Manhattan: I don't get the attraction.

[squibber]

It's slow here so I thought I would pose this question. I finished watching Buying Manhattan and I used to watch Million Dollar Listing New York. Beautiful apartments and important people.

I've been to Manhattan three times. To me it's concrete, traffic, crowds, concrete, some nice restaurants, concrete.

Why do people love to live in and visit Manhattan? Maybe I didn't find the good parts.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

It's slow here so I thought I would pose this question. I finished watching Buying Manhattan and I used to watch Million Dollar Listing New York. Beautiful apartments and important people.

I've been to Manhattan three times. To me it's concrete, traffic, crowds, concrete, some nice restaurants, concrete.

Why do people love to live in and visit Manhattan? Maybe I didn't find the good parts.

You're right that it's a concrete jungle with insane traffic and crowded...and some say, has the smell of maple syrup mixed with urine

But it's the mecca of everything: sports, music, Broadway shows, opera, art galleries (including the largest in the country), architecture, incredible museums (even a sex museum if that's your inkling), incredible food (try a hot pastrami on rye with russian dressing, or a bagel with lox and cream cheese, or dim sum, sushi, or a strip steak, etc.), and unlimited entertainment no matter your taste - take a car-free bike ride in the Central Park Loop, or the Hudson River Greenway; or have pint at Fraunces Tavern where Washington and Jefferson used to hang out; or do the touristy stuff like go to the top of the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty; visit Ground Zero, explore Ellis Island and possibly find records of your ancestors who took their first step in the U.S., etc.

It's all a matter of taste, and if you like crowds and social activities, it's unbeatable. On the other hand, if you prefer casting a fly by yourself on the pristine Beaver Kill or Ausable River; or camping in the mountains; or racing friends on a snowmobile, then it's probably not for you. As for me, I'm a country boy myself, but also like to experience city life, but would never choose to live in a city. I love cities, but love my rural life more...living along a river where I watch Eagles soar and hear the coyotes yip at night and plant as many trees, bushes, and flowers that I want...to me, that is living. But we're all different and to each their own. Great to live in a free country

[T200]

Some people like to get lost in the crowd. So much to see and do... museums, food, shopping, people-watching.

I definitely wouldn't want to live there but it's always nice to visit and spend a day or two.

We were just up there a couple of weeks ago. Wife took me to this restaurant in Hudson Yards:

https://www.estiatoriomilos.com/location/nyhudsonyards/

Excellent place!

[MightyGiants]

It's slow here so I thought I would pose this question. I finished watching Buying Manhattan and I used to watch Million Dollar Listing New York. Beautiful apartments and important people.

I've been to Manhattan three times. To me it's concrete, traffic, crowds, concrete, some nice restaurants, concrete.

Why do people love to live in and visit Manhattan? Maybe I didn't find the good parts.

I went to school there in the 80s (in the Village).  I hated the commute but loved the city.  To this day, I hate the trip, but I love the city.  The people, the impressive buildings and the sights,  the culture, the entertainment, that sense that it's a happening city with events and celebrities...

[DaveBrown74]

I live in Manhattan.

It is a place of extremes, IMO. There are plenty of things to love, but there are plenty of things to hate. For lots of people, the "hate" side of that equation vastly exceeds the "love" side, and that is understandable. Regarding the "hate" side, it is crowded, expensive, dirty, people often aren't very polite, and it can be stifling in a lot of ways. On the positive side, it is exciting, vibrant, diverse, full of opportunity, full of personality, very convenient (you can get anything any time basically), and the restaurants and cultural stuff are as good as it gets anywhere in this country IMHO.

I think if you actually reside in Manhattan, you need some sort of escape route. If you're well off enough that you can afford a second home within a 2-3 hour drive, that's certainly one option. Or perhaps you have family that lives in nearby suburbs. Whatever it is, in my opinion you need to be able to get out of the city fairly regularly, otherwise it can start to wear you down. I will say though, when I have been away from it for a while, I always absolutely love getting back.

I won't live in Manhattan forever. My wife is getting a bit sick of it, and so am I in some ways. We did live in London for a number of years, which we also loved, but eventually I see us moving somewhere less urban. I don't think I could ever live in the sticks, but I would not mind being in something a bit more open and less of a concrete jungle. I have a few ideas on that front and so does my wife. But for now we're still Manhattanites, with all the positives and negatives that go with that.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

It seems to me that "Manhattanites" with two homes, usually have that second home in Florida. Hell, I live in small town America in Upstate New York and there's a large percentage of folks here that have a second home in Florida...usually to escape the cold during winter months. I personally like Florida and have been there too many times to count, as that's where my mother was born and raised, so I have a lot of family there...that and a bunch of friends who have moved there. Still, I'll take Upstate New York all day long over Florida. We have the Finger Lakes, two mountain ranges, glens and waterfalls, wineries everywhere, skiing, snowmobiling, muddin, fishing, boating, white water rafting, tapping Maple trees and making your own syrup, the Baseball Hall of Fame, basking in Autumn colors, riding bike (motorcycle) on country roads, and SOLITUDE (something that is impossible to find in NYC, and getting scarce in Florida). Relax by the water in Florida and fall asleep and a friggin gator will get you...or a python...or catch a palmetto bug on your face while cruising on a motorcyle...or get covered with love bugs...or you'll just die of a heat stroke while inhaling 90% water called humidity, LOL

[LennG]

I live on Long island and if I never had to go into Manhattan again it would make me extremely happy. We literally went almost 20 years without going into "the city".
We have sort of been there, done that. Now we hate the crowds, the rushing around with basically no notice of anyone around you. Yes Manhattan has a lot to offer but not for us.

As we travel and cruise very often, we meet people from all over the world and like several have already said, it's a great place to visit and a terrible place to live, no offence meant Dave.

[Bob In PA]

Why do people love to live in and visit Manhattan? Maybe I didn't find the good parts.

squib: I came to this thread because I thought you were referring to the drink (ready to defend it). lol

[Jclayton92]

I'm from Mississippi, but have lived in Chicago, Delaware, NY, and LA for more than any of the others.

I used to love Delaware because I was a hop from DC, Philly, and NY. I loved NY for the year I lived there but that was me. The whole time I've been in LA most of my friends are from Manhattan and miss it so much. People from there just love it.

I immediately Think of Casey Neistat, as the representative for why to love NY. The director and content creator, he turned down hundreds of millions to stay in LA and moved back to NYC because that is home.