This past Saturday, I went down to NYC for my brother's bachelor party. It wasn't the typical party that took place in a strip club or a bar's private room. It was a small group, the groomsmen, getting together for drinks and some food. A quiet affair, but we chose to do it in NYC so we'd have more options. While there, I noticed a few things.
The first thing I noticed is the smell. As someone who lives in Westchester in a relatively nice area, I gotta say. NYC has an odor, almost like a locker room to it. It's unbearably muggy and between the exhaust from the ridiculous amounts of cars and the massive amounts of people. It just has a lingering stench about it.
Cost of a drinks. The first place I went to charged me $7.50 for a Corona and the second charged $8 for a Harp and $8 for a shot of Wild Turkey. I had been in the city for 20 minutes and I'd spent $30 for three drinks after tipping. That's usually two hours in Westchester. Maybe three if you're lucky. Other than food, I spent about $160 on drinks and I was stone cold sober. How the hell can this be? How does anyone afford to go out in NYC?
Times Square. If you blindfolded me and let me loose in Times Square and asked me where I was. Aside from signs being in English, I would swear I was in Tokyo. I would say, if I had to break down the demographics of the people I elbowed through trying to walk a block through digital camera land, I'd say 50% were Asian, 30% were Spanish, 10% were European, and 10% were White or Black. It's bizarre.
Clothing. Let's just say this about the average woman I saw down there. The hookers were wearing more clothes than the average 20-something. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying. I'm very glad I don't have a daughter, because if my daughter ever walked out of the house like that, I'd chop her legs off. Also, aren't we supposedly in a recession? I saw more diamonds, more platinum, more big-ass bling than I've ever seen before. How can people not be able to afford a shirt with sleeves, but they can afford diamond encrusted platinum nameplates with their nickname on it?
Food Carts have gotten very, maybe too sophisticated. I remember a time where there were only hot dog and pretzel vendors. Now there are carts with various ethnic cuisine and some things that make no sense. I mean so many of the items aren't conducive to walking and eating. Anything that comes with a fork and knife is not the easiest thing to eat in NYC. But these places were mobbed. I will say this, the price for what they are serving is better than most restaurants in Westchester and I'm guessing the food is almost as good.
Sexual orientation. Anyone who thinks that homosexuality isn't as natural as heterosexuality has never been to NYC. No lie, I've been to San Francisco, albeit as a youngster, and San Fran has nothing on NYC. I saw more men holding men's hands, and more women holding women's hands than I saw men and women holding hands. I also so more people I'm not even sure what they were holding hands. I think it's great, that we live in a world, at least in that bustling metropolis, were it is accepted. Hopefully one day the rest of the country will stop being so narrow minded.
My last observation was that I like NYC, but I'm glad I don't live there. Sure it's nice to have all these wonderful things at your fingertips. To be able to really feel the culture. Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I'm just lazy, but there's something I've grown to like about the slowed down version of New York that we call Westchester. It's nice to know it's there, and I'll make the trip many more times, but the hustle and bustle just ain't for me.
The first thing I noticed is the smell. As someone who lives in Westchester in a relatively nice area, I gotta say. NYC has an odor, almost like a locker room to it. It's unbearably muggy and between the exhaust from the ridiculous amounts of cars and the massive amounts of people. It just has a lingering stench about it.
Cost of a drinks. The first place I went to charged me $7.50 for a Corona and the second charged $8 for a Harp and $8 for a shot of Wild Turkey. I had been in the city for 20 minutes and I'd spent $30 for three drinks after tipping. That's usually two hours in Westchester. Maybe three if you're lucky. Other than food, I spent about $160 on drinks and I was stone cold sober. How the hell can this be? How does anyone afford to go out in NYC?
Times Square. If you blindfolded me and let me loose in Times Square and asked me where I was. Aside from signs being in English, I would swear I was in Tokyo. I would say, if I had to break down the demographics of the people I elbowed through trying to walk a block through digital camera land, I'd say 50% were Asian, 30% were Spanish, 10% were European, and 10% were White or Black. It's bizarre.
Clothing. Let's just say this about the average woman I saw down there. The hookers were wearing more clothes than the average 20-something. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying. I'm very glad I don't have a daughter, because if my daughter ever walked out of the house like that, I'd chop her legs off. Also, aren't we supposedly in a recession? I saw more diamonds, more platinum, more big-ass bling than I've ever seen before. How can people not be able to afford a shirt with sleeves, but they can afford diamond encrusted platinum nameplates with their nickname on it?
Food Carts have gotten very, maybe too sophisticated. I remember a time where there were only hot dog and pretzel vendors. Now there are carts with various ethnic cuisine and some things that make no sense. I mean so many of the items aren't conducive to walking and eating. Anything that comes with a fork and knife is not the easiest thing to eat in NYC. But these places were mobbed. I will say this, the price for what they are serving is better than most restaurants in Westchester and I'm guessing the food is almost as good.
Sexual orientation. Anyone who thinks that homosexuality isn't as natural as heterosexuality has never been to NYC. No lie, I've been to San Francisco, albeit as a youngster, and San Fran has nothing on NYC. I saw more men holding men's hands, and more women holding women's hands than I saw men and women holding hands. I also so more people I'm not even sure what they were holding hands. I think it's great, that we live in a world, at least in that bustling metropolis, were it is accepted. Hopefully one day the rest of the country will stop being so narrow minded.
My last observation was that I like NYC, but I'm glad I don't live there. Sure it's nice to have all these wonderful things at your fingertips. To be able to really feel the culture. Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I'm just lazy, but there's something I've grown to like about the slowed down version of New York that we call Westchester. It's nice to know it's there, and I'll make the trip many more times, but the hustle and bustle just ain't for me.
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