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Now that spring is here and New York is staring down more tourists than ever, we thought we'd dispel some misconceptions visitors might have about the Big Apple. Haters gonna hate, but we need to set the record straight on a few myths that are going around:
New York is dangerous
Who do you get your information from? SVU’s Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson? NYC is not just one of the safest big cities in the country, it’s also one of the safest of its kind in the world.
Single women looking for love always live in nice one bedrooms in manhattan
Yeah, and most New York women also all wear tutus as part of their normal street wear.
Broadway shows are a thing everyone goes to regularly
If we could afford the $100-plus tickets prices on the regular then maybe we would live in that aforementioned one bedroom and wear tutus.
Everyone’s rude
You talkin’ to me? Great, nice to meet you. I’m in a rush, but I’m happy to give you directions and explain the MetroCard machine.
Only hipsters live in Brooklyn
There’s 2.5 million people who live in that borough, do you honestly think they’re all sipping on micro brews while tending to their urban beehives?
Everyone hates New Jersey
Nuh-uh! Some of our closest friends are from the Garden State, and they understand why we don’t visit lovely (and lively!) Jersey City and Hoboken often: Waiting for the Path train after 12am is a real bummer.
The parks are dirty
Okay, sure, in the ‘70s. Back then Bryant Park was called “Needle Park,” now it looks like this:
Everyone’s a health freak
There’s plenty of amazing vegetarian, vegan, organic and gluten-free restaurants, but we love our crave-worthy doughnuts, pizza and desserts just as much as tourists do.
All young residents have financial support from their parents
In reality the trustafarians make up a small minority of the 20-somethings living here. Rest assured, most millennials are struggling to pay their rent and student loan debt like everyone else.
It’s too crowded everywhere
Sure, if you come around Christmas or late spring and mostly stick to Midtown you’re going to be flattened, but in the neighborhoods where most New Yorkers live there’s plenty of space to walk, holding hands and unobstructed by school groups.
Everyone leaves as soon as they have kids
You can’t even go one step into a bar in Park Slope without seeing five babies. Plenty of us are here for life, and proud of it.