, it was not as grand or exceptional as I’d been led to believe. It’s small, dirty, and crowded. It was a nightmare, and I have no intentions of returning soon.

Have you been to NYC? What did you think?