Why New York is the best!

Being that I am a proud out of towner I can’t agree with this thread. Sorry. I feel that out of towners are less rude and actually give people the time of day. We don’t feel like we are in a race and we don’t feel the need to beep our horns if the person in front of us doesn’t cross the intersection exactly when the light turns green. I thank my parents every day for moving out of New York and I hope to raise my children here as well. I have heard a few times where an in town boy is looking for an out of town girl because “out of towners are known for middos.” (quote from a shadchan)

I’m not saying that New Yorkers are horrible. Chas vshalom. I know many New Yorkers that are wonderful people with fine middos. But I’m just saying that even thought New York has maalos there are many reasons why its’s not the best!

Sorry I can’t agree

And what about all the New Yorkers who moved out of New York? They must have also seen something compelling about it.

I’m not denying that the New York community is big. Some people have to realize that there is something good about not being so big too. People actually know you and there is warmth in the community and people actually care about each other.

I’m not talking about rumors. I’ve been to New York more times than I can count and I have many relatives there. They don’t even know their neighbors. And no I don’t have strange relatives. I’ve been with New Yorkers in camp and sem and this is the impression I get.

I grew up in NY and need to take an epipen with me when I visit the big apple;

so much of everything, every is here and now and right now and is happening – the latest glatt kosher Iraqi food with a touch of portugese, the latest frum fashion that no one will even suspect you’re keeping all the rules of tzinius, the latest hock, latest gadgets that will put four million shiurim in the memory of your lexus that you will never listen to because you’re too busy fiddling with it ,trying to get your bluetooth to pick wifi…fast, fast, fast, move, move , move, cause if you don’t you’ll suddenly be weak, like, last week…Chani’s, Rivki’s , Bruchi’s, Shvigger’s, Esti’s, clothing boutique for those who the lifestyles of the rich & yeshivish…bang bang bang, like the endless rhythme of an edgar allan poe solliquiy, a never ending cacophony of the latest newest and best, of quantity and quantity, more and more and more and more…move move move…you don’t count if you have six beepers, a blackberry , a treo and iphone, all of course with mincha and zmanim…I felt like – that because everywhere was here, I was nowhere…

I guess that’s what people like about it.

I like things that run deep, not things that overflow. Things that are, not things that are trying to be.

So what are we trying to establish here, OOT communities are not good?

I’m a NYer and its very nice, but the “best”? Probably not. As far as Shidduchim, I know some people look specifically for OOT (or OOT type) families because they are often more laid back. Not with Ruchniyus, but its ok if your child doesn’t have a complete designer wardrobe to compete with her classmates. Its ok to drive a Camry and not a Lexus. Find me that in NY.

No denying that NY has certain benefits, but each person needs to weigh whats important to them. Some do better in town, and some better OOT.

Oh, and as comfortable as NY is, its not Eretz Yisrael, and we had better not forget that.

(Sorry if I repeated anyones post, I didn’t read the whole thread)

*kapusta*

myfriend – the daled amos of ny is not the only enclave a LOT of frum people….and oot population is NOT shrinking at all, on the contrary it is expanding unbelievably..who can afford a home in ny these days???? unless you are loaded it is pretty much impossible….and there are alot of oot cities with EVERYTHING and more that you need to be a frum Jew .

Justsmiles –

“unless you are loaded it is pretty much impossible”

….because every homeowner in NY is loaded.

Unlike most cities in America, New York is gaining population. All five boroughs gained population in the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s. New York is the place of opportunity — for Jews and for non-Jews.

New York is the place of opportunity — for Jews and for non-Jews

with an 8.3% unemployment rate

http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

As a New yorker i can attest that while we are stable and growing it is only due to demand and large population. While chasidim explode in Kensington Bp and Willy The non-chasidish rate of growth has slowed down. It used to be if a person in flatbush five towns Queens etc.. had five kids 3-4 out of the five would stay within the five boroughs now it’s more like 2-3 out of five staying. There are very few non-chasidish schools with growing enrollment most others are large but stable.Out of town however is even worse with lakewood seeming as a tantalizing destination for anyone in learning. What I dont understand is cleveland has telz, chicago brisk and skokie baltimore Ner yisrael etc.. Why cant chavrusas just stay local why shlep out from the community you grew up in? all above listed places are true makom torahs,and to the parents that complain about losing their young couples support them to learn locally just like you support them to learn in lakewood.

Moq and My Friend made very good points (and Moq, I loved your line about stores that cater to the Rich and Yeshivish)

As NYer as I am, I try very hard not to get swept up in the cell-text-always-wired-always-want-to-be-somewhere-else mania.

When I go to shul / shiur, I leave my cell phone at home. If its THAT important, I can be called out. Its only 15 minutes from my house, so if its not important enough to come get me, it can wait till I get back home.

A few years ago, I was at a concert, sitting in the $25 seats. Ahead of me, were the $50, $75 and $100 seats. At any given point, half the crowd, (sitting in very expensive seats), could be seen on their Blackberry / PDAs. And these were people that paid good money to be there, yet apparently wanted to be somewhere / with someone else. Its a NY thing.

My friend made another good point. OOT (wherever that might be) everyone is there by choice, so they presumably share common interests / goals, whatever, so not only are there less people to know, all the people there WANT to be there, and enjoy being there. Contrast that to a NYer like me, I’m forced (self imposed, perhaps, but that’s besides the point) to be here, along with the the other 50,000 or so people in frum NYC, there is no way for me to get to know each and every one of them. So I stick to the 50 or so friends (excluding the CR friends of course to which logistical constraints do not apply)and leave it at that.

As far as the mad rush in NYC as opposed to elsewhere, this (IMHO) is because in NYC, if you blink, you’ve missed something. OOT (again, werever that might be) if you close your eyes for 30 minutes, what did you miss? The grass growing another milimeter? (Ha, Ha, just kidding)

But really, NYC is a frenzied merry-go-round, and we are hanging on for dear life, loving every thrill-packed moment! (this, as the sirens scream past my window, flying down 13th ave and 80 MPH!)

Do you know what this thread reminds me of?

Neighborhood Day in boys camps.

And why would you — in Florida with 11.7% — highlight NY’s low unemployment rate?

i’m not saying NY isn’t better than Florida this thread is about how NY is THE BEST which I’m sorry to say it isnt, if you look at my other posts i slam Florida too, and NY does have it’s maalos (I love it that I don’t have to worry about davening with a minyan, that I can chooses a restaurant to eat at, and that the subway can take me anywhere) but c’mon would you like to eat out on shabbos if you have little kids that can’t walk, once in a while (Personally i think an eruv also defines a community)(that’s how it is in all OOT places anyway) so in essence I’m saying it’s not THE BEST

mbachur

BP has an eiruv that many use. I dont think the Flatbush Eiruv is Kosher though.

There are people that think Eiruvin bichlal are not so good cause when you go somewhere with out one you carry by mistake!

true that’s was why I used to not either (but then i got married and had a kid) but if there were no such places like flatbush then there wouldn’t be a problem

“*Side note I am married to a boro parker who doesn’t stop raving about NY…”

Can’t blame her. If you were a Boro Parker shlepped out by a spouse, you’d also be raving about NY!

If you have to sign on to so many Screen Names in order to make your point you must not really believe it either.

“If the Jew thinks that Berlin is Jerusalem … then a raging storm wind will uproot him by his trunk and subject him before a faraway gentile nation… a tempest will arise and spread its roaring waves, and swallow, and destroy, and flood forth without pity. Therefore, you will not be calm, nor shall there be a resting place for the sole of your foot is a blessing, for as long as the Jewish People are uncomfortable in exile, they will yearn to return to their homeland.” – Meshech Chochma Vayikra 26:44.

golfer – YES!!!

Hador, the cost of frum Jewish kosher daily living is less on a yearly basis in the NYC/Monsey/Lakewood area than OOT frum kosher areas.

Additionally, the growth of the frum community in the NYC/Monsey/Lakewood area is greater than the frum growth OOT. Indeed, many of the newer frum residents in the NYC/Monsey/Lakewood area moved there from OOT. There are numerous OOT areas than have experienced a dwindling frum community.

And as described earlier in the thread, the NYC/Monsey/Lakewood area has a plethora of frum services such as kosher groceries and food options. Yeshivos, Botei Medroshim, Chesed orgs (Hatzolah, Shomrim, Chaveirim, Bikur Cholims, Tzedakah orgs, Gemachs, etc.), in addition to the easy availability of many roshei yeshivos, rebbe’s, gedolim, etc, that aren’t nearly as easily or readily available in other towns.