New York City: The Constantly Changing Destination.

You thought you knew New York City? America’s largest city never stays the same for very long. Whether for a first visit or a reunion, it has many surprises in store for you.

Par
Pierre Morel

Published on 05/16/2023 at 07:30

The ballet of helicopters is in full swing above Manhattan. In the streets, the sirens resound between the disproportionate buildings and the New Yorkers hoarse to stop the yellow taxis. The city that never sleeps has regained its effervescence. As soon as they arrive, European tourists expect to discover these images of Épinal which lull their imagination. The lights of Times Squares, the squirrels of Central Park, the Statue of Liberty… All of this is present. But New York does not stay in place. The city is constantly changing, so many things are already upsetting the expectations of visitors, whether they have already visited or not.

The first surprise comes when taking out your wallet. As expected, it is difficult to remain unmoved by the prices charged in New York. Due to the post-pandemic recovery and the war in Ukraine, inflation is affecting much of the world. But in Manhattan, where the level was already high, the increase is dramatic. So much so that the city became the most expensive in the world in 2022 according to The Economist while she was only in sixth place in the rankings the previous year.

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Exorbitant prices, especially in restaurants and hotels

No sector is spared, but the most impressive increase concerns the restoration. ” Before the pandemic, we had never pointed to the high cost of catering as a point of vigilance for our customers.explains Christophe Robin, North America regional manager at World Travelers. Now they are told to be careful. For a good, non-gourmet restaurant, it’s hard to find anything under $80 per person with starter, main course, and drink. You have to be especially careful that the prices displayed on the menu do not include taxes and tip, which each amount to around 20% of the total amount. On the hotel side, the quality-price ratio suffers from the same observation. ” When in New York we offer accommodations from $400 to $500 a night, guests sometimes expect luxury. But in Paris this level of standing is equivalent to a hotel at 200 or 300 euros per night. adds Christophe Robin, who has lived in New York for 20 years.

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Real estate prices are not for nothing in the madness of certain amounts practiced in the city. Seen in the New York subway, an advertisement for a rent comparator would make the Parisian real estate market look like that of a neglected village: “ A studio in West Village at 3000 dollars a month, is it too good to be true? »

On the transport side, the public authorities have approved the increase in the price of taxi fares, a first in ten years, announced the New York Times . The increase, which took effect at the end of 2022, averages 23%, with the flat rate for trips to and from JFK airport rising from $52 to $70. The commission also voted to increase VTC prices by 7% per minute and 24% per mile.

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new neighborhoods

In addition to the rise in prices, the Big Apple also surprises with the diversification of the areas to visit. Manhattan is no longer the only destination during a stay in New York. Neighborhoods once ignored by tourists have become almost unavoidable, such as certain areas of Brooklyn where you can devote several days of your stay. For the past ten years, many visitors have ventured beyond the Brooklyn Bridge into the Williamsburg neighborhood. ” This has recently expanded to other neighborhoods like Clinton Hill, Covent Garden, Red Hook or Coney Island “says Christophe Robin. ” A little more marginal, there is a curiosity for what there is in the Hudson Valley and the Catskills. New Yorkers have returned to the area since the pandemic, and tourists are also increasingly interested in it “, he adds.

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However, Manhattan continues its frantic development. One might think the island satisfied with the number of skyscrapers that populate its streets. It is not so: the glass giants continue to appear there. THE Hudson Yard neighborhoodlocated between the 30^e and the 34^e Street on the west side of Manhattan, concentrates most of these new constructions with stunning architecture. Like the Spiral building, completed at the end of 2022, with its landscaped terraces that wrap around the building (rectangular) like a garland of greenery climbing to the top. The district should also accommodate the Affirmation Tower, an architectural feat 506 meters high, still in the planning stage.

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Bike paths, terraces and… cannabis

And the urban landscape does not only change in height. Several new features affect the appearance of New York streets. First there is the development of the bicycle, which, in the realm of the car, was not obvious. The politics of pro-bike mayor Eric Adams, elected in 2021, has accelerated a movement already underway. More than 30 kilometers of cycle paths are added each year within the five Boroughs according to data published by the municipality. Greenways are thus appearing along certain avenues where, in the past, cars were kings. It is still more prudent to plan your route in advance so as to stay on the cycle paths separated from the road and avoid finding yourself in the middle of cars. The municipality keeps this up to date a map of cycle paths.

Another major change in the streets of New York: the appearance of terraces in front of restaurants. While consuming alcohol on the street was not commonplace until now, terraces are authorized in 2020 to allow restaurants to serve their customers while reducing the health risk. Most are fitted with heaters and a roof, and some even have a door that allows them to be completely isolated from the street. Halfway between an extension of the interior space and an exterior terrace, these astonishing structures now populate sidewalks and gutters.

Even more unexpectedly, a strange smell often fills the streets of the megalopolis, that of cannabis. Its sale and consumption have been legalized in New York State since the beginning of 2023. Many New Yorkers do not deprive themselves of it, so much so that it becomes difficult not to smell the smell at every street corner. But be careful not to breathe too much of it, at the risk of having a much more surprising experience…

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