love the natives, they sound so tough

None.

The world revolves around them.

to go somewhere and was getting cranky about all the slow-moving (and stopping without warning) tourists I had to dodge. Then I heard a father tell his little son "This is the center of the world. People come from all over the world for the chance to see this."

Felt ashamed for my crankyness and it warmed my heart that I could see it just by turning too soon on my way to the library.

Still mostly avoid it but remind myself to observe and feel the joy when I happen to trek through it.

I used to live in Newburgh. We would walk to the riverfront, take the ferry to the train station, and take the train from Beacon to Grand Central. Magic.

I grew up in the borough of the Bronx, commuted 4 years to college in Harlem, started married life in Queens and then moved to a NYC suburb, and spent my entire working life of 50+ years in midtown Manhattan. There were times commuting on the Long Island Railroad when the ride in was long and difficult, but every time when I emerged from the train and felt the pulse of the city, it breathed new life into me. I can honestly say I am a New Yorker through and through.

Mid Hudson Valley. Nice but not my cup of tea. I never felt so alone as living in NYC.
I still have some friends in NY and it is such a culture shock when I go there to visit. Most of my friends have moved out of NY. I've lived in the South most of my life and I like it more down here
than my stint in NY.
Like I said, to each their own and not my cup of tea..
m

Some violent chaos recently too. This congestion flat tax is going to really impact Manhattan. I predict Broadway having a catastrophic year overall coming up. The city has been driven by rampent speculaiton and money laundering into these expensive condos. A big problem is many sit empty most of the time. Mom and pop businesses can't depend on such erratic demand. The big corps can better so more chain food spots less truly small businesses. The neighborhood just north of me from 30th & Lexington Ave up to 72, or 79th st have an overall annual vacancy rate of 80%.

I liked him. He was a goober. I think that is the technical, clinical term. He did decent cleanup with union contracts after Bloomberg.

My understanding is much of Central Park South are just vacant Russian real estate investment apartments.