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Being born and raised in New York City means that no matter where you travel to, when the question comes up about where you're from, people will be in amazement.
From Munich to Tel Aviv, I'm inevitably bombarded with a million questions. Even though New York is one of the most populous cities in the world, no one can seem to believe that someone actually grew up there.
As someone who was born in the mid-1980s and grew up in the 1990s, I noticed this fascination with my city was, back in the day, oftentimes coupled with questions about safety. Around the world, New York City has a reputation of being a big, bad, dangerous city -there are countless songsandmoviesto that effect.
While some of that may have been true historically, the reality is that New York City is very different from how other people imagine it.
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It turns out that people in the US and abroad often have the wrong idea about the Big Apple on many counts, including the local culture, the people, the food, and the cost of living. There are a ton of things that people get wrong about New York, for better and for worse.
Here's a look at the most glaring misconceptions people have about New York.
Often, when people talk about "New York City," they're really just talking about Manhattan. But New York City comprises five boroughs, each with its own distinct subcultures.
In fact, Manhattanites actually make up the minority of the city's population — only 1.6 million of the roughly 8.6 million New Yorkers hail from Manhattan. The outer boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens both have higher populations than Manhattan, at 2.6 million and 2.3 million, respectively.
New Yorkers are rude
New Yorkers have a reputation for being rude and abrasive. But in reality, New Yorkers are quick to lend a helping hand to a stranger.
For example, even though I've lived here for over three decades, there are still times I get out of the subway unable to separate North from South or East from West. I can't think of any time in all those years when I've asked someone for assistance and they haven't stopped to help me out.
That said, while they're not rude or cold, New Yorkers don't tend to go above and beyond. If asked, they will help, but they might not go out of their way without prompting.
It's extremely dangerous
I'm certainly not saying you can't get mugged or assaulted in New York City — it can happen anywhere. But things have drastically changed in the last couple of decades. I might not have been alive during the peak New York mafia era, but even comparing now to the 1990s, there has been a massive downward shift in crime rates.
People are terrible drivers
New York City has a reputation for having some of the worst traffic in the US. It's horrendous 24/7.
But it's a myth that New Yorkers don't know how to drive well. It's just that when you're surrounded by so many cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and road hazards, you have to be decisive, aggressive, and quick. If you can drive in New York City, trust that you can drive anywhere.
Of course, it's true that you don't really need a car to get by in New York, but many people, particularly families, do have them. And yes, their parking fees are what most people pay for their rent.
There's no nature in the city
Sure, not every block is tree-lined, and people don't have sprawling backyards.
But it's a myth that there's no nature in New York City. The sprawling Central Park is the most famous green space in the city, and takes up 843 acres of prime Manhattan real estate. And that's just the fifth biggest park in the city — the largest, Pelham Bay Park, is nearly 3,000 acres in size.
The reality is there are more than 1,700 parks of all sizes in New York City.
Everything is open late
You might know New York as the city that never sleeps, but I live on the Upper East Side, and let me tell you, we sleep. You'd be lucky to find a restaurant that isn't a diner open after 11 p.m.
That's not true for every area, but it's certainly a myth that the entire city is open for business 24/7.
You can get anything, anytime
Along those lines, some people think New York is a place where you can find anything you want at just about any time, but that isn't the case.
Case in point: There are also still Prohibition-era rules when it comes to buying alcohol in New York City, meaning you can't necessarily buy it where you want, when you want it. For example, liquor or wine stores can only sell alcohol Monday through Saturday until midnight.
It's true that you can easily spend $100 on brunch or $20 on a cocktail in New York, and most museums will cost at least $20 to get in the door. Even movie tickets tend to be pricier in New York City when compared with pretty much anywhere else.
Then, of course, there's rent — only San Francisco has higher average rent in the US, and New Yorkers can easily expect to pay thousands of dollars to live in a tiny apartment with three roommates. Even chain restaurants, gyms, and supermarkets like Whole Foods are pricier in New York City when compared to other cities.
New York is also one of the best cities for truly amazing cheap eats. For starters, there are countless dollar-slice pizza joints all across the city, Halal Guys carts for gyros, Yu Kitchen for killer dumplings and wontons, and if you really want a hot dog, skip the stand and beeline for the Papaya King — and get a juice while you're there.
If you're responsible and do your research, New York City doesn't have to be cost-prohibitively expensive.
It's easy to get around with public transportation
New York has one of the most expansive and comprehensive public transit systems in the world. But that doesn't mean it works flawlessly.
If you take the subway on a regular basis, it's easy to feel as though there's always something wrong. One day, you're waiting 20-plus minutes on the platform, the next, you're stuck in a tunnel, and the next your stop is mysteriously skipped, or perhaps the train line you need stopped working altogether that day.
Then there are issues with MetroCard vending machines. On many occasions I've been faced with machines that have only taken cash or only taken credit cards, or had the audacity to take my money, but not fill my card with any credit.
At least there's always the bus. Unfortunately, while buses have gotten better at sticking to a schedule, they are are far from perfect, and it could easily take an hour or more to get to your destination.
The food is amazing all across the city
The variety of food available in New York City is mind-boggling, but that doesn't mean everything is good. Like any other city, New York has a range of outstanding, so-so, and downright lousy places to eat.
Just because you've seen a hot dog and pretzel stand in a zillion movies, doesn't mean you should stop at one for your afternoon nosh. The same goes for any other kind of food. Do your research before you pick a restaurant and you stand a great chance of enjoying your meal.
It's no place to raise a family
I'm proof that you can raise kids in New York.
I never appreciated being a born-and-raised New Yorker more than when I went to Cornell. My freshman-year roommate didn't know what sushi was. She had never seen an R-rated movie or had a drink. College, for her, was her first taste of independence.
I, meanwhile, had been taking public transportation home from school since the sixth grade, and spent all of high school sneaking into clubs and having dessert at fancy restaurants I saw on "Sex and The City." I never felt the need to rebel or binge drink in college and I credit the way I grew up for that.
As I eventually discovered, suburban kids often wish they grew up in New York City, not the other way around. So don't worry about raising a family without a picket fence.
It's just like "Sex and The City" or "Friends"
Forget about what the characters on "Sex and the City" spent on food, drinks, and shopping — which was completely unrealistic, especially for Carrie Bradshaw. The apartments on the show were in no way reflective of how those characters would be living in real life.
Ditto for "Friends" — each of those two apartments would literally cost millions.
Also, if you've ever dated in New York City you know that in real life, Mr. Big would never have actually married Carrie.
The city is really dirty
New York City isn't Tokyo when it comes to cleanliness, but it's also not the dump that people often make it out to be. While there are some areas — like the ritzy, residential Park Avenue — that are inherently cleaner than others, it's actually pretty clean when you consider how much waste is generated by residents, tourists, and food businesses.
