Why You Shouldn’t Visit Manhattan?
The pedestrian traffic signal with the flashing red hand that signifies Don’t Walk - that is the image I think of every time I recall my last trip to New York City. Manhattan may be the city that never sleeps, but it is also the stuff of my nightmares. I without a doubt had the worst vacation of my life there recently - it’s loud, it’s overcrowded, the people are not nice, and maybe it’s because of the oppressive summer weather but it downright smells.
I had been warned about visiting New York. I don’t believe it’s as dangerous as it supposedly was in the 1980’s, but my friends and family had plenty of cautionary tales for me as well as advice about which neighborhoods to avoid. On my ride from the airport to the hotel, another passenger riding the van service who claimed to be a native New Yorker told me that he thought the mean streets were long gone. He said Manhattan was one big playground - I would have countless memorable experiences when it came to the arts, culture, dining or shopping New York.
I can count the number of times I actually enjoyed New York with one hand. One, a late night slice of pizza at a place called Original Ray’s (though when I looked it up online to show friends I saw that there are dozens of ‘original’ Rays). Two, walking by a fragrance store called Sabon - my only relief from the summer stench of the city (and the worker standing outside was cute too). Three, getting some peace and quiet at some tucked away nook in Central Park - of course it’s the only place not inhabited by people.
The rest of the time, I was being scammed out of money from street vendors who charged me $2.00 for a bottle of water, yelled at by taxi drivers for not have exact street addresses (hello, isn’t that what cabs are for?), and hipsters scowling at me for not dressing like I was born in the aisle of a Salvation Army. How is this to treat people that come to visit your city and pay ridiculous amounts of money charged by the tourism industry in order to stimulate your economy? Shame on you, New Yorkers.
What a relief it was for me to get back home. I gave Manhattan five days of my life, and it gave me little more than five minutes of satisfaction.
