Why New York Really Is The Greatest City In The World
New York City is known by so many different names that you’d think it was in some kind of witness protection program or on the run from the law.
Yet despite a different moniker for each day of the week, the Big Apple’s designation as the Greatest City in the World is definitely its most fitting. After all, this is a city that flaunts diversity on every street corner and stays vibrant by welcoming a never-ending stream of new ideas and people into its streets and avenues. Oh, and there’s that iconic skyline and leafy Central Park – the perfect retreat from the urban jungle. Here are another eight reasons why the Big Apple is – and probably always will be – the greatest metropolis ever.
[related_articles]35660[/related_articles] [listicle]It has a cupcake ATM
NYC certainly has no shortage of ATMs, and you’ll find them on almost every street corner. But take a wander down a particular street in a particular part of Manhattan, and what you’ll stumble upon is something very special indeed: a cupcake ATM. That’s right, located at 780 Lexington Avenue, the Sprinkles cupcake ATM dispenses freshly-baked, delicious cupcakes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Meaning: New Yorkers can satisfy a sugar craving no matter when it strikes.
Image: Wikipedia
The metro runs all night long
Just like the human body’s arteries and veins, New York City’s subway system runs 24/7, transporting the city’s 8.55 million people through its extensive network of subterranean train tunnels all day and night long – which is exactly what you’d expect in a city that never sleeps. And with stations literally every few street corners, plus Manhattan’s logical grid system, getting around a city of such gigantic proportions is actually very easy.
Photo: Wikipedia
You’ll never be bored
According to a popular quote, “If you’re bored in New York, it’s your own fault.” And it’s totally true. There are about a billion and one things to keep the inhabitants of this Type A city entertained. From all-night warehouse raves in Brooklyn, wandering around manic Chinatown looking for a feed, to simple people-watching in Times Square, boredom is a foreign concept in the Big Apple. Hell, you’ll probably be entertained on your subway ride across Manhattan by a busker that could just as easily grace Madison Square Garden.
The nightlife is legendary
From dingy dive bars, classy cocktail lounges, and in-your-face clubs, New Yorkers keep the insomniac city animated all throughout the night. In NYC, bars close at 4am as the rule, not the exception. And that’s if they even close at all. Work hard, play hard – that’s a motto New Yorkers’ live by. New York City was also the birthplace of the musical and has perfected the art form to the point that catching a Broadway show is a must-do NYC experience.
New Yorkers love to laugh
There must be something in the water in NYC that turns ordinary folk into comic geniuses. From Jerry Seinfeld to Chris Rock, and Louis C.K. to Dave Chappelle, many a comic has cut their teeth on the New York comedy circuit and made millions keel over in fits of laughter. Indeed, there are literally dozens of comedy clubs strewn throughout the Big Apple where up-and-coming comedians ply their trade to audiences looking for a giggle. Then there’s the Comedy Cellar in the Greenwich Village, where A-list comics are known to spontaneously jump on stage for an impromptu set any night of the week.
Image: Scott Beale/Flickr
It’s always on the touring circuit
In NYC, it’s only a matter of time before that band, artist or DJ you’re a bit obsessive over comes rolling around for a visit. No matter what type of music you’re into, the Big Apple is always on the touring circuit – hell, it is the touring circuit for most bands hoping to crack into the lucrative US market and achieve superstardom. For visitors, this means that stick around long enough and you’ll be able to catch a live performance of your favourite musical act. Splendid.
It’s arty and cultured
New Yorkers are a sophisticated bunch and enjoy whiling away an afternoon pontificating on what the latest installation at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) means, or discussing whether a photograph is more true to life than a painting at the Guggenheim. The discussion could then just as easily transition into talking about street art as they walk past colourful murals back in Brooklyn. Ah, New York – you arty-farty-hipster you.
Image: Wikipedia
You can eat your way around the world
NYC’s boroughs, neighbourhoods, and micro-neighbourhoods are worlds unto themselves, and 49 percent of its citizens speak something besides English – such as Spanish, French, Armenian and Yiddish. This means you can eat your way around the world in the Big Apple, finding whatever cuisine you’re into, whether that’s a flat white and smashed avo for brekky, authentic Cantonese dim sum for lunch, or Dominican bacalao for dinner. In the New York City, you’ll never, ever, go hungry.
Image: Jazz Guy/Flickr[/listicle]
[related_videos]37071[/related_videos]
[qantas_widget code=JFK]Check out Qantas flights to New York here.[/qantas_widget]
