Do you like living in New York?

Hi Steemit,

Like I said in my introduction, I am currently staying in New York (Jersey City, to be exact), and here is the thing I have been wondering. Do you guys like New York? More to the point, do you enjoy living in New York?

Here is a story. My brother is a very talented doctor. He now has a great career developing, but back when he was starting, he was offered to spend a year in Columbia University. He made a very strong impression there and at the end of the year he was offered some unique career perspectives. He rejected the offer without giving it a thought. He said he would never live in New York as he wants to enjoy his life instead of being miserable.

By the way, my brother is the most positive person I know. He sees only the bright side of everything and enjoys life to the fullest. Yet he said the year he spent in New York was the worst year of his life and he wouldn’t spend one extra day there.

I thought it was too extreme at the time, but the more I visit New York, the more I understand what he meant.

I mean, yes, I get it, this city has everything - museums, shops, restaurants, amazing skyline and other cool things. But, to tell you the truth, I prefer to admire this skyline from outside.

Because inside it’s crowded, dirty and for the most part, uncomfortable. You are always being pushed, yelled or beeped at; subway is dirty, trains are delayed all the time, the whole city is a huge traffic jam. People are constantly being rude, because they don’t have time to be nice – they are always late and rushing somewhere. There are too many people in Manhattan for each one of them to feel comfortable.

I know they say there are New York lovers and haters, but the thing is, I don’t really belong to any of them. Occasionally I do enjoy walking on Upper East Side, Greenwich Village

and sometimes, looking at some cute loft with panoramic window and trees on the roof I wonder what’s it like to live like this for a while.

But my point is – I know many people who don’t have cute lofts and who pay insane amounts of money for tiny apartments just to be in New York. They don’t consider being some place else and some of them don’t even leave Manhattan to travel – it’s like they are afraid to discover world outside it. And I keep thinking, It’s kind of a self-hypnosis and a fashion thing.

The idea that living in New York is a dream is everywhere around us. Every movie or series worship Manhattan, it’s like fashion when people wear uncomfortable clothes because some designer told them that it looks great. Living in New York is always in fashion. Being a New Yorker is something people are very proud of.

Otherwise I really don’t get why in one of the most civilized, comfortable for living countries in the world so many people prefer to be in the only truly uncomfortable city (expect for those who have to be here to make money of course).

But it’s a lot easier to convince yourself that you like it than to actually enjoy.

And what do you guys think? Do you enjoy living in New York? Really?