Manhattan

2^nd-​runner up (Las Vegas being 1^st) for a city that does not sleep! This was my 4^th time in Manhattan and days just seemed to go on forever here because there was so much open late. Manhattan is bustling with visitors from all over the world that flock to tourist spots like Times Square, Broadway, Central Park, 5^th Avenue, The Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty and so much more. Learn and use the subway; it’s easy to use and get uptown, downtown, side-​to-​side in no time at all. If you are staying in Manhattan for the week, definitely look into getting a 7-​day Metro card and that gets you unlimited rides leaving you worry free! Traveling from New Jersey area? The New Jersey Transit is great and will get you to the city pretty quick (for example: New Jersey Penn Station to New York Penn Station about 20 minutes). If you are ever considering a trip during the holidays, just remember that it will be packed! This is a very popular destination during that time because the city is decorated so beautifully with mega store displays, tons of lights and that wintery feeling in the air. It truly does feel like Christmas here, but the masses could be irritating to some. You’ll find the touristy spots will have herds of people, but if you travel uptown by the surrounding Central Park areas (east & west) it’s not too bad; you may even have room to stretch your arms. Finding a public restroom in those heavily congested areas could mean long lines and requiring purchase that becomes your «key» to the restroom. NYC is gorgeous, so if you can get tip top on any of the major skyscrapers, you can see an aerial view that will blow your mind. It’s always fun to visit, but leaving is also a relief, too, because this city can wear you out! The city is not entirely too clean, but clean enough. Never fails, each visit, I do manage to see a rat (thankfully from a distance).

HOME! CRAZY! I had a friend tell me that after two years in Vietnam Nam in the Army everything else was no big deal. That’s how I feel about Manhattan. After living here, any other place would be boring! This place is a roller coaster ride every day with 8.5 million of your best friends coming along!
If you want more detail than that, see Royce L’s review. I can’t top that!

The heart of NYC. Where most people think of when they think NYC. Basically an island with the Bronx located on the northern end. From, downtown, midtown and uptown and front the east side to the west side you can find it here.
Then there are same neighborhoods with the borough itself. There’s Chinatown, Little Italy, Koreatown, Little Brazil, and a ton more cultures here. I can’t say that every culture is represented but I’m sure it’s close.
Each area has it’s own vibe too. Downtown on the West Side has business vibe because of all of the corporations and Government buildings, the Downtown East Side is more Artistic, as seen by the stores, bars, studios, etc. It’s almost like going into a different place every new neighborhood.
It’s relatively easy to get around too. You can get to pretty much anywhere via Subway or bus or a combination. There are taxi’s everywhere.
There are thousands of restaurants and shops all of varying hours and what they have to offer.

The best multicultural city anywhere. There are over 378 nationalities represented in this city. What amazes me is they all get along. The skyline is beautiful with its skyscrapers, the people are amazing, transportation is so efficient, and the multiethnic food options is to die for. LA has a lot to learn from this city. If you have a Bucket List, this should be on it.

My first place of residence 100 years ago. Oh Manhattan, I loves you.
You’ve changed a lot, but there are still lots of places that haven’t.
I can still get kind of creepy compliments for the mens on 8^th Ave near Port Authority and still love it.
I can still walk all over and not get tired of staring at people, because this borough is so good for people watching!
Some highlights: The Brooklyn Bridge, the Highline, Union Square, Rockefeller Center, Alphabet City, West Side Highway and Soho.
I went to school (and am still going!) here, I’ve had almost all of my jobs here, I’ve made countless friends here. I watched the twin towers fall from my rooftop, realizing that those blinking red lights on top that I saw every night before I closed my eyes would never be seen again.
I’ve gone to hospitals long closed, clubs long shuttered, shopped at Canal Jeans, ridden scary trains in the middle of the night and have enjoyed almost every moment. I’ve jumped turn styles and walked miles and miles because I didn’t have $ 1.50 for fare. I’ve walked miles and miles of museum halls, stood in hundreds of lines and eaten my weight in pizza.
Oh Manhattan, if there is a housing lottery that I can afford, I might be back to live in you again (buuut, probably not).

What an amazing city, I come here several times in the year and I alert love it! There is no other city like it, the hustle and bustle, the tall buildings, the multitude of food choices, the sight, things to do, events, the list really goes on.
I always stay at the same hotel when I am in the city, because I like the familiarity on the mid town neighbourhood. Plus I enjoy walking everywhere and this city we built for walking. Everything I need is in walking distance like the grocery store, the pharmacy, and my favourite bakery. The personality of the city is what I love the most, it’s unique in so many ways.
I especially love the food in NYC, as I am a huge foodie! In one day you can go around the world, tasting different foods from literally every corner of the globe. Over the years I have been visiting I have discovered some awesome places to eat. Among my favourite are Mexican, Greek, Mediterranean, French, and Italian. And the bakeries… oh the bakeries! There are so many to chose from I don’t even know where to start.
I am sure that I will be coming here many many more times and hopefully for many more years.

Aaaahhhhhh the city… after the day i had i need to be around city people and drinks and happy hour just cause it’s friday… just kidding but hey someone should look into to that… lols
But ain’t nothing like the city on a Friday night cause you are bound to have a great time

The city that never sleeps is on ²⁴⁄₇. Although the city can get quite crowded and monstrous during the day and late afternoon, one can freely take a stroll during the late evening and agree with the peaceful scenery of city skyscrapers and barren taxi cabs.
There are restaurants that open ²⁴⁄₇ and you can get any type of cuisine your little heart desires at the moment. Not a fan of fancy dine in? Local food carts and grocery marts are available for speedy and tasty service as well!

In my next life, I’ve signed up to live here in a cool condo (I am flexible if it is in midtown or upper west side).
Until then I dream, and visit when I can. There is so much to do, see and eat. By the time I finished my list there would be so many new things to do, see and eat… If i am not busy doing, seeing and eating I love to just hang out in a coffee shop and people watch, Or wander in Central Park.,.
It is surprisingly easy getting around. There is subway, Taxis or just walking a great way to see everything!

First of all let me say that it’d be much better if it were Womanhattan. Or even TS-​Hattan. However since we’re stuck with «Man» as usual, we’ll make the best of it. That means long, massive, hard, overcompensatory shafts pointing to the sky, as if to say, «look how big we are! Look! So big! So so big!» Yeah. Sure.
But let’s be serious.
This is my 1,997^th review on Unilocal.Which is significant. 1997 was the first time I ever laid eyes on Manhattan. And got laid in Manhattan. Okay, no, I didn’t, but it was so thrilling that I didn’t need to.
I got off the Kuwait Airlines jet at JFK, got through customs, I was still in my early teen years and my heart was pounding the way I, these days, pound cute girls, guys, girl-​guys and so on. I shared a taxi with some random people, and watched with bugging eyes wide, amazed, as Queens flew by, and the taxi sped along 495 towards the Queens-​Midtown Tunnel, and suddenly… there it was.
I’d never seen anything better than Manhattan in all my life. I’d never felt so excited before. That rush, it’s one of those things you only feel a few times in your life, and it cannot possibly be transcribed into words. All I can say is… it… was… perfect.
By the time the taxi entered the tunnel, I was practically c**ming in my pants. Then it emerged out into the mid-​90s Clinton-​era Manhattan, when everything was still seedy, wild, and fun (I miss those days). I wandered the streets from Port Authority for 8 or 9 hours before I had to catch a bus up to Boston, then on to Maine, to meet my Internet girlfrfiend, Stacy, near Fort Kent, who was a blonde American teenybopper, 2 – 3 years older than me and super cute. Typical me, really.
I headed straight for Times Square, and had the «time» of my life. I ate at Sbarros, thinking I was dining on gourmet Italian American food. Then I went to the movies and watched Face/​Off, which I never would have got into back in England due to age restrictions. I was having the time of my life. A kid in New York by himself, like Macauley Culkin. It helped that my parents had no clue about how to parent, or discipline. I was my own parent really, and a very liberal one. Within 24 months of my first night in America, I had moved to America, still in the middle of my teens. And that’s how my real adventure began. And it’s still going strong all these years later, although I’d like to have 10 of them back… but then who wouldn’t.
I left the Internet girl early so I could spend a week travelling up and down the east coast, which involved several more days in New York City, just wandering around from the top of the Island to the bottom. Those were the days. Innocent, wild, eternally memorable. Blisteringly hot summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty or whatever the song says.
America and freedom will always be synonymous for me, not because of clichés designed to gain approval for wars which I hate, but because of what happened when I was a teenager. That feeling. The feeling I can never really describe to you, because I can’t even really feel it anymore. Except very rarely, when I am very lucky. Very occasionally indeed.
As for Manhattan, well what do I really need to say about it that hasn’t already been said. It has amazing — usually ovepriced — food. It is by far the most exciting and visually stunning of the 5 boroughs, although Queens is closing in on the «exciting» and has superceded the «food» by a long way. These days Queens and Brooklyn are my favourites (in that order), and I love The Bronx too, but for sheer drama, for the thrill, for that teenage rush… nothing on earth will ever compare to Manhattan. Never has, never will. Nor should it.
The negative points: the prices. The cops. The Manhattan cops are brutal with the tickets and citations, and everything is massively expensive if you get in trouble. Whereas in Queens and Broke-​lyn, they’re more likely to let things go. When I’m finished with my «Manhattan Food» Unilocal list, I’ll post it here so you know where to grab noms from on this Island, but suffice to say… if yoiu want Pizza, go to Bleecker St or Prince St Pizza, and if you don’t… then get a Chicken Biscuit at Cheeky Sandwiches, or Chicken Tikka from the Biryani Cart, or a Mamoun’s Falafel, or a Surena Arepa from Caracas Arepa Bar. With some donuts from Doughnut Plant, a bagel from Ess A Bagel, and a Pastrami from Katz’s. And thank me later.
And if you get yelled at, that’s because it’s Meanhattan. If you get laid, make sure you Moanhattan. If you want to be like the cowboy, when you’re in Times Square (which used to be way more exciting, but is still visually thrilling), make sure you Moonhattan. And when you’re near the WTC, please Mournhattan. And if you happen to spot my gf on the Island, please feel free to enjoy the sight of her very impressive Melonhattans.
Now here’s something you didn’t know. The Mad Hatter, is actually named after Manhattan. True story.
OK no I made it up, but I had you going.

Best urban spot on Earth.
1) Best Museums
2) Best entertainment
3) Best parks
4) Etc.
I love this place.

I long for the days of Mayor Dinkins, Mayor Koch, muggings, peep shows, hookers, Limelight, Club USA, The Building, Sound Factory, The Tunnel, Ohm and fake I.D. stores.
Beat it, you soft transplants.

99% of Amerikans are basik bitches, a.k.a. The Herd, a.k.a., Kanye Kardashian.
Once upon a time, Manhattan was a ruff place to live. There were hardly any «mall stores»; shop owners opened and closed their places daily. You didn’t venture in certain areas past dusk and the trains were dangerous at all times of the day. The basiks feared Forty Deuce and Penn Station. Death was around every corner. That said, it was the best time ever to live here, because it was… ZOO YORK.
Then…BOOM! Basik bitches moved in from mainland Amerika and fucked up the rent for the rest of us! Within two decades and change, Zoo York’s «look» resembles Chicago/​Dallas/​LA; the mecca of the basik bitch. So, who’s to blame for the «Amerikanization of Zoo York», a.k.a. The Malling of Manhattan, a.k.a. The Kanye Effect?
Sometime in the late 80’s/early 90s the powers that be decided to clean up the ZOO and begin the long range plan of the re-​brand called NEW. The mismanaged funds of the city needed a boost of cash flow and tourism was their solution. «Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. …GET THAT MONEY, $ $ bills ya’ll». (WuTang for Life). Thanks a lot Bloomdik!
In order to attract the herd, the plan was to make the landscape look like Middle Earth: clean up the filth, bring in familiar restaurants and retail for mass consumption (the irony, why shop at Hollister here when it’s in your mall at home?). Time Scare was ground zero and became Time Square, aka The Mall. And that… was the beginning towards the end…
The Zoo York of my past is gone. It’s the one that still had Gray’s Papaya on 6^th and where The Meatpacking didn’t mean Dries van Noten. Going to the LES meant you might get shanked seeing your fav band play at a dive bar. Now, there’s a Becky and Felicia white gurl wasted on every corner, in every part of the city at 3am, waiting for their Über to throw up in and bring them back to their apt that daddy and mommy pay for… Starfuks, The Gap and Sephora spread like an STD. There’s nothing interesting about the mainland and that’s why we choose to live on the island off the coast of Amerika called, The Republic of Manhattan.
Unfortunately, every year we are creeping closer and closer to a city resembling Minneapolis. The rate in which interesting people that have been priced out and replaced with the basik Becky and Herb is alarming. Ditto the rate of new buildings that look like the hideous, soulless ones in Seattle, Denver and Atlanta. Today, Taylor Swift is the official Ambassador to New York. Pause. Did you hear that? A unicorn’s head just blew up.
The barrier that once was is slowly eroding. Like global warming and Kanye, there’s no fixing this problem; the damage is done and the kulture is here to stay. Enjoy what’s left of The City, while you can. Queens and Crooklyn (sans Billyburg) is still standing up for Zoo York, but The Malling of Manhattan is in full effect and just like Kanye, The City is slowly becoming just another… basik bitch.

***400^th Review ***
«Uptown, downtown, turn the beat around town, hip hopping & beat bopping. There’s no stopping to the sound of the N.Y.C. beat!» — Armand Van Helden. Oh yeah, there’s no stopping at all!
Really? A review about the city? I’ve been to the city multiple times in my life. Most of the time was for sightseeing. Other times included filming two track & field games for college at the NY Armory (nice, historical building in a scenic area of Uptown), a summer camp prior to entering senior year in high school, and silly field trips for a class that everyone hated and had to take in order to graduate. All right, here we go!
«Uptown» — There wasn’t really much to see for tourists compared to Midtown and Downtown. If you knew what you wanted to see there, then you may have enjoyed visiting. Columbia University is in that general area. I say that because I went to a 1-​week LeadAmerica summer camp there before becoming a senior in high school. The university itself was nice and historic. But much of the buildings around that university looked fine and modernized. In fact, most of the buildings in that looked pretty modern with decent, regular shops & eateries. To me, that was cool.
«Downtown» — I did do some sightseeing here, but not as much as in Midtown. We walked through Chinatown, and it was better than the Boston one in terms of size and the amount of exterior Chinese decorations. We also ventured through the South Street Seaport area, and the shops there were enjoyable. Of course, during a class trip for college, we had to compare the buildings here with the ones up North (boring!). Much of the buildings here looked old, but whatever!
«Turn The Beat Around Town… In Midtown» — Maybe it’s me, but I feel like the beat of the city is right here. I say that because in certain parts of Midtown, I see and hear various street performers play their own tunes. I also hear dance and hip hop («hip hopping») hits from the outdoor speakers of certain businesses in this area. All of this has a pretty cool beat!
Midtown is where I do a lot of sightseeing. I always venture through Times Square (my favorite part of the city which is fun, decorative, and filled with cool, digital advertising — reviewed separately), and other places of interest in this region (reviewed separately). Of course we can’t forget about 5^th Avenue, which is filled with regular retail shops and pricey, luxury boutiques. Ahh, so much to explore here, even more than Uptown and Downtown! The Midtown area was also where I boarded cruise ships and small yachts at the piers off of NY-​9A, which was fine.
There’s actually a lot to see and do in Midtown for tourists, which is why there’s so many of them in this region. The buildings here are a mixture of old, new, and modernized. But if those buildings contain places where tourists could visit and have a great time, then that’s cool. I’ve visited places in various buildings in this region, and I’ve enjoyed most of them. Maybe you will too.
«Not Perfect» — I’ve never driven in the city, but based on the traffic conditions that I witnessed while walking, I must say that it’s pretty hectic with numerous traffic jams. Tourists who don’t know how to move to the side for others to pass through is annoying. People who stop you from walking in order to try to sell you something is really annoying. Also, almost (if not completely) everything in the city is expensive. You’ll have to get used to that.
All of the above makes me a fan of the city!

This review could easily surpass the character limit allowed, but I’ll do my best to keep it brief (attention spans are waning these days, mine included).
I’ve been away for about 15 days in Southeast Asia. Specifically Bali, Indonesia. Below the equator this time of year, you can get away with wearing swim trunks and a pair of flip flops almost anywhere. Not only is it acceptable attire amongst locals, it’s also so warm it’d be difficult and dangerous to wear anything else. Why do I bring this up? You’d think after 2+ weeks of living on a tropical island I’d dread a return to New York and its current 10 degree weather and icy sidewalks. Somehow that isn’t the case.
New York has a way of getting under your skin. Not in the annoying co-​worker who microwaves last night’s salmon in the break room sort of under your skin, but the good kind. It becomes a part of your DNA. Despite the many constant gripes of living here (skyrocketing rent, the rodent population, city tax, unwelcome insects, odd smelling subways, homelessness, treacherous winters, a mayor who eats his pizza with a fork and knife), it also has its winning attributes. With a stunning skyline, inspiring architecture, beautiful parks, some of the best food in the world, racial diversity, and an omnipresent influence on fashion, art, and finance… it’s a global beacon that shapes how the world operates on a day to day, month to month, and year to year basis. That’s powerful, friends.
New York isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure. And who knows, maybe one day it won’t be for me either. But as a fan of living in the moment and enjoying life as it comes, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else but here. Sure it’d be awesome if I could feel my face when I walk outside, but it’ll make warmer months in spring and summer that much sweeter, right? In this case, my frozen glass is half full…

I am a fan. Many memories even though I do not live here. There is just something about this borough of New York City that attracts just about everyone to visit here.
It must be because it is the center of all the action in NYC! There are so many attractions here. So much to see and do! So many places to eat!
I will never tire of visiting Manhattan.

Wait, seriously? «Manhattan» is an option to be reviewed on Unilocal?That’s so broad!
I can write a whole book about why Manhattan deserves 5 stars. But to make a long story short– Manhattan island is so diverse in terms of people and attractions. It’s fun comparing it to other cities in which you have resided/​visited.
Positive or negative, the insight you gain after visiting will add a new perspective to your life. That is what makes Manhattan so wonderful.

I love you manhattan … One of the many reasons i love new york city and so proud to be living here… is because of manhattan …
Wow! I could go on and on and on and on about how awesome Manhattan is .so lets start!
there so many things you could do in the big city! I guarantee you that no matter where you go you will have a blast… because New York City is one of the best places to be! restaurants, clubs, parks, boats, Broadway shows, shopping, landmarks, museums, events, farmers market, etc…
While in New York, I STRONGLY suggest you go to see a Broadway show! It’s like a must visiting NYC… It would be such a shame not too… many great shows! Such as wicked, Spider-​Man, lion king, etc…
These are the areas i go to and enjoy in manhattan
Upper West Side (fifth avenue) an upscale area… There are many historical sites such as the Columbus Circle… some popular attractions. Numerous Gourmet groceries and restaurants are gathering here… YES!!! Sooo many different areas to shop here too… my favorite area is fifth avenue!!! Love there high end boutiques… just seriously amazing… I’m in aww… Central Park is located here… my FAVORITE park of all times!! Anyways…this is a good place to enjoy everyday life… sighhh…
Tirbeca a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan… world renowned restaurants and historic buildings… natural landscape are all to be found here. …go check out Hudson River Park and Chelsea Pier… been in here so many times I can see people here lead a pretty active life with many fitness houses… night clubs and bars around ever corner… ha.
SoHo Is In Lower Manhattan… it’s famous for being the location of many artists… for the wide variety of stores and shops ranging from trendy boutiques to outlets of upscale national and international chain stores… nice!
Greenwich Village Is Known as the Village… there are many entertainment options here… but pretty expensive. everything from restaurants to bars. every time I’m in this area… i always get tickets to the comedy cellar… get a few giggles in…
Upper East Side host some of the most famous museums in the world… its known as the culturally neighborhood as well…

And I am up to review #400… Manhattan.
There are only handful places in the world that have audacity to be called The City. They are those that stand on their own, apart from anything else around them, and you know darn well they deserve to be called that.
While some may argue, that City would include boroughs, but… Manhattan is, and always will be recognizable as The New York City.
It is big, it is noisy, obnoxious at times, it is dirty, it is grey with concrete, and tourists would drive you nuts.
But it is beautiful in its urban wilderness, it is free in spirit, it’s ever-​changing, it is city of history and future. It also never sleeps, and this is where you can get good pizza at any kind of wee hours of the night.
I do not think one can ever stop exploring it, or ever run out of new things to see and do. From maritime winds of South Street Seaport to calm greens of Central Park, from West Side Highway to FDR, it stretches and reaches for the sky with concrete needles…
Whatever you have your mind set to, it has it all.
Pubs, bars, fancy restaurants, endless shopping, parks and runs, theater, museums and music, architecture like no other city in the world, street art…
And people — oh. so. many. people. Those of us who commute here for work, those who actually dare to live in the city, whose who come for entertainment, and visitors who want to see it all.
If you think you been here a while, and know every nook and cranny, step back and look at it again.
Trust me, there is a lot you have not found yet.
Open your eyes. For a change, stop for a second from your daily routine, just stop in the middle of the street right now, and look up. And around you. See what I am talking about?
This is New York City. Be proud of it.

My god have you changed since we first met close to 20 years ago.
It’s not up to me to discuss whether growth is best served from the bottom up or the top down, but for sure the last two mayors embraced the top-​down approach, and the result is in front of our own eyes: the mallification of Manhattan –or at least large part of central Manhattan North of 14^th St.
With more and more Duane Reade, Starbucks, The Gap; more and more 7−11s, Subways, and Chase Bank locations; the expansion of their business in NYC happened at the expenses of local businesses. Not that the imposition of a capitalist corporate structure upon the local economy is inherently right or wrong, but one has to ask: what benefits did the local communities get in exchanging small, local businesses for larger ones? Is financial goal over human capital necessarily a winning strategy? If so, who won?
Manhattan looks just like a mall in any other city in the US; it’s becoming harder and harder to distinguish Manhattan from any other large city in the US. I still love the museums, the parks, the skyline, but Manhattan exchanged part of its character for anonymity and corporate asepticism. It certainly lost part of its human scale.
In the end, the part of Manhattan I find myself visiting more often is Chinatown, which is also the one who resisted this process the most. And if you think I’m biased because I live in Brooklyn, don’t worry: I’m well aware the same process is reshaping Brooklyn as well (the Barclays Center is the prime example, followed by Thor Equities plan for Coney Island)[1].
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[1] Brooklyn saw the largest increase in chain stores of all boroughs in 2013: