the ‘shock’ however is quite understandable.
the price of anything in places like NYC has been astronomical for a very very very long time. Our oldest dealt with than in the DC area, our youngest is currently dealing with the OMG! factor north of NYC proper…
people who haven’t been exposed to that level of “OMG How Much?” have a completely understandable ‘h3ll no’ aversion to that level of ‘normality.’
in the 70’s-80’s I had headhunters chasing me with eye-watering salary offers for work in NYC/environs of NYC - well, it made no sense. you got paid tons of money, all of which you paid out for the basic necessities, and in the end had - other than six figure bragging rights - little or no improvement to that you had before.
that continued, and got worse. in 2000’s a consulting colleague was offered a very attractive salary for relocating to White Plains (not even NYC…) and rapidly found/learned it would be a serious financial / lifestyle / quality of life hit to take the job.
I don’t mind paying to live in a city that offers me so many wonderful things that I value. That’s my concept of quality of life. It’s worth it to me. I don’t brag about my salary. I don’t ever discuss it actually. Now let’s talk about Manhattan real estate.
I don’t disagree with the specifics of what you list. However, your overall analysis assumes that you and I share a common definition for “quality of life”. Our 2 bedroom co-op of 1000 sq. feet is enough room for our needs and our common roof deck (only 16 units in the building) has a drop dead view of the entire Manhattan skyline. We go to the theater regularly (Broadway casts, not touring companies; off Bdway & off off Bdway too) & we can get there by train or car service in under 30 minutes. We can go to dinner just about anywhere in NYC, drink and not worry about driving home. We have bakeries, bagel places, supermarkets, wine stores and ethnic groceries within a 5 minute walk & more places that will deliver these items and meals if we choose within less time than a suburbanite would take to get in their car to go. We have more inexpensive, moderate & expensive restaurants in our immediate neighborhood than we’ll ever use and access to the various other neighborhoods’ offerings within an easy drive. We have easy access to zoos, botanical gardens, concerts, sporting events, etc. And, when we go to Europe or other parts of the US, we don’t worry about missing connecting flights and we don’t worry about getting home quickly. Those are the “quality of life” issues we took into consideration when deciding to remain here.
I’m not claiming that these are better than yours, or more important. Only that you may be painting with too broad a brush.
Think I’ll go back and buy the cherries… after all, the fresh produce grocer is only around the corner.
You may be able to see my building! See me waving? I’m on the other side of the Hudson in a new building.
I think we agree that it is not a contest to see who has a “better” quality of life. Sounds like ours are quite similar, and along the same body of water in fact. Isn’t it great that we both love them?
I understand the shock but then to impugn the person who can go to a restaurant without thinking about the cost with all sorts of innuendo should not then follow. I come from a very typical middle income background. My father was an academic. We lived in a rural part of the state. My brother likes to refer to himself as a redneck. We would go out for the occasional fancy dinner for birthdays and such when I was young but dining out was not a regular thing in my youth.
I did well in school. Graduated within the top 10 of my class. I also double lettered in sports. Not the typical football or baseball but I was an athlete and so had to balance my time between school, practice and social stuff. That earned me a ticket to an Ivy League school. Again I did well and participated in sports. Graduated with honors so on and so forth through grad school. Got a job in NYC. Spent time working in other large urban cities around the world. I worked hard and outcompeted my way to a fairly successful spot. There are those who worked harder and smarter than me and do even better but I’m in a good spot. My life is comfortable, but to paraphrase an old commercial, I earned it. If I can go to Saga for no reason other than to have dinner, why shouldn’t I?
I too like being able to take advantage of what the City offers from low to high. The joke I like to say is that when I got married and had a family I eventually moved to the suburbs. What was called the first suburb of NYC across the river. SteveR I think we are neighbors!
BKeats, try not to take posters’ comments personally. They don’t know you. (I am working on this myself, year 22 of posting about food online- you may have seen me lash out last week after I felt attacked for an opinion) . I’ve had the opportunity to meet dozens of food enthusiasts through CH and egullet over the years, some of whom post on HO.
I’d describe many as educated. Some are exceptional. Some are artists, musicians, physicians, lawyers, librarians, academics, farmers, you name it.
Some work in trades or in factories. Many are retired.
If we are spending our time writing about food- choosing to read, write, think critically, we are on the critical thinking side of the spectrum.
Many of us have family members who walk all sorts of walks.
Our financial situations are all over the map depending on life circumstances.
Please don’t feel the need to defend what you spend on food or where you order it. We all have different priorities, and different budgets.
There was a time when I ate at all those restaurants on that stupid list. Now I can, but it would hurt. When I think that the cost of one meal is a car payment it makes me not want to do it.
So now, when I get my ass under the tunnel, I spend $20 at Katz’s or about the same money in Chinatown or at Hill Country, etc.
It doesn’t mean I can’t still disagree with putting EMP on that list now that they are, I want to say out of their minds, but I’ll stick with vegetarian.
I’m not impugning anyone for anything.
people have, based on their experiences, different impressions/attitudes to ‘stuff.’
I also went, on full scholarship, to an Ivy League school. and made a darn good career.
that makes me no better nor no worse than anyone else.
we’ve been to many ‘high end’ eateries -
Joel Robuchon, his L’Atleier, LeCirque, CIA/NY, Guy Savoy, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, CraftSteak, and NYC Craft, along with local places by TV ‘stars’ and a bunch of lower end ‘famous’ tv personalities ala Ramsey, etc.
I’ve been waiting for the $1.99/lb cherry sales we had in westchster every year, realized if I wanted them going forward, I’d have to pay $6 a pound in manhattan. Bought a couple of pounds this week, they weren’t wonderful, probably done for the season.
once our car is out of the shop and we settle into a routine, we’ll probably take a trip to stew leonards every week or so, maybe join costco and swing by hmart once every couple of months for asian ingredients…
The prices at many NYC establishments take my breath away, but I have zero qualms purchasing a 50g glass of trout caviar at 9€… because I love it, and can’t get it for a similar price back home. It also lasts a few days, so – I think we all find ways to splurge on the things we love. Or at least we should. Life is nasty, brutish and short.
I agree wholeheartedly. If it is something I really want, I have no problem dropping the cash on it. But, I also recognize that I am fortunate enough to be in a position to do so at this point.
When I first started working on my cooking skills, it was so I could eat at restaurants I either couldn’t afford or which had cuisines I did not have access to at the time. Now that I can eat at those places, it’s nice to know I can still do it at home if I want. Fancy steakhouses - I’m looking at you!
HappyOnion, you’re absolutely right to point to the basic problem of unaffordability in New York City, but the largest part of the problem is really housing, and that’s a discussion beyond food and restaurants. There are still parts of New York with quite inexpensive and delicious restaurants; they’re just not so much in places most out-of-towners visit, but rather, in Upper Manhattan (which does not mean the Upper West Side and hasn’t for a long time in this context), the Bronx, and parts of Queens, Brooklyn and, I figure (I’ve never tested this), Staten Island where immigrants live.
there are many “causes” / “reasons” / “things” that result in high costs - my earlier point was simply that unless individuals have traveled/visit super-high-cost areas and been ‘pre-numbed’ to ‘high prices,’ they’re almost always ‘in shock’ that someplace has $xx coffee and $yy hamburgers.
beyond that there are places ‘with a reputation’ that command high pricing.
some are worth it, some are merely tourist traps.
I’m not sure how the ‘just because you’re poor, don’t knock people who can afford regular $500 a plate dinners and $1,000/bottle wines’ got into the discussion.
I read a fable about something like that, only with a different fruit entirely. I think it was sour watermelons. And there was an animal involved too. I’m going with The Cat and The Sour Watermelons - final answer.
