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50 reasons why NYC is the greatest city in the world right now

From the public library and the skyline to rent finally going down (slightly), here are 50 facts that prove living in NYC is better than living anywhere else

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Narrowing down to 50 the reasons we love New York City was a difficult task—inevitably, some of the things that make Gotham great were left out. But here you’ll find a curated list of facts that prove NYC’s civic superiority, spanning everything from our superlative nightclubs and our expansive arts and culture scene to our place in history as an incubator of innovation, be it with architecture, dining or the arts.

50 reasons why NYC is the greatest

Everyone wants to tap this.
Photograph: Clint McKoy/Unsplash

1. Everyone wants to tap this.

Once again, New York City’s tap water received first-place honors at the annual statewide taste test, held at the New York State Fair this August. Thirsty much?

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Every year, fun spots keep popping up on our waterfronts.
Photograph: Shutterstock

3. Every year, fun spots keep popping up on our waterfronts.

Transforming from an industrial wasteland to a jewel box of fabulous green spaces, the upgraded NYC waterfront has been years in the making, but it really went into overdrive this year with the opening of three major parks. First, Williamsburg’s six-acre Domino Park was inaugurated, revamping the former sugar-refinery site into a sprawling adult playground, with beach volleyball courts and a buzzing taco-and-margarita joint. A few weeks later, in Queens, the second phase of the massive Hunter’s Point South Park redevelopment opened, boasting meandering walkways and dramatic promenades. Then, in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the verdant Pier 3 debuted—you gotta love those panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. Island living has never been so glamorous

The East Village is now a mecca for lovers of Chinese cuisine.
Photograph: Gabi Porter

4. The East Village is now a mecca for lovers of Chinese cuisine.

With Little Tong Noodle Shop, Szechuan Mountain House, Hunan Slurp, Málà Project and other new spots, the Chinese-food scene in the East Village is off the charts right now. Sure, the city has celebrated Far East fare for decades, but the food has never been so damn delicious and innovative. Mixian noodles? Mala chicken stew? Beef-tongue dry pot? Drool, drool and drool.

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Local museums just got a lot cheaper.
Photograph: Shutterstock

5. Local museums just got a lot cheaper.

With the new Culture Pass program, New York Public Library, Queens Library and Brooklyn Library cardholders get free access to dozens of the world’s best museums.

You can catch an incredible free concert pretty much every day of the week.
Photograph: Courtesy Celebrate Brooklyn/David Andrako

6. You can catch an incredible free concert pretty much every day of the week.

Yes, New York is an expensive place to live, and while concert tickets are no exception, plenty of amazing shows are totally free. All summer long, BRIC and SummerStage throw gratis gigs in the city’s parks, and year-round venues like Jalopy Theatre and Union Pool host no-cover nights. (Don’t miss the latter's regular Monday-night throwdown with the Rev. Vince Anderson.)

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The MTA finally hired its first accessibility chief.
Photograph: Courtesy Marc A. Hermann of NYC Transit

7. The MTA finally hired its first accessibility chief.

NYC's subway system is notoriously inaccessible: Less than a quarter of its stations are ADA-compliant. But the transit authority is working to change that, most notably by hiring Alex Elegudin, cofounder of disability advocacy group Wheeling Forward.

You can get shit done while you drink.
Photograph: William Jess Laird

8. You can get shit done while you drink.

Shell out for a cocktail and a tarot reading at Employees Only. Try the drink special and catch a flick at Nitehawk. Finish your laundry alongside a beer at Sunshine Laundromat. Sip rosé and get your nails done at Beauty Bar. Our city offers many ways to kill two birds with one pint.

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At a single West Village intersection, a whopping three old-timey gay piano bars encourage patrons to sing along with a live pianist every night.
Photograph: Donald Yip

9. At a single West Village intersection, a whopping three old-timey gay piano bars encourage patrons to sing along with a live pianist every night.

Marie’s Crisis Cafe
59 Grove St (mariescrisis.us)

The Duplex Piano Bar and Cabaret Theater
61 Christopher St (theduplex.com)

The Monster
80 Grove St (monsterbarnyc.com)

We’re living in a golden age of NYC repertory cinema.
Photograph: Courtesy Design Communications Ltd.

10. We’re living in a golden age of NYC repertory cinema.

New York has always been a glorious place for film. Even so, we’re experiencing a high point in moviegoing: Just visit the newly expanded Film Forum, the renovated Quad Cinema, the already essential Metrograph and Brooklyn’s highly trafficked Alamo Drafthouse, which will satisfy all your grindhouse-con-queso needs. Streaming? Pfft. When it comes to watching movies, New Yorkers do it in public.

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King County's getting a giant new park.
Photograph: Courtesy New York State Parks

11. King County's getting a giant new park.

New York is expanding its park system with a 407-acre green space that’s named after Shirley Chisholm, the firebrand congresswoman. The park will open in Brooklyn next year.

Our skyline is such a big deal, it has its own museum.
Photograph: Mike Chavarri/Unsplash

12. Our skyline is such a big deal, it has its own museum.

We may be biased, but nothing compares to you, New York City skyline. Widely recognized around the world, the cityscape is our trademark. Watching iconic skyscrapers like the Empire State Building glisten at sunset can bring a tear to even a jaded New Yorker’s eye. All this many-storied awesomeness is appreciated at the Skyscraper Museum, where a current exhibit showcases the vertical splendor of our ever-changing metropolis.

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With hit TV shows like Younger, The Bold Type and the recent Netflix charmer Set It Up, NYC is once again the main stage for all your rom-com dreams.
Photograph: Courtesy Disney Enterprises Inc.

13. With hit TV shows like Younger, The Bold Type and the recent Netflix charmer Set It Up, NYC is once again the main stage for all your rom-com dreams.

A 19-year-old opened his own successful upscale restaurant earlier this year.
Photograph: Joshua Aronson

14. A 19-year-old opened his own successful upscale restaurant earlier this year.

In 2018, chef Flynn McGarry debuted his posh prix-fixe dining room on the Lower East Side. The L.A. native, who began his career hosting dinner parties in his parents’ home at 12 years old, now rules the kitchen at his first permanent solo spot, Gem. Meant to evoke an intimate dinner party, the restaurant offers a 12-course tasting menu that includes McGarry's signature dishes of braised beets and peanut crackers with foie gras. Oh, and did we mention he’s two years too young to be admitted into a bar?

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You can rent a moped for super cheap.
Photograph: Michael Cogliantry

15. You can rent a moped for super cheap.

The start-up Revel lets you rent kick-ass electric mopeds in Brooklyn, starting at $4.

Last year, the City Council made a move to help NYC’s nightlife community by establishing the Office of Nightlife, a new department within the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Media. This past spring, the city’s very first “nightlife mayor” was appointed: Ariel Palitz.The office is a liaison between every city agency and the nightlife community. Palitz claims her office will help mitigate fines and provide educational resources for venue owners and residents alike. “It’s really about helping [businesses] open and stay open,” she says.“The nightlife soul of New York is alive and well. Now, we’re just going to make space for it and support it.”

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Younger New Yorkers are getting involved in politics.
Photograph: Courtesy Alexandria Ocasio

17. Younger New Yorkers are getting involved in politics.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Bronx native who was working as a bartender only a year ago, beat a 10-term incumbent in the congressional primaries. It’s an inspiring-as-hell New York story. 

The past three winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race are from New York—and so is the next one.
Photograph: Hunter Abrams/BFA/REX/Shutterstock

18. The past three winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race are from New York—and so is the next one.

We’re starting to feel bad for the other 49 states: When it comes to Drag Race, our girls have it down. Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Velour and Aquaria may be performing all over the world, but you can catch the burgeoning icons just about every night at spots like the Rosemont, Macri Park, the Deep End and Metropolitan.

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Since New York’s cabaret scene is thriving, we got three of its hottest stars to share why performing in NYC is so bonkers.
Photograph: Courtesy Brendan Burke

19. Since New York’s cabaret scene is thriving, we got three of its hottest stars to share why performing in NYC is so bonkers.

Murray Hill: “I’ve gigged all over the country and internationally, but audiences in NYC are the only ones who have stopped the show to tell me my fly is open. That’s showbiz!”

Ryan Raftery: “Last summer, I was performing my Martha Stewart musical [The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Martha Stewart] at Joe’s Pub. One night, I sat down and saw a bewildered husband and wife with their teenage son. They seemed very out of place and appeared to be Russian. Later, the stage manager told me that they were in the lobby, asking to meet Martha Stewart. They thought I was really Martha Stewart. I don’t know if I should be flattered or if Martha should be offended.”

Catherine Cohen: “Singing about my butthole at the Met at a show hosted by Alan Cumming? Sometimes a dream you never knew you had comes true!”

You can now pick up free books to read in public spaces, ranging from Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park to the heart of Times Square.
Photograph: Angelito Jusay Photography

20. You can now pick up free books to read in public spaces, ranging from Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park to the heart of Times Square.

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Local legend Patti Smith is working to revive the Rockaways.
Photograph: Shutterstock

21. Local legend Patti Smith is working to revive the Rockaways.

Punk icon Patti Smith is now a Rockaway resident, and she advocates for the continued restoration of the community through art. Six years later, the peninsula is still dealing with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, and to raise awareness of the ongoing issues there, Smith has created work for the annual Rockaway! public art project, put on by MoMA PS1 and the Rockaway Artists Alliance, with her friend and Rockaway neighbor Klaus Biesenbach, director of MoMA PS1.

New York’s indie-bookstore scene is on the upswing.
Photograph: Michael Chin

22. New York’s indie-bookstore scene is on the upswing.

Loval fave Books Are Magic is thriving in Carroll Gardens and old favorites Book Culture and McNally Jackson have even opened new sister locations this year in Long Island City and Williamsburg.

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New York City has some of the world’s most exciting venues for live music.
Photograph: Luis Nieto Dickens

23. New York City has some of the world’s most exciting venues for live music.

Beacon Theatre, Village Vanguard and other standard-bearers hold it down in Manhattan, while outer-borough newcomers boast state-of-the-art digs: Brooklyn Steel is one of the best larger rooms in the city, with unobstructed views, a strong sound system and copious bars. In Bushwick, Elsewhere is a mini performing-arts center in its own right, with two indoor music rooms, a rooftop stage and an art gallery, all of which regularly host indie-rock concerts and dance parties that last into the wee hours.

We have a store that only sells buttons.
Photograph: Courtesy Tender Buttons

24. We have a store that only sells buttons.

Tender Buttons has been matching rare buttons to New Yorkers' kickin' apparel since 1964.

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Public transportation tech is getting upgraded.
Photograph: Shutterstock

25. Public transportation tech is getting upgraded.

With the surprisingly accurate MYmta app, countdown clocks in every subway station and the long-overdue introduction of electric buses, the MTA is finally forking over the technology we deserve.

New York is the world capital of theater.
Photograph: Shutterstock

26. New York is the world capital of theater.

With Broadway’s box office making money like gangbusters and intimate performance spaces opening seemingly every week, it’s clear New Yorkers still have a flair for the dramatic. According to the most recent World Cities Culture Report, New York has the highest number of theaters (640!) of any city in the world.

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We all felt like we were living Sex and the City 3 while watching Cynthia Nixon run for  governor of New York.
Photograph: MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock

27. We all felt like we were living Sex and the City 3 while watching Cynthia Nixon run for governor of New York.

We have our first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive City Council speaker.
Photograph: Courtesy William Alatriste

28. We have our first-ever openly gay, HIV-positive City Council speaker.

When Corey Johnson was elected City Council speaker earlier this year, it was clear from his party-like exuberance (he can frequently be spotted dancing in city parades) that he would bring a fresh perspective to the role. Since then, he has moved legislation through the council on everything from capping the number of Uber vehicles to providing discounted MetroCards for New Yorkers living below the poverty line. What inspires him most is the city’s multiculturalism: “Forty percent of New Yorkers were born in another country and came to this city,” says Johnson. “I think one of our greatest strengths is our diversity. The story of New York City is the story of peaceful coexistence and us being able to allow everyone to live their lives and do it together.”

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The High Line.
Photograph: Shutterstock

29. The High Line.

What do you do with an old, decommissioned railway? In New York, you transform it into the High Line, a sprawling elevated park that’s still the envy of urban planners everywhere

Bars are still open late.
Photograph: Deidre Lewis

30. Bars are still open late.

Thankfully, our bars can stay open till 4am—and at clubs like Nowadays and Good Room, the after-hours scene goes even later.

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Brooklyn is currently witnessing a black-owned, small-business renaissance—and it’s being documented.
Photograph: Leonor Mamanna

31. Brooklyn is currently witnessing a black-owned, small-business renaissance—and it’s being documented.

Black-Owned Brooklyn, a “love letter to Brooklyn’s people, places and products,” is chronicling black creativity and success in Kings County, one Instagram post at a time. Each week, the founders, marketing executive Cynthia Gordy Giwa and fashion executive Glenn Alan, visit two black-owned spots—from home-goods stores to ice cream parlors and fitness studios—and then interview and photograph the owners, posting the images online. Recently featured locations include the Neapolitan-Caribbean fusion restaurant ZuriLee and the vibrant clothing boutique Moshood Creations.

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Lyrics like this:
Photograph: Shutterstock

33. Lyrics like this:

“The fur on my shoulder mink, tell me what Hov would think / I get the money, I am the king of New York / And I rock a sew-in weave.”—Cardi B on Lil Yachty’s “Who Want the Smoke?”

The city finally has a ferry system.
Photograph: Courtesy NYC Ferry

34. The city finally has a ferry system.

We finally have an easy-to-use ferry system: NYC Ferry offers rides from the Bronx all the way down to the Rockaways for just $2.75. (Did we mention each boat has a bar? Ahoy!)

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In the last year alone, NYC saw a net gain of 4,387 rent-stabilized units.
Photograph: Patrick Tomasso/Unsplash

35. In the last year alone, NYC saw a net gain of 4,387 rent-stabilized units.

Thanks to One Book, One New York, the entire city is now in the same book club.
Courtesy NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

36. Thanks to One Book, One New York, the entire city is now in the same book club.

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Alan Cumming opened a vital nightclub.
Photograph: Courtesy Club Cumming

37. Alan Cumming opened a vital nightclub.

On a recent evening at Club Cumming, pianist Lance Horne led the crowd in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for a woman named Monica, who was there with a group of friends that included the club’s co-owner, the eternally puckish actor Alan Cumming. It wasn’t until later, when Monica stepped onto the small stage to sing a sweet rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” that most people realized the singer and birthday girl was Monica Lewinsky. That’s the kind of surreal happenstance that can occur at Club Cumming, which has become an essential destination since debuting just a year ago. The tradition of downtown nightclub performance is rich but endangered, and Club Cumming, an oasis of creativity and community, is the East Village’s best addition in years.

There's nightlife that will make you smarter.
Photograph: Courtesy Caveat

38. There's nightlife that will make you smarter.

You can mix cocktails with intellectual pursuits at the new Lower East Side hot spot Caveat, a bar which offers nightly talks on everything from the science of death to the history of the MTA.

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Broadway is having its most profitable year ever. Don’t believe us? Check out some of these grosses from the first half of 2018.
Photograph: Courtesy Matthew Murphy

39. Broadway is having its most profitable year ever. Don’t believe us? Check out some of these grosses from the first half of 2018.

Dear Evan Hansen: $44,388,090.18

Springsteen on Broadway: $45,757,577.50

Wicked$46,107,590.50

The Lion King$54,876,586.00

Hamilton$79,360,218.50

More LGBTQ POC comedians are finally getting the platform they deserve.
Photograph: Courtesy Jenni Walkowiak

40. More LGBTQ POC comedians are finally getting the platform they deserve.

Eman El-Husseini. Sydnee Washington. Jes Tom. Know ’em? Well, you will. While the showbiz world slowly reckons with its warped power dynamics, NYC’s comedians of color aren’t waiting for their cue. Catch them at old-school stand-up clubs, drag shows and even Broadway stages, where they're killing crowds and taking what's theirs.

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The Lower East Side is still the place to go for lox.
Photograph: Paul Wagtouicz

41. The Lower East Side is still the place to go for lox.

Our iconic LES restaurants proudly prove that Jewish immigrant culture is still thriving after 100 years in the U.S. Yonah Schimmel, Russ & Daughters and Katz’s continue to serve knishes, lox and pastrami sandwiches, and the lines haven’t grown any shorter in a century.

Carnegie Hall offers $10 day-of tickets to almost every one of its shows.
Photograph: Jeff Goldberg/Esto

42. Carnegie Hall offers $10 day-of tickets to almost every one of its shows.

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Public art is having  a moment.
Photograph: Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery/Nicholas Knight/Public Art Fund NY

43. Public art is having a moment.

An obvious bright spot in the New York City art world is the current surfeit of exciting public art projects. These range in scale and ambition, and some are even interactive. For example, at City Hall Park, B. Wurtz’s whimsical, idiosyncratic “trees” are made of pots and pans; at Brooklyn Bridge Park, Tauba Auerbach’s project takes you on an actual East River cruise in an FDNY fireboat repurposed as art. And more works are on the horizon: For instance, the High Line will introduce the Plinth, a new stage for public art in Hudson Yards. Opening in 2019 on the elevated railway’s spur at West 33rd Street and Tenth Avenue, the venue’s first installation will feature Simone Leigh’s monumental sculpture of a black woman. Best of all, the art is free.

We live in a literal urban jungle with adorable baby animals at the Bronx Zoo—from Snow leopards and Gelada baboons to penguins.
Photograph: Julie Larsen Maher

44. We live in a literal urban jungle with adorable baby animals at the Bronx Zoo—from Snow leopards and Gelada baboons to penguins.

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An underground hydroponic farm in the Financial District is taking the “eat local” mantra to a whole new level.
Photograph: Courtesy Sarah Blesener/@sarahblesener

45. An underground hydroponic farm in the Financial District is taking the “eat local” mantra to a whole new level.

 

Tucked away in the basement of the two-Michelin-starred Atera dwells one of the locations for Farm.One, a cutting-edge hydroponic farm. Some of Manhattan’s best restaurants—Eleven Madison Park, the Pool, Daniel and Le Coucou, among others—are sourcing rare herbs and edible flowers from this underground oasis that is able to sprout green things even in the dead of winter. Unlike your typical farm tour, a guided visit to the space involves seeing and tasting an array of rare products, such as wasabi flowers or cinnamon basil, all while sipping on a glass of prosecco in true New York fashion. When you leave, you even get a box of herbs that should encourage you to cook a five-star dinner at home. All your friends will be green with envy.

In the Bronx’s Little Italy, the Arthur Avenue Retail Market offers a little bite of the Old World just off the 4 train. (And it tastes delicious.)
Photograph: Courtesy Belmont BID

46. In the Bronx’s Little Italy, the Arthur Avenue Retail Market offers a little bite of the Old World just off the 4 train. (And it tastes delicious.)

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You can see the world’s most expensive train station, the futuristic new Oculus, right across the street from St. Paul’s Chapel, built in 1766.
Photograph: Shutterstock

47. You can see the world’s most expensive train station, the futuristic new Oculus, right across the street from St. Paul’s Chapel, built in 1766.

You don’t have to travel far to glamp.
Photograph: Courtesy Blessing Marie & Allan Schoening

48. You don’t have to travel far to glamp.

Glamping's on the rise in Gotham. Governors Island and areas like Jacob Riis Park Beach now feature safari-chic yurts you can reserve for a night. The  fabulous tents come with rugs, lounge chairs and queen-size beds, not to mention amenities such as a complimentary breakfast. It's the perfect mix of city comfort and picturesque nature.

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Rents are actually dropping!
Photograph: Courtesy Antoine Meillet/Unsplash

49. Rents are actually dropping!

Well, as Zumper reports, the decrease is just 3 percent on average, year over year, and only for one-bedrooms—but we’ll take what we can get.

We’re one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world.
Photograph: Shutterstock

50. We’re one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world.

Across the five boroughs, we speak an estimated 800 languages, from Garifuna and Urdu to Bosnian. The city is a glorious, one-of-a-kind melting pot, and you can literally hear it all around you.

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