What a great video of Manhattan! Glad you enjoyed your time there. Next time you visit NYC I hope you spend a lot of time in the outer boroughs exploring different neighborhoods especially in Brooklyn & Queens. They have a completely different feel from Manhattan and each neighborhood feels distinct. Especially places like Williamsburg, Bed Stuy, Brighton Beach, Sunset Park, Jackson Heights, Astoria. There really are infinite places to explore!
People don’t realize it but much more New Yorkers live outside Manhattan than in it. If the boroughs were their own city, Brooklyn and Queens would be the 3rd and 4th most populated cities in the US only behind LA and Chicago.
As a Brooklyn native who has spent the past 35 years in the Midwest, I always get a rush when I go back to NYC. After making several family-visit trips over that period of time my wife pointed out to me that we (she) never got to just wander (like you did), I made a pair of two-day trips there in '17 and '18. I just love the City in the summer. I did a solo trip there the first time and just did as you did; bounced around from spot to spot, with no planned destinations. Flew into LGA and took the city bus and train to Midtown (Lex Ave), around where my hotel was. Made my first trip to CitiField to see my beloved Mets, got up the next morning and took the train down to Brooklyn Bridge, walked into Brooklyn, and had breakfast. This was probably the most enjoyable two-day trip I've ever had. Gotta do it again, soon ...
I lived in Brooklyn for about a year and really loved it. Going to Manhattan was always a good time. Living in New York you really feel like you’re part of something much bigger.
My hubs and I lived on the Upper West Side for 36 years, until we were finally priced out. So glad you enjoyed exploring our favorite neighborhood! Now we live in leafy Riverdale, in the west Bronx. Come and explore it next time!
Hi Cathy just curious, did you work in Manhattan before moving and do you still work coming in from Riverdale? How has that been for you? Not everyone but almost everyone I know on the UWS is getting priced out, and a lot are getting priced out of many other parts, or growing tired of the compromises they have to make to stay.
GREAT VIDEO!! I appreciate how you don't shy away from talking about race and ethnicities, you do it in such a respectful, plain manner that I wish others would follow. Very refreshing. I lived in the village for years and love NYC. Your video showed all the reasons why. Thanks!!!
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
@@TheGeoDaddy Gotta love blatant fear mongering. "and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s" all you need to say to tell me you've never thought critically about your community. I highly doubt you've set foot in NYC since 1996, and base all your views of NYC off of 24/7 reactionary news cycles.
@@TheGeoDaddy I was originally going to reply respectfully to your specific points, but considering all the things you said, there's probably not much reason to. So I'll just say it's a shame you feel that way now, but most of us are still enjoying the city and love it for what it is, and we know it's not perfect - no place is - but it's a city like no other that has so many things to offer that you just can't find anywhere else in the world. I do genuinely hope that you find a place that does make you happy.
Stayed on 135th street last summer for a few days with my girlfriend’s uncle and had a blast. Her grandma lives on Houston was really cool to explore the city as a southerner.
Kyle, you had me at Lexington 1 2 5. Countless songs written about NYC and you chose probably the coolest to shoutout. Great video as always, my friend. Thank you 🙏🏼
I am well traveled all over the world and I can honestly say NYC is my favorite US city to explore. I could go there like you did 4 days every year and just wander. Thanks for sharing
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
@@TheGeoDaddy It is clear you have not actually looked at the crime rates and all your opinions are based on anecdotal non-evidence. NYC has a very low crime rate and the crime it does have is pretty consolidated in certain areas. This is coming from a conservative by the way, before you start flaming me for opinions I do not hold.
I ❤️ NY. I feel like this is the closest European feeling place in the US. It's my favorite place I've been to. I stayed in the UWS for 4 months and would commute to Wall St for work. I love the fast lifestyle of the city. Never got bored while there.
I follow you and have for the last couple of years. I am going to New York City with my sons in a couple of weeks, so was very excited to watch your video. Thanks! 😎🚐🥾
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
This past June 2022, my daughter moved to NYC. She lives in a small apartment on the upper East side. Her apartment is only $1500 a month, which is really cheap for her area. The rent in her building is stabilized, which means her landlord is only allowed to increase her rent by a very small percentage each year. She is very very lucky to live where she does. Happily, she loves living in NYC and she's glad to be living and working there.
This video is very accurate. I am a city bus driver who drives the M79 bus twice a week, it's a crosstown line that runs east/west and goes right through Central Park. I also the crosstown M50 twice a week, it runs on 49th and 50th streets. And I also drive the M55 on Saturdays, it runs north to south from midtown Manhattan all the way down to South Ferry, it's my least favorite day of the week to work because of the traffic. Would've been nice to meet you
Hey Geography King, you refer to the Bronx as “Bronx” without the definite article. This borough’s name is “The Bronx” because its likely taken from the Bronx River, which was named after Jonas Bronck. However the county is named Bronx County, and trains which go north into the borough are “Bronx-bound”
For art lovers, NYC is the art capital of the world. I spend entire days looking at amazing artwork. Museums include the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Whitney. Hundreds of commercial galleries are located in Chelsea, and it’s easy to see so much as you stroll down the streets. Thanks Kyle!
Thank you for coming to my home, NYC, I'm from queens but spent many days, nights in Manhattan. A few points. New York gentrification is different from other cities gentrification. Some people may think of big corporate businesses moving into a neighborhood means gentrification and in NYC that's not really a thing. There's no Walmart in New York. Only recently have big fast food chains like shake shack and chic fil a been a thing. Most native New Yorkers will still prefer mom and pop places or local east coast businesses as opposed to major corporations. That being said what NYC does is not change a building and just raise rent. So this building that was in a rough part of town and was deemed to be a project one day randomly gets a 100% increase of rent, maybe they change the name from project to something safe like gardens or coop and that drives out people that they don't want. This has been happening for years. Manhattan has increasingly become a place for tourists and billionaires without thinking about families who have lived there for generations. In fact when you were talking about central park you showed an image of an area called billionaires row. Its all of those pencil thin skyscrapers thay literally serve no purpose other than billionaires renting apartment that they live in part time. I used to have many friends who were middle class just like me and they lived in Manhattan. They have all been priced out of the island. That festival in little Italy is called the feast of San genero BTW! Great food, can even get a hand rolled cigar. Lastly, Ellis and liberty Island is technically on the new jersey side. But when they were opened, New York city/state basically told jersey that they are the red headed step child. And that immigrants going into new york harbor want to be introduced to new york not new jersey, so they purposely used those islands so that the immigrants can see new york city before entering. Thanks again Kyle been a fan of yours for quite sometime every video doesn't disappoint. Peace ✌️
Great video - I'm a New Yorker, but have had to live away for a bit and this helped quell my homesickness a bit. Thanks for your thoughtfulness and thoroughness. It would be fun to see you do a museum hop if you come back.
Yes, NYC has so many museums and so many of them are off the radar. If I had to name three that don't get enough love, it'd be the Museum of the City of New York (on 5th Avenue) the Brooklyn Museum and Louis Armstrong's house (maybe not technically a museum) in Queens.
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
He didn't mention the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park in Washington Hts really but you should try and get up there if you have the chance. It's a part of Manhattan most American tourists don't see, but is very popular with international tourists.
Nice job! As others have said, there’s so much to NYC and all of the boroughs deserve an episode. You could actually spend a year reviewing all the areas surrounding NYC as well, including Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and even some of the Hudson Valley like Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow, Mt. Kisco is cool, Ossining, Peekskill all the way up to Cold Spring. You could do a couple episodes out on Long Island as well! Even venture out into the Tri-State areas of Jersey and Connecticut. Soooo much to talk about in the whole area!
I recently came back to NYC after living here most of my life but I felt like a tourist in this city as I definitely took it for granted when I was younger. I'm working as a delivery driver at the moment and some of my deliveries last week took me into New Rochelle and Mount Vernon and I will say coming from the Bronx it feels like a different world. It was like a beautiful little college town and the people were certainly friendly. And at this time of year with all the trees changing colors, looked like a fictional tv show setting 😆
Big yes on your take on Hudson Yards from this Brooklynite. I visited once when it opened, but the prices there are super high. There are much more interesting parts of the city to visit like Roosevelt Island. Glad you got to see it.
An excellent review of Manhattan. My favorite neighborhood is the Upper East Side, Yorkville specifically. Hopefully you strolled on E. 86th St. and saw the Mayor's mansion at the east end of 86th. Continue the outstanding work, please.
Great video. I'm a long time upper Washington Hts/Inwood resident which you mentioned briefly. Next time you come you must visit this area. It's easily one of the prettiest and greenest and definitely the hilliest with the highest natural elevation on the island and the second largest park in Manhattan, the exquisite Fort Tryon Park where the Cloisters are and Inwood Hill Park, great for birding. (The largest park in NYC overall is in the Bronx, Pelham Bay Park at 3 times the size of Central Park. But that's a whole other video.) There are dozens of more parks up here and great Dominican food and music and night life and a ton of us stuff going on. And almost zero tourists (except for the Europeans who visit the Cloisters). Also I walk around Harlem and East Harlem at night all the time, and have for years, and feel very safe. But I understand as a visitor you might feel otherwise.
I live within sight of Fort Tyron, nyc for 47 years, Inwood for 15 years...and man can you get good food up here. Dominican abuellas make the best chicken!
We probably stayed in the same hotel on 46st, I'm not a big city guy but New York is unbelievably impressive, especially coming into manhattan from JFK your jaw drops!
I went for the first time in February! I was there for a few days as well. It was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back. It is such an epic place!
So glad you visited Kyle. I've seen many of your videos, and as a Californian living in NYC for 20+ years I can say I especially enjoyed your take on this one. Most people I know in this city do not live in Manhattan, Brooklyn has more people and is amazing, as is the Bronx, and Queens is like no place on earth (I have friends on Staten, and they know I love them). You mentioned feeling safe walking around many areas, NYC is by many measures a safe city, not just including low crime rates (which is the opposite of its rep) Walking is the best way to see this city, but it is fun to ride a bus with a window seat too, watching the neighborhoods morph into different neighborhoods. They do mural tours of Bushwick, I see tourist groups go by all the time, also near the oldest wooden structure in NYC (Onderdonk House). That would be a good place to start. Oh, I would love your take on riding the subway! Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy them!
I live in near the mural tours and Onderdonk House too, such a great area to check out to be around locals but still have nice things to do. Maria Hernandez Park just south is a great spot walking distance away.
I've never made it out to New York, but you've certainly renewed my interest in visiting the city -- just seeing how much there is in Manhattan itself is incredible.
I love the quality of this video's comments! I live in Brooklyn, but I'm learning a lot of new things about the city. My neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights shares some similarities to the UWS (near parks/water, good architecture, fancy). Rent is a bit cheaper, but food is significantly more expensive for some reason.
New subscriber here. I'm enjoying your videos!! I was born and raised in Colo Spgs but I live here with my husband in Harlem (23 yrs total in NYC). I LOVE IT!! For me, even the negatives of NYC are positive! Thank you for sharing your videos!
My wife and I moved to New York from Boston a few years back after she was offered a job. We were so excited and couldn’t wait but the excitement wore off fairly quickly, we moved back to the Boston area after about a year and a half in Manhattan. Life is difficult there. While we were both making pretty good incomes, we were stuffed into a tiny apartment for about $2k a month and paying the bills was extremely difficult. We couldn’t save anything and we couldn’t fully experience all that NYC had to offer on our salaries so it became extremely frustrating. I’m definitely an outdoorsy person so there wasn’t much there for me personally but I had friends there who loved it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I lived in an outer borough but I’ll never know. I don’t regret my time in NYC and there are some times I miss the hustle and bustle but even the times I’ve gone back to visit, I have wanted to leave after a day or two.
I am a long time subscriber who lives in the UWS. I would have loved to have met up with you. I appreciate your balanced view. I know it can seem expensive, but there are some significant offsets. I have very low commuting costs (walk or citibike) and don't own or even need a car. I can take trains to the ocean for surfing or to the mountains for hiking. I have lived here 20 years and haven't experienced any crime (hope that streak continues). And yes, the city has lost some of its vibrancy as a result of the pandemic and other events in 2020. I think it does have some tough times ahead. Thanks for visiting!
As a fellow NYer - I'd also point out that salaries are relatively higher here as well and we actually have public/income-subsidized housing (though not nearly enough). It doesn't always make up for the cost disparities. I'd never want to live anywhere else, though.
I did some math and If my wife and I moved to the city and got an ok apt in an ok building, our increase in annual cost of living would be about $20,000/year figuring in rent and taxes being much higher but most everything else being only a little more expensive. Based on her line of work my wife would probably make around $20,000/yr more. For us at least our only real compromise would be space. Not every type of job pays that amount more in NY than other places, but I think there are way more people who could afford to live there if they wanted to than think so.
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
@@TheGeoDaddy As an NYC resident for 23 years, *I can guarantee you that is not true* . NYC is not only safer than in the 70s and 80s, but it's safer than 90s, mid-2000s, and early 2010s too. The job market is more competitive today- most jobs require extensive experience/education- but the jobs aren't "disappearing". It's a shame that your political views prevent you from enjoying New York today. I hope that'll change because you should really give NYC another try.
Naw, I’m now working from home (will never take another IT gig where they expect me to commute into an office anymore) and my 40 years in the industry serve me just as well away from the madness… not to mention I can produce independent theatre outside of NYC for a fraction of what it cost me in the Big Apple. “Phantom” can’t even fill the theatre anymore… it’s gonna be a LONG time before NYC and the other big cities can come back… gotta chew thru $30 trillions of DEBT - first - and that reality hasn’t even hit the cities when Federal money is cut off.
I always enjoyed walking around NYC. Sometime in the mid 1980s I slept outdoors in Central Park near West 6qst Street. In fact, I spent the entire week walking around NYC camping our of doors. Lived to tell about it!
Nice video. You used your time well. One note re: Roosevelt Island (apologies if this has already been commented on) - cars aren't necessarily the first method of access we'd think of. Roosevelt Island is easily accessible by train (The F train stops there, for example) and by its own famous tramway. There is also a ferry stop there.
A good overview; a fair overview. On foot, you would naturally miss out on some of the amazing vistas from the Henry Hudson Parkway/Riverside Drive up to and past the George Washington Bridge. And passing through downtown quickly, it is easy to miss the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center, or, especially, the variety of things at the World Trade Center site: an amazing transportation hub, the Observation Deck up in One World Trade Center (WTC), and of course the WTC Memorial and Museum. And there are so many other things not mentioned, in other parts of Manhattan, when you zoom down to the lower levels. Which is to say: Manhattan is so big, and so packed, it literally can't be explored except at a moderately high level in just a few days, as might be doable in a more comprehensive way in some smaller cities. No real mention was made of the workings of the massive subway system, or the infamous Port Authority Bus Terminal, or the Passenger Ship Terminal, or the Fashion District, or the Cloisters, or Rockefeller Center, or Koreatown, or Penn Station/Madison Square Garden, or the Campbell Apartment hidden in Grand Central Terminal, or (insert 25 other notable things...). Which is only to say, while this video is perfectly on point at the level intended, the answer to the question, "Is that all there is?" would be, "Definitely not!".
Yeah no kidding. I can usually get most of what I need to see from a city in a few days but even 4 days in just Manhattan wasn't enough. I think a week there and another week for the other boroughs would be minimum time needed.
I've lived in Harlem and Washington Heights. Harlem is definitely going through a lot of gentrification. Washington Heights much less, but it's still incredibly safe. I loved it up there. Amazing food, great parks, and friendly neighbors!
Awesome video. NYC is just a short train ride away from me. It’s always “just” been “the city” to people around where I live. A day trip that people take all the time. It’s weird to think that people plan once in a lifetime trips there. Really puts into perspective how we take our proximity to it for granted. A “must visit at least once” place if the opportunity arises for sure.
Everyone in NY knows of NYC as "The City", although a lot of people from upstate actively avoid the city. (For issues both real and imagined) But coming from a town of 9,000 i find it mind boggling that anyone would want to live in a place as heavily populated as NYC.
You’re exactly right on your very last statement of your video. Ans everything else really. But yes! your videos are excellent. Keep up the great work. And New York always loves you.
Awesome breakdown I've lived in Brooklyn my entire life and still love living in NYC There's ALWAYS something new to do and see and now Brooklyn has everything you need so now I don't go to Manhattan very often
Roosevelt Island is my favorite part of NYC! When I lived in Queens, I escaped there often. I have good memories of riding the tramway over to Manhattan and back with my son.
It was the UN general Assembly that was going on. I've been working in that area for the last 9 years. It's actually called Turtle Bay but I haven't seen many turtles.
Ur video was accurate about Manhattan.....ur videos never dissapoint. However, Manhattan is just 35% of NYC, so I do think it is fair to explore the other Boroughs n do videos on them also. NYC is so huge n diverse, so just one video won't cover all, but all u said about Manhattan is indeed accurate. 🙂
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry. Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions) 9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around. Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours. It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs. So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
I really love your channel man! Such awesome content and its great to see other geography loving people in the comment section ! great community you got here
Would love to see a video on the outer boroughs! So many amazing neighborhoods and diverse ecosystems. Manhattan is just a small slice of the whole city.
The combined Metro Area is around 18 Million and we are a very busy, impatient group. I’m so glad you like my old neighborhoods. I lived on 119th near Columbia, 101St & Riverside and 82nd off Westend. I Loved it. Thank you for talking about the neighborhoods. My family is originally from every part of NYC.
Great video this is the best I’ve ever understood NY and where famous things are from pop culture. Would love to see a similar video on the entire city.
As a Vancouverite who just recently finally got a chance to explore California on a two-week road trip (I'm 53, what took me so long!?) - I have to say I definitely enjoyed exploring the bigger cities of California... LA traffic nonwithstanding! Haha. About 20 years ago when I worked on a cruise ship we were docked in New York/ Manhattan and even though I had a very little amount of shore time, the time I did get to explore it was can certainly confirm you can feel the electricity and energy in the city. People were super friendly, it was much cleaner than I anticipated, and there was almost too much to do and see. Scratch that. There is too much to do and see! I know the pandemic has thrown the big cities into a state of chaos and they certainly aren't like they used to be, but I would love a chance to go back and spend a week or two just exploring like you did, especially the four other burroughs. Just a fascinating place. Excellent job on the video by the way!
Kyle... Great to see you visit my home town! I'm an East Village inhabitant, but grew up on the Upper East Side near Central Park. It sounds like you covered a lot of ground in five days! If you really have caught the NYC fever, I'd strongly advise you to spend your time in one neighborhood, and try to get to know it. While I admire your ambition to take on Manhattan in just a week, it's kind of a whirlwind to really get the flavor of Manhattan living. Fortunately for you, we're open 24/7/365, and they'll always be a slice of 4 a.m. pizza with your name on it waiting for you!
@@GeographyKing I hope your have a terrific time. So many tourists have a kind of adversarial attitude towards the city, even though they traveled to see it. But, based on your videos, you are the kind of visitor that the city rewards. I'll not overload you with places to see or things to do, except one: have lunch one day at Katz's delicatessen on Houston, and order a pastrami on rye, and nothing more than a bit of mustard. You won't regret it, my friend. Bon voyage!
Great video! I've been to NYC several times this year and more than a dozen times total since 2016. It's amazing how there are so many different neighborhoods/identities so close together in Manhattan. It's great that you can get some of the best food in the world of many totally different cuisines all within a couple miles of each other. In my opinion, Manhattan would be tough to live in because of the cost of living and noise but it's one of the best places in the world to visit.
I love NY. Harlem resident here. It's a great place to live. I have access to so much here. I moved to Florida for a few years and I almost died from boredom. I'm so happy to be home. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it very much. I'm a nerd too. 😃
Howdy again Kyle, Dude, this was a well thought-out and informative video. Being a Bay Area, Ca native, I’ve only been east as Georgia. In-law Thanksgiving. What’s really cool and educational about this particular episode, is that I’ve always to visit New York, but it always seemed so confusing and a bit more dangerous than Oakland or Richmond. I’ve half-assed researched this adventure, even before 9/11. You made a possible future visit way more geographically understandable! And quite a few insights for a newb there! Thank you again for your channel!!
As a NY native, I appreciated this video! I echo the comments about exploring the other 4 boroughs if/when you return: Bronx: Wave Hill, Arthur Avenue, Van Cortlandt, gentrification of SoBro Brooklyn: Victorian Flatbush, Little Caribbean, Prospect Park, Williamsburg, Brownstone BK, DUMBO Queens: Roosevelt Avenue, amazing food options, Citifield, the Rockaways, Main Street Chinatown Staten Island: Fort Richmond, the fact that it is part of NYC but also somewhat isolated You did a good, balanced assessment of Manhattan - next time definitely also explore Washington Heights and Inwood, there's some beautiful real estate up there and Fort Tryon/Cloisters north of the GW Bridge is tranquil and the views are lovely. Fun fact: people did used to live on Governors Island, it was a Coast Guard base. My husband grew up there and had to take the ferry to Manhattan to go to school🙂 I'll stop now lol. Thanks again!
Interesting take. I live in Washington Heights, it is vibrant working class neighborhood. Although predominantly Dominican it is quite diverse, not as much as East Harlem, but does include a sizeable white population, in part due to the hospital/medical school. There is a lot of historical and scenic places up here as well. If you like, the next time your in town I'd be glad to walk the Heights with you and show you the sights.
Last time I was in the city for more than a day was 2007 when my daughters were there for a dance competition. We stayed on Times Square at the Marriott Marquis, (the competition was held there). One morning, I walked up Broadway all the way to Grant's Tomb and around Columbia's campus, then down Riverside Park all the way to where the Intrepid Museum is (at the time, the Intrepid had been towed elsewhere for restoration of the hull), and then back to Times Square. It was a fascinating hike and very enjoyable. I had not been to NYC since the Liberty Centennial in 1986, I was amazed at how much cleaner the city was, and how much safer it felt, at least for the parts I was in.
Hi, Kyle. Thank you for the video and I'm glad you had a good time. My family is from New York, but we moved away from there when I was 9. Nowadays, I live in a 400 sq foot 2 bedroom apartment in a southern Illinois college town, but if it was in Manhattan, it would cost 10 TIMES what I pay for it here. Still, if I got a modest lotto win or otherwise came into 100K or so, it might be fun to sign a year lease at one of those $2,000,00 studios you mentioned and just spend a year exploring NYC. By the end of that year, there would still be things to see and do!!!
Hey Kyle, I am a life longer New Yorker currently living in Queens. Your video was a nice primer on Manhattan and NYC in general. I want to point out a couple of things @3:51, you were on to something, these doorman jobs are actually highly coveted and are who you know type of job to get. They are union and get great benefits, they make good money, especially with holiday tips. I will say I think Manhattan has become the playground for the rich, large sections of the outer boroughs have become as well but they are more lived in by average working people. On your next trip visit neighborhoods in Brooklyn Queens or the Bronx, you can skip Staten Island. Ellis island is in both states, the original island is in NY while all of the rest made by landfill is in NJ. It is strange to say the least.
@@eduardocajias5626 yes I have been there, not recently though. Like Kyle mentioned it's a bit separated from the rest of the city. For me there is not much reason to go there. Other than some nice city views not much else to offer to tourists either.
"you can skip Staten Island" ...lol. Just watch the King of Staten Island. That's all you need to know! (truthly though, I actually liked the movie). Native New Yorker btw. Raised in Queens, living in Brooklyn now.
I just watched that movie Tootsie and it made me nostalgic for New York and the actor lifestyle back in the eighties and I have never been there. lol. It must be such an interesting city and I want to go but I need a local to help me figure out the best places to see. Speaking of interesting I just found this site, thumbs up!
Yep, you nailed it. I've lived in WA St all my life but spent 5 magical days there in '95. When my friends ask me my impressions the best comparison I can give is Disneyland. Even if you approach it with a big attitude and think you are going to hate it, your defenses will be overwhelmed and you will fall in love with it.
The crime rate in Manhattan, per capita, was what it was in the 1950's. It has gotten somewhere worse than before the pandemic, more homeless, but still very safe if you are in Manhattan. Like any big city at night, there are bad neighborhoods, and those you have to be more careful in.
Sorry you missed us up in Inwood. We have the only real old growth forrest in Manhattan. Grew up on Roosevelt Island. Lotta history there. Fun video! You got the restaurant I got married at in there too. Morans, in Chelsea.
What a great video of Manhattan! Glad you enjoyed your time there. Next time you visit NYC I hope you spend a lot of time in the outer boroughs exploring different neighborhoods especially in Brooklyn & Queens. They have a completely different feel from Manhattan and each neighborhood feels distinct. Especially places like Williamsburg, Bed Stuy, Brighton Beach, Sunset Park, Jackson Heights, Astoria. There really are infinite places to explore!
I definitely want to see the outer boroughs. I plan on being back in the spring and I intend to see a lot more of the city.
People don’t realize it but much more New Yorkers live outside Manhattan than in it. If the boroughs were their own city, Brooklyn and Queens would be the 3rd and 4th most populated cities in the US only behind LA and Chicago.
South bronx is beautiful this time of year
Great video! I agree the title is a bit misleading though since Manhattan is a small minority of the total NYC population and land area.
@@adr3y516 lol
As a Brooklyn native who has spent the past 35 years in the Midwest, I always get a rush when I go back to NYC. After making several family-visit trips over that period of time my wife pointed out to me that we (she) never got to just wander (like you did), I made a pair of two-day trips there in '17 and '18. I just love the City in the summer. I did a solo trip there the first time and just did as you did; bounced around from spot to spot, with no planned destinations. Flew into LGA and took the city bus and train to Midtown (Lex Ave), around where my hotel was. Made my first trip to CitiField to see my beloved Mets, got up the next morning and took the train down to Brooklyn Bridge, walked into Brooklyn, and had breakfast.
This was probably the most enjoyable two-day trip I've ever had. Gotta do it again, soon ...
I lived in Brooklyn for about a year and really loved it. Going to Manhattan was always a good time. Living in New York you really feel like you’re part of something much bigger.
Like one of the ants in the anthill?
I live in New Jersey and have always had a thing for New York City, all 5 boroughs, so it was cool to watch a video from your perspective.
My hubs and I lived on the Upper West Side for 36 years, until we were finally priced out. So glad you enjoyed exploring our favorite neighborhood! Now we live in leafy Riverdale, in the west Bronx. Come and explore it next time!
Hi Cathy just curious, did you work in Manhattan before moving and do you still work coming in from Riverdale? How has that been for you? Not everyone but almost everyone I know on the UWS is getting priced out, and a lot are getting priced out of many other parts, or growing tired of the compromises they have to make to stay.
GREAT VIDEO!! I appreciate how you don't shy away from talking about race and ethnicities, you do it in such a respectful, plain manner that I wish others would follow. Very refreshing. I lived in the village for years and love NYC. Your video showed all the reasons why. Thanks!!!
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
@@TheGeoDaddy Gotta love blatant fear mongering. "and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s" all you need to say to tell me you've never thought critically about your community. I highly doubt you've set foot in NYC since 1996, and base all your views of NYC off of 24/7 reactionary news cycles.
@@TheGeoDaddy I was originally going to reply respectfully to your specific points, but considering all the things you said, there's probably not much reason to. So I'll just say it's a shame you feel that way now, but most of us are still enjoying the city and love it for what it is, and we know it's not perfect - no place is - but it's a city like no other that has so many things to offer that you just can't find anywhere else in the world. I do genuinely hope that you find a place that does make you happy.
Morgantown. Farmington. Savannah, Reno… plenty of trips before the end of year.
Stay safe. Still avoid the subway and take cabs or Uber.
@@ninja_tony BLESS YOU for not feeding into hidden hatred.
Do Brooklyn!! It deserves it’s own episode
Honestly all of the boroughs can have their own episodes. But brooklyn and queens definitely deserve their own!
@@luiscruz7343 even some specific neighborhoods have enough to be their own video
Yesss please do bk!!
Agree!
@@luiscruz7343 queens is the joke of new york
Excellent video! I was born and raised in NY. I was impressed with your honest assessment. Bravo!
Always a good day with some Geography King!
Stayed on 135th street last summer for a few days with my girlfriend’s uncle and had a blast. Her grandma lives on Houston was really cool to explore the city as a southerner.
I fall in love with this incredible city each time I visit. Thanks for the video!
Kyle, you had me at Lexington 1 2 5. Countless songs written about NYC and you chose probably the coolest to shoutout. Great video as always, my friend. Thank you 🙏🏼
Takes more than 26 bucks these days lol
I am well traveled all over the world and I can honestly say NYC is my favorite US city to explore. I could go there like you did 4 days every year and just wander. Thanks for sharing
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
i went for 4 days 2 months ago and agree, if the weather is good which it was (warm, 0 rain) probably my favorite city to solo explore.
@@TheGeoDaddy It is clear you have not actually looked at the crime rates and all your opinions are based on anecdotal non-evidence. NYC has a very low crime rate and the crime it does have is pretty consolidated in certain areas. This is coming from a conservative by the way, before you start flaming me for opinions I do not hold.
I ❤️ NY. I feel like this is the closest European feeling place in the US. It's my favorite place I've been to. I stayed in the UWS for 4 months and would commute to Wall St for work. I love the fast lifestyle of the city. Never got bored while there.
Ny is not European. There is no place anywhere in Europe that is remotely like Manhattan. Boston is the most European city.
As a New Yorker, glad to see this video. You actually walked around and picked up a great understanding of the city. Shoutout you and this channel
I follow you and have for the last couple of years. I am going to New York City with my sons in a couple of weeks, so was very excited to watch your video. Thanks! 😎🚐🥾
This is why i love your videos:
Down to earth, unbiased view on cities and what they offer, and just an overall homely attitude. Keep it up, kyle! =)
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
Just listening to that Steely dan Album the last few days. Brooklyn song made me hit on your vid when it came up.
This past June 2022, my daughter moved to NYC. She lives in a small apartment on the upper East side. Her apartment is only $1500 a month, which is really cheap for her area. The rent in her building is stabilized, which means her landlord is only allowed to increase her rent by a very small percentage each year. She is very very lucky to live where she does. Happily, she loves living in NYC and she's glad to be living and working there.
This video is very accurate. I am a city bus driver who drives the M79 bus twice a week, it's a crosstown line that runs east/west and goes right through Central Park. I also the crosstown M50 twice a week, it runs on 49th and 50th streets. And I also drive the M55 on Saturdays, it runs north to south from midtown Manhattan all the way down to South Ferry, it's my least favorite day of the week to work because of the traffic. Would've been nice to meet you
Thank you dear driver for your service!! 🌟
Hey Geography King, you refer to the Bronx as “Bronx” without the definite article. This borough’s name is “The Bronx” because its likely taken from the Bronx River, which was named after Jonas Bronck. However the county is named Bronx County, and trains which go north into the borough are “Bronx-bound”
Thanks for the correction!
Jonas brock was Dutch lol
@@sit-insforsithis1568 Nope. Swedish.
I live in NYC and you did a pretty good job with your overview! Please come back soon, there's so much to see!
For art lovers, NYC is the art capital of the world. I spend entire days looking at amazing artwork. Museums include the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Whitney. Hundreds of commercial galleries are located in Chelsea, and it’s easy to see so much as you stroll down the streets.
Thanks Kyle!
NYC is artsy for America, but there are a dozen more European Cities that are more artistic.
@@thebabbler8867 in your experience, what is the European city with the best art scene?
Great overview. I've lived in northern Jersey, 15 minutes from the Lincoln Tunnel all my life and learned some things in this video.
Thank you for coming to my home, NYC, I'm from queens but spent many days, nights in Manhattan. A few points. New York gentrification is different from other cities gentrification. Some people may think of big corporate businesses moving into a neighborhood means gentrification and in NYC that's not really a thing. There's no Walmart in New York. Only recently have big fast food chains like shake shack and chic fil a been a thing. Most native New Yorkers will still prefer mom and pop places or local east coast businesses as opposed to major corporations. That being said what NYC does is not change a building and just raise rent. So this building that was in a rough part of town and was deemed to be a project one day randomly gets a 100% increase of rent, maybe they change the name from project to something safe like gardens or coop and that drives out people that they don't want. This has been happening for years.
Manhattan has increasingly become a place for tourists and billionaires without thinking about families who have lived there for generations. In fact when you were talking about central park you showed an image of an area called billionaires row. Its all of those pencil thin skyscrapers thay literally serve no purpose other than billionaires renting apartment that they live in part time. I used to have many friends who were middle class just like me and they lived in Manhattan. They have all been priced out of the island.
That festival in little Italy is called the feast of San genero BTW! Great food, can even get a hand rolled cigar.
Lastly, Ellis and liberty Island is technically on the new jersey side. But when they were opened, New York city/state basically told jersey that they are the red headed step child. And that immigrants going into new york harbor want to be introduced to new york not new jersey, so they purposely used those islands so that the immigrants can see new york city before entering.
Thanks again Kyle been a fan of yours for quite sometime every video doesn't disappoint. Peace ✌️
Thank you for all of that info!
People have been getting priced out of areas for as long as time, so lamenting somewhere the rich want to buy property is folly.
I’m curious.. where do people who get priced out of Manhattan move? Queens/the Bronx or Upstate?
@@BillDotree it depends. New Jersey, queens, Brooklyn, maybe long Island. Connecticut. It varies
what a shit-hole NYC has become now
Great video - I'm a New Yorker, but have had to live away for a bit and this helped quell my homesickness a bit. Thanks for your thoughtfulness and thoroughness. It would be fun to see you do a museum hop if you come back.
Yes, NYC has so many museums and so many of them are off the radar. If I had to name three that don't get enough love, it'd be the Museum of the City of New York (on 5th Avenue) the Brooklyn Museum and Louis Armstrong's house (maybe not technically a museum) in Queens.
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
I’m heading there next week for the first time, so this video couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanks.
He didn't mention the Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park in Washington Hts really but you should try and get up there if you have the chance. It's a part of Manhattan most American tourists don't see, but is very popular with international tourists.
Nice job!
As others have said, there’s so much to NYC and all of the boroughs deserve an episode.
You could actually spend a year reviewing all the areas surrounding NYC as well, including Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, New Rochelle, and even some of the Hudson Valley like Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow, Mt. Kisco is cool, Ossining, Peekskill all the way up to Cold Spring.
You could do a couple episodes out on Long Island as well!
Even venture out into the Tri-State areas of Jersey and Connecticut.
Soooo much to talk about in the whole area!
I recently came back to NYC after living here most of my life but I felt like a tourist in this city as I definitely took it for granted when I was younger. I'm working as a delivery driver at the moment and some of my deliveries last week took me into New Rochelle and Mount Vernon and I will say coming from the Bronx it feels like a different world. It was like a beautiful little college town and the people were certainly friendly. And at this time of year with all the trees changing colors, looked like a fictional tv show setting 😆
Howdy, it's Kyle. One of my favorite things to hear on RUclips.
Thanks for giving voice to how we feel about the overdevelopment and (over-designed) Hudson Yards area, it's surreal whenever I'm over there.
Big yes on your take on Hudson Yards from this Brooklynite. I visited once when it opened, but the prices there are super high. There are much more interesting parts of the city to visit like Roosevelt Island. Glad you got to see it.
this is the best take on new york city I have seen in a while
Thank you!
An excellent review of Manhattan. My favorite neighborhood is the Upper East Side, Yorkville specifically. Hopefully you strolled on E. 86th St. and saw the Mayor's mansion at the east end of 86th. Continue the outstanding work, please.
Great video. I'm a long time upper Washington Hts/Inwood resident which you mentioned briefly. Next time you come you must visit this area. It's easily one of the prettiest and greenest and definitely the hilliest with the highest natural elevation on the island and the second largest park in Manhattan, the exquisite Fort Tryon Park where the Cloisters are and Inwood Hill Park, great for birding. (The largest park in NYC overall is in the Bronx, Pelham Bay Park at 3 times the size of Central Park. But that's a whole other video.) There are dozens of more parks up here and great Dominican food and music and night life and a ton of us stuff going on. And almost zero tourists (except for the Europeans who visit the Cloisters). Also I walk around Harlem and East Harlem at night all the time, and have for years, and feel very safe. But I understand as a visitor you might feel otherwise.
Upper Washington Heights! Love that part of the city. Fort Tryon Park is stunning.
I live within sight of Fort Tyron, nyc for 47 years, Inwood for 15 years...and man can you get good food up here. Dominican abuellas make the best chicken!
5 years in East Harlem and it’s only gotten safer
Fantastic video
I loved it
You certainly got around NYC during your trip
I love how you ask people there opinions and get feedback
We probably stayed in the same hotel on 46st, I'm not a big city guy but New York is unbelievably impressive, especially coming into manhattan from JFK your jaw drops!
I went for the first time in February! I was there for a few days as well. It was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back. It is such an epic place!
So glad you visited Kyle. I've seen many of your videos, and as a Californian living in NYC for 20+ years I can say I especially enjoyed your take on this one. Most people I know in this city do not live in Manhattan, Brooklyn has more people and is amazing, as is the Bronx, and Queens is like no place on earth (I have friends on Staten, and they know I love them). You mentioned feeling safe walking around many areas, NYC is by many measures a safe city, not just including low crime rates (which is the opposite of its rep) Walking is the best way to see this city, but it is fun to ride a bus with a window seat too, watching the neighborhoods morph into different neighborhoods. They do mural tours of Bushwick, I see tourist groups go by all the time, also near the oldest wooden structure in NYC (Onderdonk House). That would be a good place to start. Oh, I would love your take on riding the subway! Thanks for your videos, I really enjoy them!
I live in near the mural tours and Onderdonk House too, such a great area to check out to be around locals but still have nice things to do. Maria Hernandez Park just south is a great spot walking distance away.
I've never made it out to New York, but you've certainly renewed my interest in visiting the city -- just seeing how much there is in Manhattan itself is incredible.
I love the quality of this video's comments! I live in Brooklyn, but I'm learning a lot of new things about the city.
My neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights shares some similarities to the UWS (near parks/water, good architecture, fancy). Rent is a bit cheaper, but food is significantly more expensive for some reason.
New subscriber here. I'm enjoying your videos!!
I was born and raised in Colo Spgs but I live here with my husband in Harlem (23 yrs total in NYC).
I LOVE IT!! For me, even the negatives of NYC are positive!
Thank you for sharing your videos!
... but I now live here...
Great video! You should also check out the other boroughs of NYC next time, including the unofficial 6th Borough, Bergen County, NJ.
Another great video. Gives an outsider a quick but meaningful run down of the many faces of Manhattan. Thanks again Kyle.
My wife and I moved to New York from Boston a few years back after she was offered a job. We were so excited and couldn’t wait but the excitement wore off fairly quickly, we moved back to the Boston area after about a year and a half in Manhattan. Life is difficult there. While we were both making pretty good incomes, we were stuffed into a tiny apartment for about $2k a month and paying the bills was extremely difficult. We couldn’t save anything and we couldn’t fully experience all that NYC had to offer on our salaries so it became extremely frustrating. I’m definitely an outdoorsy person so there wasn’t much there for me personally but I had friends there who loved it.
I think I would have enjoyed it more if I lived in an outer borough but I’ll never know.
I don’t regret my time in NYC and there are some times I miss the hustle and bustle but even the times I’ve gone back to visit, I have wanted to leave after a day or two.
I am a long time subscriber who lives in the UWS. I would have loved to have met up with you. I appreciate your balanced view. I know it can seem expensive, but there are some significant offsets. I have very low commuting costs (walk or citibike) and don't own or even need a car. I can take trains to the ocean for surfing or to the mountains for hiking. I have lived here 20 years and haven't experienced any crime (hope that streak continues). And yes, the city has lost some of its vibrancy as a result of the pandemic and other events in 2020. I think it does have some tough times ahead. Thanks for visiting!
As a fellow NYer - I'd also point out that salaries are relatively higher here as well and we actually have public/income-subsidized housing (though not nearly enough). It doesn't always make up for the cost disparities. I'd never want to live anywhere else, though.
I did some math and If my wife and I moved to the city and got an ok apt in an ok building, our increase in annual cost of living would be about $20,000/year figuring in rent and taxes being much higher but most everything else being only a little more expensive. Based on her line of work my wife would probably make around $20,000/yr more. For us at least our only real compromise would be space. Not every type of job pays that amount more in NY than other places, but I think there are way more people who could afford to live there if they wanted to than think so.
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
@@TheGeoDaddy As an NYC resident for 23 years, *I can guarantee you that is not true* . NYC is not only safer than in the 70s and 80s, but it's safer than 90s, mid-2000s, and early 2010s too. The job market is more competitive today- most jobs require extensive experience/education- but the jobs aren't "disappearing". It's a shame that your political views prevent you from enjoying New York today. I hope that'll change because you should really give NYC another try.
Naw, I’m now working from home (will never take another IT gig where they expect me to commute into an office anymore) and my 40 years in the industry serve me just as well away from the madness… not to mention I can produce independent theatre outside of NYC for a fraction of what it cost me in the Big Apple. “Phantom” can’t even fill the theatre anymore… it’s gonna be a LONG time before NYC and the other big cities can come back… gotta chew thru $30 trillions of DEBT - first - and that reality hasn’t even hit the cities when Federal money is cut off.
I always enjoyed walking around NYC. Sometime in the mid 1980s I slept outdoors in Central Park near West 6qst Street. In fact, I spent the entire week walking around NYC camping our of doors. Lived to tell about it!
Enjoy your vids and this was a great breakdown of Manhattan.
You should definitely do the same for the 4 other boroughs when you get the chance.
I grew up on Roosevelt Island so this was a wonderful video!
Me, too! Are you Sun’s brother?
Nice video. You used your time well. One note re: Roosevelt Island (apologies if this has already been commented on) - cars aren't necessarily the first method of access we'd think of. Roosevelt Island is easily accessible by train (The F train stops there, for example) and by its own famous tramway. There is also a ferry stop there.
Kyle, another fair and informative review, this one of the Big Apple. Many thanks
A good overview; a fair overview. On foot, you would naturally miss out on some of the amazing vistas from the Henry Hudson Parkway/Riverside Drive up to and past the George Washington Bridge. And passing through downtown quickly, it is easy to miss the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center, or, especially, the variety of things at the World Trade Center site: an amazing transportation hub, the Observation Deck up in One World Trade Center (WTC), and of course the WTC Memorial and Museum. And there are so many other things not mentioned, in other parts of Manhattan, when you zoom down to the lower levels.
Which is to say: Manhattan is so big, and so packed, it literally can't be explored except at a moderately high level in just a few days, as might be doable in a more comprehensive way in some smaller cities. No real mention was made of the workings of the massive subway system, or the infamous Port Authority Bus Terminal, or the Passenger Ship Terminal, or the Fashion District, or the Cloisters, or Rockefeller Center, or Koreatown, or Penn Station/Madison Square Garden, or the Campbell Apartment hidden in Grand Central Terminal, or (insert 25 other notable things...). Which is only to say, while this video is perfectly on point at the level intended, the answer to the question, "Is that all there is?" would be, "Definitely not!".
Yeah no kidding. I can usually get most of what I need to see from a city in a few days but even 4 days in just Manhattan wasn't enough. I think a week there and another week for the other boroughs would be minimum time needed.
@@GeographyKing Please come back when you can! Have some more fun in this deservedly-famous city, and bust some more ill-formed stereotypes!
I've lived in Harlem and Washington Heights. Harlem is definitely going through a lot of gentrification. Washington Heights much less, but it's still incredibly safe. I loved it up there. Amazing food, great parks, and friendly neighbors!
Awesome video. NYC is just a short train ride away from me. It’s always “just” been “the city” to people around where I live. A day trip that people take all the time. It’s weird to think that people plan once in a lifetime trips there. Really puts into perspective how we take our proximity to it for granted. A “must visit at least once” place if the opportunity arises for sure.
Everyone in NY knows of NYC as "The City", although a lot of people from upstate actively avoid the city. (For issues both real and imagined)
But coming from a town of 9,000 i find it mind boggling that anyone would want to live in a place as heavily populated as NYC.
@@jasonreed7522 I was at a wedding way upstate and people asked where I was from and I said "the city" and they all got salty lol.
You’re exactly right on your very last statement of your video. Ans everything else really. But yes! your videos are excellent. Keep up the great work. And New York always loves you.
Awesome breakdown I've lived in Brooklyn my entire life and still love living in NYC There's ALWAYS something new to do and see and now Brooklyn has everything you need so now I don't go to Manhattan very often
Roosevelt Island is my favorite part of NYC! When I lived in Queens, I escaped there often. I have good memories of riding the tramway over to Manhattan and back with my son.
Brilliant commentary and photography as usual thanks Kyle 🔟
I love it. Such a great insight to a wonderful city. Thank you!
It was the UN general Assembly that was going on. I've been working in that area for the last 9 years. It's actually called Turtle Bay but I haven't seen many turtles.
Lol.
Ur video was accurate about Manhattan.....ur videos never dissapoint. However, Manhattan is just 35% of NYC, so I do think it is fair to explore the other Boroughs n do videos on them also. NYC is so huge n diverse, so just one video won't cover all, but all u said about Manhattan is indeed accurate. 🙂
Agreed, maybe this could be a short series. Great video about Manhattan, maybe you could do similar videos for the other boroughs?
@@tasoli oooh I second that I idea!!
It’s a Post Plandemic Hell Hole now! I arrived on 1996 and it was still a dangerous city and I was assaulted a number of times in the subway and on the streets but I’m a big guy and I can give as good as I get AND I was making good $$$ in the IT industry.
Mayor Giuliani turned the whole city around and it was an urban “paradise” (if you love food, cultural events, city street fairs, sports, international interactions)
9/11 pushed most of the IT work outta the city so I moved out to NJ but I continued to frequent the city in the evenings and on the weekends… until the Pandemic… my last visit was February when the Mayor was calling people “racist” for avoiding the Chinatown New Year as rumors of the “Chinese Flu” were swirling around.
Now just about everyone I know has left or is trying to get out! Jobs are gone… the prices are still insane… and the anarchy in the streets is more violent than any time in the 70s / 80s because the police know they are risking their jobs if they interfere with criminal thugs who will only be release without bail within 24 hours.
It’s a Hell Hole and it will only get worse when Federal Tax payer dollars are cutoff from the National Democrat Party that’s propping up the insane retired city workers programs.
So sad, it was GREAT when I lived there.
Manhattan is less than 35% of NYC. Less than 20% of the population and about 10% of the area
The Map with Pictures, great production.
5 STARS!
--Van
I really love your channel man! Such awesome content and its great to see other geography loving people in the comment section ! great community you got here
Thank you very much!
Would love to see a video on the outer boroughs! So many amazing neighborhoods and diverse ecosystems.
Manhattan is just a small slice of the whole city.
washington heights and inwood are some of the best parts of manhattan. definitely worth checking out for your next visit!
Absolutely, I love the parks over there.
The combined Metro Area is around 18 Million and we are a very busy, impatient group. I’m so glad you like my old neighborhoods. I lived on 119th near Columbia, 101St & Riverside and 82nd off Westend. I Loved it. Thank you for talking about the neighborhoods. My family is originally from every part of NYC.
Great video this is the best I’ve ever understood NY and where famous things are from pop culture. Would love to see a similar video on the entire city.
Good job parsing the city. I feel like I have a much better understanding of NYC now
Thanks for the video sir! About to move to the Catskills just 2 hour and a half hours north of the city!
4:22 ayy my school got a mention 😁. The views of Lexington avenue looking south from the sky bridges are amazing.
I’ve been following your channel as an NYC resident and it somehow never occurred to me that you’ve never talked about it 😆
Thanks so much! Super useful video. We will be there in 2 weeks and this was a great guide. Cheers!
Roosevelt Island has a unique form of transportation there's a cable car called 'The Tram' running along the Queensboro Bridge from Manhattan.
As a Vancouverite who just recently finally got a chance to explore California on a two-week road trip (I'm 53, what took me so long!?) - I have to say I definitely enjoyed exploring the bigger cities of California... LA traffic nonwithstanding! Haha.
About 20 years ago when I worked on a cruise ship we were docked in New York/ Manhattan and even though I had a very little amount of shore time, the time I did get to explore it was can certainly confirm you can feel the electricity and energy in the city. People were super friendly, it was much cleaner than I anticipated, and there was almost too much to do and see. Scratch that. There is too much to do and see! I know the pandemic has thrown the big cities into a state of chaos and they certainly aren't like they used to be, but I would love a chance to go back and spend a week or two just exploring like you did, especially the four other burroughs. Just a fascinating place.
Excellent job on the video by the way!
Would love to see you do a similar video on Brooklyn and Queens
Man, I just love this channel
Kyle... Great to see you visit my home town! I'm an East Village inhabitant, but grew up on the Upper East Side near Central Park. It sounds like you covered a lot of ground in five days! If you really have caught the NYC fever, I'd strongly advise you to spend your time in one neighborhood, and try to get to know it. While I admire your ambition to take on Manhattan in just a week, it's kind of a whirlwind to really get the flavor of Manhattan living.
Fortunately for you, we're open 24/7/365, and they'll always be a slice of 4 a.m. pizza with your name on it waiting for you!
I look forward to getting back there in spring. There's always more to see.
@@GeographyKing I hope your have a terrific time. So many tourists have a kind of adversarial attitude towards the city, even though they traveled to see it. But, based on your videos, you are the kind of visitor that the city rewards. I'll not overload you with places to see or things to do, except one: have lunch one day at Katz's delicatessen on Houston, and order a pastrami on rye, and nothing more than a bit of mustard. You won't regret it, my friend. Bon voyage!
The first thing I do every time I watch your videos is to see which LP(s) you have on the wall behind you. Props to the BOC LP on this one.
I lived on Governor's Island when it was First Army HQ. It was a wonderful small town yet a quick ferry ride to Manhattan.
Great video! I've been to NYC several times this year and more than a dozen times total since 2016. It's amazing how there are so many different neighborhoods/identities so close together in Manhattan. It's great that you can get some of the best food in the world of many totally different cuisines all within a couple miles of each other. In my opinion, Manhattan would be tough to live in because of the cost of living and noise but it's one of the best places in the world to visit.
Always interesting to listen to you and even subjects I think I'm going to know about like NY, I still learn loads of new things. Top work GK!
Thank you!
The downtown financial district is spooky-fascinating late at night because it is so empty, the streets are so narrow, and the buildings are so tall.
Fewer people in the financial industry is a good thing. Brewing scandals and disasters is what they’re best at.
Great video.
I love NY. Harlem resident here. It's a great place to live. I have access to so much here. I moved to Florida for a few years and I almost died from boredom. I'm so happy to be home. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it very much. I'm a nerd too. 😃
Howdy again Kyle,
Dude, this was a well thought-out and informative video.
Being a Bay Area, Ca native, I’ve only been east as Georgia.
In-law Thanksgiving.
What’s really cool and educational about this particular episode, is that I’ve always to visit New York, but it always seemed so confusing and a bit more dangerous than Oakland or Richmond.
I’ve half-assed researched this adventure, even before 9/11.
You made a possible future visit way more geographically understandable!
And quite a few insights for a newb there!
Thank you again for your channel!!
New York is no where near as dangerous as Oakland and Richmond
As a NY native, I appreciated this video! I echo the comments about exploring the other 4 boroughs if/when you return:
Bronx: Wave Hill, Arthur Avenue, Van Cortlandt, gentrification of SoBro
Brooklyn: Victorian Flatbush, Little Caribbean, Prospect Park, Williamsburg, Brownstone BK, DUMBO
Queens: Roosevelt Avenue, amazing food options, Citifield, the Rockaways, Main Street Chinatown
Staten Island: Fort Richmond, the fact that it is part of NYC but also somewhat isolated
You did a good, balanced assessment of Manhattan - next time definitely also explore Washington Heights and Inwood, there's some beautiful real estate up there and Fort Tryon/Cloisters north of the GW Bridge is tranquil and the views are lovely.
Fun fact: people did used to live on Governors Island, it was a Coast Guard base. My husband grew up there and had to take the ferry to Manhattan to go to school🙂
I'll stop now lol. Thanks again!
How do you speak on Queens without mentioning Southeast Queens where the majority of Hip-Hop Legends in the borough come from ?
@Wil Mars you're right - 50 Cent, Nicki, Lost Boys, Onyx, etc...my bad 😔
Interesting take.
I live in Washington Heights, it is vibrant working class neighborhood. Although predominantly Dominican it is quite diverse, not as much as East Harlem, but does include a sizeable white population, in part due to the hospital/medical school. There is a lot of historical and scenic places up here as well. If you like, the next time your in town I'd be glad to walk the Heights with you and show you the sights.
You posted this while i was in NYC for the first time in 5 years! What a coincidence
Last time I was in the city for more than a day was 2007 when my daughters were there for a dance competition. We stayed on Times Square at the Marriott Marquis, (the competition was held there). One morning, I walked up Broadway all the way to Grant's Tomb and around Columbia's campus, then down Riverside Park all the way to where the Intrepid Museum is (at the time, the Intrepid had been towed elsewhere for restoration of the hull), and then back to Times Square. It was a fascinating hike and very enjoyable. I had not been to NYC since the Liberty Centennial in 1986, I was amazed at how much cleaner the city was, and how much safer it felt, at least for the parts I was in.
Very nice video on NYC! Thanks!
Hi, Kyle. Thank you for the video and I'm glad you had a good time. My family is from New York, but we moved away from there when I was 9. Nowadays, I live in a 400 sq foot 2 bedroom apartment in a southern Illinois college town, but if it was in Manhattan, it would cost 10 TIMES what I pay for it here. Still, if I got a modest lotto win or otherwise came into 100K or so, it might be fun to sign a year lease at one of those $2,000,00 studios you mentioned and just spend a year exploring NYC. By the end of that year, there would still be things to see and do!!!
Hey Kyle, I am a life longer New Yorker currently living in Queens. Your video was a nice primer on Manhattan and NYC in general. I want to point out a couple of things @3:51, you were on to something, these doorman jobs are actually highly coveted and are who you know type of job to get. They are union and get great benefits, they make good money, especially with holiday tips.
I will say I think Manhattan has become the playground for the rich, large sections of the outer boroughs have become as well but they are more lived in by average working people. On your next trip visit neighborhoods in Brooklyn Queens or the Bronx, you can skip Staten Island.
Ellis island is in both states, the original island is in NY while all of the rest made by landfill is in NJ. It is strange to say the least.
If he visits SI he'll be amazed that a place in nyc has farmland
What about Roosevelt Island?!
Have you ever been there or just passed by/ crossed it?
@@eduardocajias5626 yes I have been there, not recently though. Like Kyle mentioned it's a bit separated from the rest of the city. For me there is not much reason to go there. Other than some nice city views not much else to offer to tourists either.
"you can skip Staten Island" ...lol. Just watch the King of Staten Island. That's all you need to know! (truthly though, I actually liked the movie). Native New Yorker btw. Raised in Queens, living in Brooklyn now.
Nice albums in the background btw. You have good taste.
I just watched that movie Tootsie and it made me nostalgic for New York and the actor lifestyle back in the eighties and I have never been there. lol. It must be such an interesting city and I want to go but I need a local to help me figure out the best places to see. Speaking of interesting I just found this site, thumbs up!
Well done, great words, well spoken.
Yep, you nailed it.
I've lived in WA St all my life but spent 5 magical days there in '95. When my friends ask me my impressions the best comparison I can give is Disneyland. Even if you approach it with a big attitude and think you are going to hate it, your defenses will be overwhelmed and you will fall in love with it.
It's a wonderful town. I have walked many miles on the streets of the city. I love to explore and see the great buildings and special places.
The crime rate in Manhattan, per capita, was what it was in the 1950's. It has gotten somewhere worse than before the pandemic, more homeless, but still very safe if you are in Manhattan. Like any big city at night, there are bad neighborhoods, and those you have to be more careful in.
I was in Manhattan for basically the first time last weekend and WOW! It's actually incredible.
Sorry you missed us up in Inwood. We have the only real old growth forrest in Manhattan.
Grew up on Roosevelt Island. Lotta history there.
Fun video! You got the restaurant I got married at in there too. Morans, in Chelsea.
I did enjoy your video. I think you gave a pretty good overview of the city.