You apparently haven't had Dinosaur BBQ from Syracuse NY.

Yes, I have. Great stuff. They opened one in Troy ( I think ) but I only got in once because it was so crowded all the time.

You're not alone. I'm in Boulder right now with the extended family and originally from a suburb of NY.
TV is much better.
I haven't gone to the bagel place but I will. Bagels freeze so I'll buy a bunch. Fresh Market handles my NY/NJ bread fix.
I cook better then most restaurants. So I would rather have friends over and share a meal then go anywhere else.
I do miss my family. There are no substitutes for them.

the only thing I like about new York is the departure gate at LGA!

Funny stuff!

Having a little less fine dining experience is a small price to pay for all of the great things in TV!!!

Weather in the 80's at the end of December. I love it!!!

Before
 

Before we get too romantic it may pay to remember the shoveling of snow, the driving in the snow, the traffic in NYC, the high taxes, the crooked politics, the long train rides to NYC and arriving in the commuter traffic at Grand Central, etc. BUT we should also remember that the water comes from the Shokan Resovoir and has been voted the best in the USA many times and that is why the bread tastes to much better, remember the great shows on Broadway, the terrific music. Which is better which is worst..I vote for THE VILLAGES where life is just good. :pepper2:

I vote for New York. No need to drive in snow if you don't want to since we are mostly retired and don't have to deal with it. You can be out past 9 and eat any style of food you wish. Plus the people are real.

Diane, what are you doing in TV? Life is too short to live somewhere you dislike so much.

I agree and working on it

Actually, in her case she was correct! Water in Ozone Park, Jamaica and several other areas in Queens were supplied by Jamaica Water Co, and the water was not the same as in the rest of NYC! Smart woman!

My family is in N.Y. That is what I miss.
And the food.
N.Y. will always be my "hometown."

I think a lot of people miss their hometowns and move back.
Also why so many people are snowbirds.

Whatever works for you and makes you happy is what's important.

That is funny!

miss Pa
 

I miss good scrapple and slippery pot pie and all those other Pennsylvania Dutch foods like really good Utz pretzels from the Lancaster Pa area.
I would not go back though. I can visit and bring some back here with me.
I miss family and friends nearby to go out to lunch or dinner with or just get together to chat.

Yes the people are real
 

With the authentic folks in New York City, what you see is what you get.


Having had numerous aunts/uncles/cousins who called New York City "home", not to mention my father & grandparents, I can truthfully say that visiting N.Y.C. was always fun plus a cultural experience. Certainly not boring. Diverse & mentally stimulating. Sometimes I wish I had been raised there.


When my father's relatives would visit us in New Jersey, they would joke that they were in the "sticks"......which it certainly was not. They were all fashionistas ahead of their time; dressed to the hilt.....just to visit the "sticks". Furs, jewelry, nice suits, etc. They knew how to dress, for sure.


As young couples living in New Jersey, we'd enjoy the great restaurants of N.Y.C., the theatre and so forth........but most of all, we frequented the museums.


Guess it all depends what one's interests are. However, N.J. was our home as we were born there. Plus can't forget the Jersey Shore......still have family in the Garden State of New Jersey. It isn't just oil refineries as seen from the N.J. Turnpike.


New Yorkers are mentally stimulating & accepting of the idiosyncracies of a myriad of personality types, nationalities, food choices (the very best delicatessens & bakeries anywhere) as well as superb restaurants............can't be beat anywhere.


When beginning our family, we relocated to a small town of 16,000 souls (which population remains the same today) & felt like it was the "best fit" for the children & for us for the better half of our lives...........having remained in this small New England town which is a "cradle to grave" sort of town for almost 50 years, with just a few short detours to the south & back. Nothing much around us but farmlands & national forest, but we do have a museum in town plus several colleges. Self contained town; NOT suburbia.

We've enjoyed the exceptional beauty of all of God's nature while living up here. The natural beauty. Not artificial attractiveness. We still are in awe when we travel our own state. My own mom retired up here, enjoying a good 30+ years in what she lovingly called "GOD'S COUNTRY". Passing at age 91, she is buried in her beloved Green Mountains. She always mentioned that she never thought she'd live in such a place of beauty.


Thus, it depends if one is looking for non stop cultural immersion with great restaurants, museums, theatre, etc....then choose New York City...........where I will repeat, people are very accepting of diversity, whether in nationality or religious beliefs......plus the restaurants are to die for, the delis are superb, & all cultures are represented in the food markets.


If a cozy, laid back existence is your thing.......then choose a small town........where people still wave hello in the morning, remember you from grade school & high school/college, etc.; remember your parents, your children, etc. & now get just as excited about your grandchildren as you yourself do.


A cradle to grave sort of town. A town where merchants co exist next door to doctors, dentists, engineers, schoolteachers, lawyers, store owners, craftsmen, firemen, policemen, retired people living in same neighborhoods with families with children NOT suburbia at all. NOT city. Just small town living at its best.


Where people actually go to your funeral.


That said, I have very fond memories of my New York City family, plus Brooklyn, as well as those on Long Island, Staten Island & New Jersey.


When we watched "A Miracle on 34th Street" this Christmas, it reminded me of when my father's sisters (my aunts, my Godmother, etc.) would take me to Macy's Department Store in N.Y.C.........or when they'd take me on the elevated train.......or down in the subway.......or to Saint Patricks Cathedral on Easter Sunday...............so, all GOOD. Nice memories. Where the people are authentic, for better or worse.

Thank you for "getting it". If you haven't lived there you cannot understand how awesome New York is