1. The bagels
There’s no doubt NYC has the best bagels and anyone who says otherwise is delusional. There is nothing better than biting into a cloud of sour cream surrounded by a sturdy but soft pillow of bread adorned with your favorite toppings. If you’re salivating now, here’s a list of the best bagels in town.
2. We’re never bored
Unlike other places in the U.S., there is never a lack of things to do here. If you’re bored, you’re doing it wrong. From trivia nights at your local bar to an endless list of shows on Broadway and Off, there’s so much to do most of us have a serious case of FOMO. To help rid you of the FOMOs, check out our Things to Do section.
3. There’s public transit to almost anywhere
We don’t need to worry about parking, car insurance or any of the annoyances of owning a vehicle. For $2.75, we can get just about anywhere in the five boroughs we want to be. There’s a subway, train or bus that will get us there. Sure, NYC Transit has its issues now and again, but it’s what keeps NYC running.
4. Food from all over the world
We walk out our front doors and have the world at our fingertips, that is, a world of cuisine. Every neighborhood might skew toward a certain kind of cuisine, sure, but overall our neighborhoods represent the many cultures we have here in the city. This keeps our minds and bellies full and enticed!
5. The great parks
Our parks are second to none, from Central Park to Prospect Park and those in between and farther out. They’re historic and beautiful, plus, we rely on them to give us a healthy dose of nature and a break from our otherwise concrete lives. These are the best parks in our opinion.
6. The holiday windows
Millions flock to NYC for the holiday season and what do they do? They go to the holiday windows in Manhattan. They’re always such a feast for the eyes and just a gorgeous and nostalgic way to spend time in the city. They’re so quintessential to NYC that we have a running list of the most stunning ones to see.
7. We don’t need Amazon because all the shops are convenient
If we need something, we can literally run around the block and pick it up.
8. The architecture
They say you can tell who is a tourist by who is looking up, but we’d be fooling ourselves if we said we never look up. Part of the joy of living here is seeing the gorgeous architecture and the many styles from across the decades that took over our skyline.
9. The museums and culture
Unmatched. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Bronx Museum and beyond, we truly have the best institutions—and so many. Not only do we have these great halls of knowledge, but we also have the greatest places to take in music from Lincoln Center in Manhattan to Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn.
10. The diversity
When visitors come here, they are surprised by just how many different kinds of people pass them in the street. We truly are the center of the world when it comes to how many cultures you can find here. We love it!
11. There’s no judgment
Because there are so many people from so many backgrounds, New Yorkers aren’t judgmental—at least not to strangers. We can show up however we want and it won’t warrant any strange looks. It’s freeing!
12. Free late-night show tapings
It’s super fun to go out late and be part of a studio audience—for free! You can’t do that everywhere!
13. Quick emergency response
Despite there being tons of traffic in the city, the average emergency response time was nine minutes and 30 seconds in 2022. That’s way faster than in rural areas.
14. Everything is open late
It is the city that never sleeps, after all. We aren’t beholden to 10pm closing times.
15. The honesty
There’s no guessing here. New Yorkers speak their minds. Depending on where you’re coming from it can be refreshing or shocking. We know no other way.
16. The quick pace
It’s so good to be in a city where everyone gets that time is precious. It means we can get on with our days and get where we want to be and spend more time there.
17. Fall in Central Park
Is there anything as lovely as the fiery reds, oranges and yellows draped across the park?
18. The endless possibilities
We never know who we’ll meet when we leave our apartments. What we plan on doing is not always what actually happens. It’s an exciting way to live!
19. Rangers games at MSG
We love watching the Rangers take the ice. It’s a great night out and for many of us, a tradition!
20. Tourists and travelers from everywhere
Say what you will about tourists and how slow they walk, but part of what keeps our city so fresh and exciting are the people who visit our great city. It’s a chance to be exposed to more cultures and ways of life, plus a lot of things we enjoy here in the city are created with them in mind. So for that, we are grateful.
