The Germiest Place in America

 

I really love New York City. I like moving fast through a place where, headphones in, every soundtrack I can think of fits beautifully. It’s strange because the city has an over-abundance of so many things I don’t like. Crowds, cold weather, depersonalization on the street, constant phone usage, expensive… everything. But it comes together like one of those cocktails that are heavy on bitters and other icky tasting stand-alone ingredients, yet comes out surprisingly delicious to me. 

After collecting a few offers from friends and family for a free place to lay my head, I’ve cashed in for a two-week trip. It should give me almost enough time to indulge in one of my favorite fantasies: living in a new exciting place. It’d be hard for me to leave my beloved New Orlean–and also I can’t afford it–but I’ll still say I haven’t ruled Gotham out yet.

Even though the city’s biggest critics rely mostly on established fact, there are a lot of aspects of its bad rep that I’d say belong in the undeserved column. For instance, I’ve never found this place to be much meaner than any other place I’ve visited; on a Sunday stroll through Brooklyn with my nine-month-old nephew, it occurred to me that the challenges of having a baby here are probably offset by the advantages (depending on one’s parenting style to be sure); and while the city is known for its dark blue voting record, from a maunderer’s perspective, the Founding Fathers’ implicit commandment that “Thou shalt mind thine own business” seems alive and well.

Take this example: the people of New York are overwhelmingly partial to indoor masking. The mandates are lifted, meaning that this is a conscious decision to remain in crazy town. I will not. When I’ve scanned the car on my subway trips, I’ve noticed I’m the only one without a magical face cloth. But the closest thing to admonition I’ve gotten is a few extra feet of elbow room. It’s possible some dirty looks were thrown my way. I wouldn’t know. There are way more interesting things to look at than half-covered faces… like the books and magazines people are reading, the clothes that hip-hop kids think are “fresh”, or a youngish couple playing ukuleles.

Now if someone told me that they’d been wearing a mask on the subway before Covid, I’d think it made sense. It’s gross down there. But given that most of my fellow travelers probably didn’t, I can’t help but wonder which of them fall into the emphatically neurotic, “Covid’s not over!” category, which into the “I’m just playing it safe/it’s not a big deal to wear one” category, and which of them are just a bit more sensitive to, or perhaps more considerate of, other peoples’ anxieties than I am.

Oh, well!

Somewhere way down on my wish list, well below a penthouse overlooking Central Park, there’s a desire to see us return to the free and fair exchange of microbes. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the extra subway space and turn my attention to more attainable (though still moderately unaffordable, ergo fantastical) rental real estate.

Published in General
This post was promoted to the Main Feed by a Ricochet Editor at the recommendation of Ricochet members. Like this post? Want to comment? Join Ricochet’s community of conservatives and be part of the conversation. Join Ricochet for Free.

There are 42 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Samuel Block: I really love New York City. I like moving fast through a place where, headphones in, every soundtrack I can think of fits beautifully.

    But especially Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

    • #1
  2. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    I used to go there all the time, and I loved it. Where else can you be walking along and be passed by a man in a pink tutu on roller skates, and not one person even looked twice. Well except for me. (That’s how you tell the non-natives)

    • #2
  3. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Samuel Block: For instance, I’ve never found this place to be much meaner than any other place I’ve visited;

    When I first moved there, I was ready; confidant in my ability to be at least as obnoxious as any New Yorker.  Boy, was I disappointed.  People were nice.

    • #3
  4. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated.  However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average.  I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    • #4
  5. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    New York City is a place like no other.  I hope its denizens do what they did the last times the city was in decline and pull together to fix it.  Don’t have much hope, but I have some.

    • #5
  6. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    I used to go there all the time, and I loved it. Where else can you be walking along and be passed by a man in a pink tutu on roller skates, and not one person even looked twice. Well except for me. (That’s how you tell the non-natives)

    Silly me.  And I thought it was because non-natives were always staring straight up – like I did the first time there . . .

    • #6
  7. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    I used to go there all the time, and I loved it. Where else can you be walking along and be passed by a man in a pink tutu on roller skates, and not one person even looked twice. Well except for me. (That’s how you tell the non-natives)

    Portland. New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Certain Chicago neighborhoods late at night. The Venice Beach boardwalk in Los Angeles. Las Vegas (if you pay extra).

    • #7
  8. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Yeah but out here in the hinterlands you can see the local Shriners in their Fezzes riding around on little motorbikes.

    • #8
  9. Ekosj Member
    Ekosj
    @Ekosj

    Actually, the mask mandate is still in effect for mass transit.

    Pre pandemic, used to see the occasional person wearing a mask on the subway.  Always Asian.   Usually female.   I thought it was odd.   Then I read about a study some epidemiologists had done in NYC.   They took swab ms and samples from places throughout the city including the subway and the Gowanus Canal.   They did DNA tests on those samples and about 30% came back “Unknown”   The mask idea made lots more sense then.

    • #9
  10. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey
    @GaryMcVey

    Still the greatest place in the world. 

    • #10
  11. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Samuel Block: It’s gross down there.

    Yeah, for the subway a mask, and probably rubber gloves, make sense . . . with or without COVID.

    • #11
  12. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    I used to go there all the time, and I loved it. Where else can you be walking along and be passed by a man in a pink tutu on roller skates, and not one person even looked twice. Well except for me. (That’s how you tell the non-natives)

    Venice, CA probably fits the bill.

    • #12
  13. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Anybody ever stay here back in the day?

    • #13
  14. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik! (View Comment):

    Samuel Block: I really love New York City. I like moving fast through a place where, headphones in, every soundtrack I can think of fits beautifully.

    But especially Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

    I could probably do Gershwin the whole time! I’ve been having fun mixing it up, but I should probably do this at least once a day.

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    • #15
  16. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Samuel Block: For instance, I’ve never found this place to be much meaner than any other place I’ve visited;

    When I first moved there, I was ready; confidant in my ability to be at least as obnoxious as any New Yorker. Boy, was I disappointed. People were nice.

    Right? Whenever I’m here I’m on alert in case I need a brutal comeback. The need hasn’t arisen yet. Sigh. 

    • #16
  17. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated. However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    I usually feel safer here than Nola, but I figure the gang element here makes for a lot more random unprovoked incidences. Speaking of–unrelated to gangs though–I noticed most people had their backs against the wall at the subways stations… 

    • #17
  18. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    DrewInWisconsin, Oik! (View Comment):

    Yeah but out here in the hinterlands you can see the local Shriners in their Fezzes riding around on little motorbikes.

    Wisconsin’s on my list! When’s the meetup?

    • #18
  19. DrewInWisconsin, Oik! Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oik!
    @DrewInWisconsin

    I dunno, . . . the last time I was in Duluth, some crazy person came up to my car while I was stopped at a light and asked me for money. That’s never happened to me in Duluth before. I think y’all are exporting your crazies.

    • #19
  20. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Ekosj (View Comment):

    Actually, the mask mandate is still in effect for mass transit.

    Pre pandemic, used to see the occasional person wearing a mask on the subway. Always Asian. Usually female. I thought it was odd. Then I read about a study some epidemiologists had done in NYC. They took swab ms and samples from places throughout the city including the subway and the Gowanus Canal. They did DNA tests on those samples and about 30% came back “Unknown” The mask idea made lots more sense then.

    Oops! Well, I’m sticking to massless subway rides. I’ll stick to the “I’m not from here” defense if any authorities bother me about it.

    • #20
  21. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    Still the greatest place in the world.

    Gary, you still have family here, no? Come meet me and show me around.

    • #21
  22. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated. However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    I usually feel safer here than Nola, but I figure the gang element here makes for a lot more random unprovoked incidences. Speaking of–unrelated to gangs though–I noticed most people had their backs against the wall at the subways stations…

    My experiences with Nola are limited.  One time I was there with our “regional sales manager,” whose name unsurprisingly ended “eaux,” and he said he really wanted to “show me around.”  This led to a trip to a place called Algiers, and, at that time, I would’ve rather been anyplace in the Bronx, although the turtle with picante sauce was excellent.

    • #22
  23. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    I lost the pic for @kirkianwanderer:

    • #23
  24. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Samuel Block: It’s gross down there.

    Yeah, for the subway a mask, and probably rubber gloves, make sense . . . with or without COVID.

    Hey, but remember that during Covid they announced that they were going to actually start cleaning them occasionally!

    (And that that was going to make everything okay. What a crock Covid was. Seriously.)

     

    • #24
  25. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated. However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    I usually feel safer here than Nola, but I figure the gang element here makes for a lot more random unprovoked incidences. Speaking of–unrelated to gangs though–I noticed most people had their backs against the wall at the subways stations…

    That’s a special NYC skill.  Positioning yourself to be able to see every single person around you while studiously NOT seeing every single person around you.

    • #25
  26. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated. However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    I usually feel safer here than Nola, but I figure the gang element here makes for a lot more random unprovoked incidences. Speaking of–unrelated to gangs though–I noticed most people had their backs against the wall at the subways stations…

    That’s a special NYC skill. Positioning yourself to be able to see every single person around you while studiously NOT seeing every single person around you.

    +100.  Essential.

    • #26
  27. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Samuel Block (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The “meaness” of the average New Yorker is overstated. However, the city is still pretty rich–relatively speaking– in thugs who are not average. I’ve spent a lot of time there, love it and don’t let paranoia get to me, but it still has it’s share of bad actors.

    I usually feel safer here than Nola, but I figure the gang element here makes for a lot more random unprovoked incidences. Speaking of–unrelated to gangs though–I noticed most people had their backs against the wall at the subways stations…

    My experiences with Nola are limited. One time I was there with our “regional sales manager,” whose name unsurprisingly ended “eaux,” and he said he really wanted to “show me around.” This led to a trip to a place called Algiers, and, at that time, I would’ve rather been anyplace in the Bronx, although the turtle with picante sauce was excellent.

    I haven’t been back to the West Bank–which is Algiers plus some other stuff–since before I ever moved there. I accidentally crossed the bridge and thought, “Hell no!”

    It’s bound to get nice eventually. My friends who do well enough to start buying can’t find anywhere affordable in New Orleans proper.

    But yeah. “We” still have the highest murder rate of any major city in the country. I’m guessing this is why defunding the police never really took off there.

    • #27
  28. Samuel Block Support
    Samuel Block
    @SamuelBlock

    The Scarecrow (View Comment):

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Samuel Block: It’s gross down there.

    Yeah, for the subway a mask, and probably rubber gloves, make sense . . . with or without COVID.

    Hey, but remember that during Covid they announced that they were going to actually start cleaning them occasionally!

    (And that that was going to make everything okay. What a crock Covid was. Seriously.)

     

    The last time I was here was when they announced that. 😬 There was also some controversy about it because if the subway didn’t 24/7, the homeless we’re gonna be out of a place to stay. The city’s Dept of Transportation had to explain that their objective isn’t really a humanitarian one.

    • #28
  29. The Great Adventure Inactive
    The Great Adventure
    @TGA

    Meh.  Have driven through the city many times (JFK to client’s offices in NJ). As far as I’m concerned it’s just a vast public storage warehouse.  

    • #29
  30. JosePluma, Local Man of Mystery Coolidge
    JosePluma, Local Man of Mystery
    @JosePluma

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    I used to go there all the time, and I loved it. Where else can you be walking along and be passed by a man in a pink tutu on roller skates, and not one person even looked twice.

    Um. . .Austin?

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.