It’s been the subject of countless songs, the setting of some of the world’s most famous books and movies, the birthplace of world-changing heroes, and the envy of nearly every other US city. New York City, the home of lady liberty, draws millions of visitors yearly and generates more art, fashion, technology, innovation, and more.
New York City is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, drawing visitors of all ages, nationalities, and navigation abilities. With a population of 8.5 million as of 2015 and a total size of 304 square miles, NYC is one of the biggest cities and most densely populated as well, making meeting new people and truly immersing in the culture easy as pie. Below are some of the reasons that no other place is quite as good as the city that never sleeps.
ART: It’s hard to compete with New York City for a better art scene. Some of the most praised museums, including MoMA and the Guggenheim can be found in the city. New York City was also home to what we now call hip-hop, and the scene for that sound goes unrivaled to this day. The graffiti in New York is an art scene unto its own, telling stories of history, struggle, turf, and more with spray paint. And dare we even mention Broadway, with its world-renowned hits ranging from Wicked to The Lion King to Hamilton? As individual cities, go, none other has the breadth, depth, and history in terms of art quite like New York, New York.
FOOD: Home to millions of people, from fresh-off-the-boat immigrants to the world’s top restaurateurs, New York City has perhaps the widest variety of food options from nationality to price to general vibe. The nightlife food and cocktails are a world unto their own, with options spanning the range of alcohols and flowing around the clock.
NICHES: With so many people from every walk of life you can imagine and then some, you’ll never feel alone in NYC. Are you a wealthy banking c-suite executive who has a thing for drag queens? There’s countless clubs for that. Are you an avid racial justice advocate who’s also into anime? There are bookstores literally designed for the Black Nerd. Maybe you quit being a teacher to pursue your life dream of learning to juggle on stilts. There’s a crowd for you in New York.
TRANSPORTATION: The traffic may not be terrific, but navigating the subway system in New York will make you wonder why not every city is as well-organized as New York. In addition, the grid system of the streets makes taking the city on foot, even to someone who’s unfamiliar with the terrain, as easy as could be.
PHOTO OPS: New York has perhaps one of the most recognizable skylines of any city in the world, with iconic examples of architecture that’s truly American. The cast of characters that line the sidewalk on any given day, plus all the aforementioned perks of New York in general, make it the perfect place to stage a photo that will be worth well more than a thousand words.