The TRUTH About NYC 🇺🇸 My Thoughts as a Tourist (New York City)

[@carolhartland3864]

My sister and I went to New York at the end of August. We flew from the UK. We had a fabulous time. Met loads of lovely people. Felt safe! We used the subway it was great.

[@donnawilliams2062]

As a native, NYC isn’t for the faint of heart. Its a city full of culture but living here can be draining and of course very expensive. You are spot on with the mental illness. This needs to be addressed. Riding the subway you have to keep your head on a swivel. And yes, stay away from those food carts, no one eats that but tourists. They have a reputation of not being sanitary and keep food room temperature over night. A great place to visit though. 😊 0:02

[@kristinhannah001]

curious why more people are dealing with mental illness

[@JoeyZee-vs4kr]

@@kristinhannah001 Zane just said it. Weed is legal there and many abuse themselves with it. 😊

[@ninja_tony]

@@JoeyZee-vs4kr weed had nothing to do with mental illness, come on now. There are a ton of reasons we are dealing with mental health issues in the world right now, that’s not one of them. If you want proof, look to the fact that the European countries with the highest marijuana use have the lowest cases of mental health issues.

[@ninja_tony]

Wrong about the food carts, New Yorkers ABSOLUTELY eat from them every day, just stand outside literally any office on Park Ave. and watch the workers line up daily. Otherwise, I agree with everything.

[@kristinhannah001]

@@ninja_tony must be something deeper other than using weed. there must be something else. is it the rat race culture? very high cost of living? people drowning in debt? weather?

[@brightbluesmurf]

That Mercer experience looks amazing, i'll be going there this November

[@whyemkay8222]

I’ve lived in New York in the suburbs for 10 yrs and in Manhattan for 30 yrs and seen the city change in certain ways for the good and some worse while the energy remain as is in most ways. I still love the city, never get tired of it and has been enjoying all that it offers. Lots of ppl think New Yorkers are rude but I really love the ppl too. You get to meet and know ppl with such diverse backgrounds originally from remote part of the globe to real old money elites to plain eccentrics to just ordinary folkes alike. But the cost of living is now ridiculous - I think I’ll be compelled to move out of Manhattan soon or downgrade to a substandard apartment… There are a lot of great street food trucks but you have to know the good ones. Most of the good ones on vans are only around for lunch during weekdays catering to busy New Yorkers for a quick convenient lunch. There are variations from different cuisines available at certain neighborhoods. Jamaican Jerk Chicken vans, Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich cart, Maine lobster 🦞 roll van, etc. to name a few. You can check the inspection rating on the trucks to make sure they show it and that it is either A or B. The carts are inspected just as the restaurants do. I avoid the traditional silver street carts that are on street corners in touristy areas. The food quality of those carts does not justify the high price.

[@giannishen]

New York is definitely the best city in the world! Thank you for introducing such beautiful New York to us, well done! 👍😍🙏

[@johncmordan]

The best city in the world? with all the garbage and dirty streets? I have never seen in my life a developed country that looks like a third world country.

[@tobyv7259]

The High Line is not going away. What's happening is that there is a proposed development that will construct some new buildings on a few blocks in the area of the High Line. Activists are complaining that those buildings will block some of the views that you currently see when you walk the High Line. The Vessel was closed because there were a few incidents where some people had committed suicide by jumping from the building. But the Vessel will reopen soon. They are putting some kind of netting to prevent the suicides. Thanks for your entertaining and informative videos.

[@august8882]

I missed NYC, I❤ NY with Every Slice of It.

[@anon-tlv3399]

BTW Little Island, Hudson Yards, Oculus, Highline and Mercer Labs (like teamlabs in tokyo) are all very new. it would be nice to contrast it with some much older places in new york or in the area like your walk in central park. You seem to gravitate to current architecture and design so no wonder NYC impressed you.

[@maximum_EV]

I’ve never heard of the chopped cheese sandwich before your video but definitely want to try it next time I’m in NYC. Looked really good!

[@kristinhannah001]

Enjoyed this NYC series. Great work as always, Zane. I appreciate contents like this, telling it as it is -- the vibe, the sounds, how it smells, the people walking around.. Feels like I've experienced the place myself after watching a comprehensive tour of the city. 🎉

[@DanielAdisi-ps6wq]

Your New York series are great Zane❤

[@iSucrose]

Living in the New York City area offers endless activities, but the chaos-from sirens and noisy neighbors to the sheer number of people and high cost of living-makes it a place I can't return to reside in.

[@LearnGrowHealThrive]

lol Former resident of Manhattan. If noise isn't your thing, you are wise to live elsewhere, for sure. I could not agree with you more that it offers endless activities, but you have to live for that city energy. Nowhere else on the planet has that flow of buzzy energy like Manhattan does.

[@trxshfm]

Now I'm really intrigued to see you come to SF

[@muinteoirdior]

Your pronunciation of BAGEL is wild.

[@zz44ppppp]

Begel

[@muinteoirdior]

Yea. You used to be able to access the vessel until people began offing themselves from it.

[@richardzelinka9411]

Zane. Thank you for your thoughts. NYC's underground train is the "Subway", not the "Metro." The Subway is the largest system in the world by number of stations, and one of the oldest. It's not shiny and new, but it moves millions of riders efficiently weekly with few problems. As a NYC native I rode the Subway alone for years, and still do when I visit, with no incidents of any kind. NYC does not have real "street food" like in Asia. It is almost exclusively processed junk food sold out of trucks. I see no point in eating it or paying absurd prices for stuff sold from trucks or carts when there are many good restaurants that sell higher quality food at far more reasonable prices. Based on my experience, NYC restaurant prices are no higher than London or Paris. As for hotels, they aren't cheap, but I know from recent experience that rooms are available in decent (not luxury) hotels in good locations for far less than you paid. It takes some searching, but deals can be found. And if you go in the winter, prices are much lower. IMO anyone who wants to enjoy and really experience NYC should avoid the tourist traps. Sure, go to one of the skyscraper viewing decks and maybe take in a Broadway show, but otherwise visit the world-class museums and do free stuff, like walking across the Brooklyn Bridge or riding the Staten Island Ferry, hang out in the parks, and enjoy the endless show that is to be had by just strolling the streets. And give the crappy tourist food a pass.

[@garciatunion]

I love NY, Ive been there for two months as a tourist, can't wait to go back but I believe that prices in restaurants in USA, especially in NY or Miami, are way more expensive than in Paris, London, or any place in the world at the moment and Ive been to 65 countries so far, tipping 20% doesn't help at all.

[@LearnGrowHealThrive]

He's not yet a super seasoned traveled. He doesn't understand the differences between the London Underground (or the tube), and the NYC subway, and the Paris Metro. He'll figure it out when he becomes a bit more worldly. He certainly overpaid for the hotel, but many first time visitors do. They don't know the neighborhoods, and they "fear" some might be dangerous, so they go with midtown so they can be "centrally located". I got a big chuckle out of him saying the cost of the thai tea was due to NYC being a tourist city like Waikiki and Vegas. LOL Had me rolling! He will never understand NYC the way that someone who has lived there for decades has. It's just not possible for tourists to do that, the city is always changing. I lived in Manhattan for 10 years, LA for 9 years, briefly in London and Paris, and now in SF for 19 years. I love the NYC subway because it is such a part of living life there, but it's not as good as London's, Paris', or Tokyo's. After moving away from Manhattan, the rhythmic sound of the subway is the sound I missed the most. When I hear it, I *immediately* exhale....it sounds like "home" as weird as that must come across.

[@MichaelGernold]

It's interesting seeing traveler's point of view of NYC. As someone who resides here and has traveled to other parts of the world, I definitely think his opinion on many of these subjects would change if he spent more time here and went to the less touristy areas. I think he was being a bit PC with some of the issues here lol.

[@Mynamenotjeff95]

The subway is definitely good in terms of price point and pay method (omny). Its connectivity around particularly Manhatten is also fantastic... However I don't think it stacks up in terms of reliability of usability. It can be quite confusing to tourists in a way that other world leading metros (particularly the London Underground) aren't. Train's are also less frequent and aren't on time. One thing I do agree on though - I did not feel unsafe in NYC. For such a big city, with all of the issues of homelessness that other big metropolis's face, and the issue of guns being prevalent in the US - I surprisingly never felt threatened by anyone on the streets or subway. I've felt more unsafe in cities like Paris.

[@LearnGrowHealThrive]

You are far, far less safe in places where guns are carried on the regular, and NYC is not a city where guns are common. I lived there 10 years. It's just not common to see people carrying guns, it's the exception. Now, go to Texas, and watch TF out because most everyone is armed. I was raised there.

[@El_.5794]

There are places in New York that you’re not safe to wander around but as Zane is saying its like in other countries too. Downtown Manhattan is safe for tourists to walk around. I always bring around my visitors to places of interest in the city. I could say, there are changes in the city now than in the late 90’s in terms of safety. Before, we could ride the subway at late night and nothing happen to you but now, I avoid doing it. I just take an uber going home when its late after 12 mdn. I love the city the food diversity and the art/ culture NY is known for. For street foods, there are fairs all the time that sells all kinds of foods and drinks.

[@ninja_tony]

I mostly agree, but I don’t know where people keep getting the idea that the subway is unsafe late at night. I ride it from 2 to 4 am every night, and it’s no less safe than during the day. It’s also just as packed at 2 am as it is as 2 pm, because all the late night workers are either going to work or going home from work lol. The street foods and fairs are absolutely amazing, especially the Queens night market, and Chinatown does markets several times a year as well that are awesome. Food is easily one of my favorite things about living in this city lol

[@El_.5794]

@@ninja_tony I live uptown and its a long ride from Manhattan. I just don’t feel comfortable riding solo when it’s past 12 mdn passing above 110 st. Cars are getting empty after 125 street. If i go out with friends and we are many, yes we ride the subway. For street foods, its unfortunate Zane didn’t have the opportunity to stumble one of these street food fairs since they’re all over the city. I don’t bring my visitors to buy street foods in Time Square. There are other places to go like South Street Seaport, Dumbo and etc. Bryant park alone has permanent food stalls. He didn’t stop at the Italian festival in Little Italy to check what the stalls were selling.

[@LilyBeth-wm6lg]

Great video ❤

[@LearnGrowHealThrive]

Respectfully, $8 for a thai iced tea in NYC is not expensive for someone living there, at least not in 2024. I know because I lived there for 10 years, way back in the 90s. In 1996, a Starbucks Venti Frappuccino was almost $5 ($4.75, 25 years ago), and a chocolate martini at Pravda was $20 (again, 25 years ago). NYC is also NOT a tourist city, but it is the largest metropolis in the US, and one of the most extraordinary cities to live, work, and visit, so it draws a lot of tourists in the late spring, summer, and very early autumn. There is no other city on the planet like it (not London, Paris, Zurich, Brussels, Sao Paulo, Rio, Caracas, LA, San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Tokyo, Taipei...no where is like Manhattan). What costs money in NYC is real estate & wages, so everything you buy has BOTH of those costs factored into whatever you're buying because that is the business reality: cost of doing business in one of the world's most expensive cities & you must pay your employees enough to live there and commute to work. It has *almost nothing* to do with tourism. When all the tourists leave, NYC costs the same as when the tourists are still there. One exception may be the hotel prices come down slightly, and that's when people like me go to visit. Tourist destinations are places like Orlando, Anaheim, Las Vegas, and yes, even Waikiki. Tourism related businesses are the primary industries in those areas, and that could not be further from the truth in Manhattan, which has a diverse economy. When the tourists leave Manhattan, you barely notice when you're living there because that city never stops. Even 9/11 couldn't crush Manhattan, although the pandemic nearly did. I can tell you, from personal experience, that after 9/11 happened (I mean September 16th-30th of 2001), Hawai'i was EMPTY. The hotels were empty, the restaurants were empty, the shops were empty. The place was a ghost town. It was chilling being there, just down right CREEPY. That is what happens to a tourist destination when the tourists leave. THOUSANDS of people in the Hawaiian islands were laid off. That has never happened to NYC in 100 years, until the pandemic hit. It didn't even happen after 9/11. People still lived there and worked every day. People who could evacuate elsewhere the week of 9/11/01 did so, but returned the following Monday for work. I realize you're not a very seasoned traveler, and you will certainly become moreso once you've had a solid decade or two of global travel under your belt. Global travel just happened to be my primary source of income from 1990 to 2007, and for 10 of those years I was living in Manhattan while traveling about half of each month. You will eventually really grasp what cities survive solely off of tourism, and which cities have a robust economy and also draw a lot of tourists (like Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Paris, London....all world class, economically diverse cities on their own without any tourists showing up). The High Line is NOT closing. There will be a brief closure of a small part of it for construction repairs. It only opened in 2009. It hasn't even been open for 20 years yet. Manhattan is *always* changing. I would leave for a weekend, and come back and the restaurant I had dinner at the week before I left would be closed. Three weeks later, a new restaurant would be opening. Art exhibitions are changing. Clubs come and go. Living there 10 years, and visiting for two weeks to a month at a time, many, many times since I still have not done everything there is to do in Manhattan. It is impossible to ever visit that city enough because there are always new, exciting, and interesting things to do there. Seriously. This is your first visit, and your next visit can be entirely different.

[@Kushal6831]

Love your video's ❤❤

[@williamtravis7180]

Vivo en un pueblo de Venezuela, comparando tus videos en Tokyo y New York , pienso que Tokyo es mas atractivo y divertido.

[@WillyYoung-hx5jq]

New York city , the best that you can do is to stroll.

[@shoshana54]

We saw and smelled Cannibis in the 60's, lol. Born and raised in Manhattan.

[@Esperanzacasem]

Nice vlog

[@anon-tlv3399]

You tried to stay positive but: 1. you had bad street food 2. accomodation and food are insanely expensive. 3. the metro is dirty. 4. the highline is under threat of demolition 5. The Vessel is now closed indefinately. 6. you can see on the streets areas of homeless, drug use, having mental health issues. 7. migrant markets with catalogues of stolen goods that they sell online shocked you. so yes NYC is vibrant, lots to do - but come with deep pockets and only stay and walk in the nicest touristy areas.

[@carolhartland3864]

It's the same as any big city! London is the same

[@anon-tlv3399]

@@carolhartland3864 Ive been in london 3 times in the past 10 years and every time it was worse. literally had to step over homeless people sleeping at the tube entrances. I agree mass immigration has ruined many areas of greater london. We stayed in Canning Town on the DLR. nice place - gun shots and 2 killed nearby in Newham, on our first night. Told not to leave the Ibis after 10 pm for our safety. Hundreds of women covered in burkas with "protection" of men around. Felt like a taliban town.

[@LunaKerry]

i ve heard the same thing about san francisco n paris too

[@LearnGrowHealThrive]

Having lived in Manhattan for 10 years, here is what is true for people who live and work there... 1) Street food can be dicey...you have to know where to go go & there are too many fabulous places to eat to waste time/money on food carts 2) hotels and food are expensive because everything in Manhattan is expensive, this is a fact of life of living and working in Manhattan, it's not negative, it's a fact 3) the subway is not super clean (Paris' subway is called "The Metro" not NYC's) 4) The Highline is not closing or threatened with being demolished. It only opened in 2009. It hasn't even been 20 years yet. 5) The Vessel closed in 2020 and you wanna know something really negative & depressingly sad, it closed because in 2020 so many people jumped off of it to their demise. Now THAT is negative and also pure fact. Multiple people. They had to close it. Oh, and yes, they put up chest high barriers after 3 people jumped off, but a 4th person jumped even after the chest-high barriers were put up. Now, they are trying to reopen it with mesh nets (similar to what the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has in place) to catch people. Like it or not, these are facts. 6) NYC has had homeless people since the day I moved there in 1990. It's not negative, it's a fact. 7) The reality is that Manhattan has NEVER been affordable, but it is now almost cost prohibitive for most people. You *must* be aware of what you are getting into because it is not a city the average person with an average income and average expenses can afford to visit for very long. Although, he way overpaid for his hotel room. You can find better deals that what he paid, unless he went during Fashion Week or during the US Open. You need to better distinguish....and be able to discern....what is negative from what is a fact. People NEED facts, not BS lies that aren't going to help them face real life in Manhattan. This "toxic positivity" is BS. People need to know the real deal. End of story.

[@adokjava6753]

yow i like your videos

[@SoxXxOwnsU]

NYC is nice from about June-September. The other 8 months its pretty damn cold outside and the vibes are just not the same. You wont see as many people outside, central park not the same. In the few warm months NYC is probably one of the nicest places to be but majority of the year its just not. Around Christmas its cool with the decorations but I wouldn't travel there in the winter. If NYC had nice weather it would be the best place in the world. Instead you wait 8 months for the 4 months of nice weather and just repeat it. I would definately advise traveling when its nice out.

[@devilslayer3548]

If you are a Tourist but living in new York is whole different question

[@MZig-rw7su]

It's not even comparable to the variety of London. New York resembles Third World countries in many places.

[@Mazownzall]

Love you, love your vids. I assume youre extremely well meaning and please understand im saying this with no aggression, but it makes new yorkers cringe to hear the subway called the metro. I know all around the world the word metro is used and its literrally correct and your not making a mistake but zero new yorkers call the subway the metro. We either say subway or train. I think if there was a way to track how many people refer to it as a metro yearly in nyc you would have over 50% of all uses of that word in the city this year.

[@andybaker2456]

It's the same here in London! Our "metro" is called either the Underground, or the Tube, we do not call it the metro. Yet I hear so many tourists (particularly from the US!) either in person or in travel vlogs refer to it as the metro.

[@tinaisbister7480]

I do have an issue with cannabis as you’re walking the streets. I think it’s rude of people to smoke it around families and children. I get extremely nauseous just by the smell. I cannot understand why it’s legal on the streets. It is a health hazard to others how fair is this, I just recently got back from New York my first time there I got extremely nauseous every time I walked the streets and almost threw up the cannabis, smell so disappointing and rude entitled people that think of themselves and not others disgusting. 🤮 😮

[@isabelfigueroa7315]

I’m from New York and I must tell you that New York is not all that

[@nihonyii]

LONDON PLSSS

[@mariaperea9949]

🎉👍💖👍

[@christianhansen3292]

U say Bagels wrong btw. it is bay-guls. YW

[@aol6983]

Nice vid Zane, we visited (we're from Scotland) 6 years in a row up to Covid where it was just a fabulous place. Since then, there are multiple uploads on all the issues NYC is facing, mostly illegal and gang wielding migrants, homelessness and shoddy security on the Metro. I'm not one who wants to smell cannabis all day either. It's such a pity, the best city in the world but needs regulated and all these emigrants kicked out, it's simply not safe anywhere these professional beggars congregate.

[@childishrare]

Avoid street food hot dogs gotcha also I heard some vendors sell water bottles but it’s reused water not fresh stay away

[@somemale]

You went to the wrong street food carts man. No foodie would ever go to the hot dog/pretzel carts. Do a bit more research next time.

[@Its-Kat_]

Living in Japan over 7 years and you can drink on the train. And got food of it's like a onigiri or something small and pretty much no odor it's fine.

[@bretlandis4425]

DC metro much better than NYC metro, by far

[@kingheffy9044]

NYC WAS worth it. Its been in extreme decline since covid and now its pathetic

[@doc_zithu]

🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸❤️🇺🇸

[@JoeyZee-vs4kr]

New York has a lot of history and it's probably the best city for many years but now, it just looks old. Even that elevated walkway is just an old railway and converted to be walking deck. Sometimes, being first is not an advantage because the late ones tend to become the most modern in the end. 😊

[@anon-tlv3399]

I would say older cities need huge investments in maintenance. After the 2011 earthquake Japan rebuilt a lot of older areas and train lines and bridges to proof them spending hundreds of trillions of Yen, that is why it was and still is in recession. but the maintenance of Japanese cities and efforts against litter and towards public safety are evident. Americans need to stop the self loathing (as shown it the street art "ME" with the rest crossed out. its not about ME its about SOCIETY