From its breath taking skyline to free summer concerts, we’re picking our favorite reasons why New York City is the greatest city in the world.
Of all of the great cities in the world, none has managed to capture global attention on par with New York. For the resident and traveler alike, New York City is a mecca of art, cuisine, architecture, history, fashion and culture offering endless opportunities for discovery. Whether it’s your first time experiencing the sights and sounds of New York’s bustling streets or your second decade calling the city home, NYC always manages to offer surprises that continue to capture the population’s interest.
Time Out New York recently published its list of the “50 Reasons Why NYC is the Greatest City in the World,” thus inspiring our boutique NYC PR firm to name our top picks. Below are the five reasons our savvy team considers NYC the best city in the world for the traveler and resident alike straight from Time Out’s list.
1. “Because in the summer, you can see tons of world-class music and performance art without spending a dime
Come T-shirt weather, New York positively explodes with free cultural fests. Among the multitude of offerings, you’ve got the River to River Festival, featuring a huge variety of art, theater, dance and music along the lower Manhattan waterfront; Lincoln Center Out of Doors, which transforms the entire campus of the venerable cultural institution into a performance space; and the City Parks Foundation’s SummerStage, which presents stellar free concerts and more at green spaces citywide, with offerings ranging from Wilco to the Metropolitan Opera. The Public Theater’s much-loved Shakespeare in the Park series mounts a pair of performances in Central Park each summer, attracting big names from Broadway, Hollywood and beyond to tread the boards. You can also catch free film screenings in Bryant Park and Central Park, and for lit fans, open-air readings from prominent authors via Books Beneath the Bridge at Brooklyn Bridge Park.”
2. “Because you can eat pretty much anything at any time
In a metropolis with 7,966 sit-down restaurants, countless mom-and-pop takeout shops and hundreds of food trucks, it’s no surprise that New Yorkers have access to just about any edible they want, whenever the whim strikes.“
3. “Because NYC is one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the world—and we’re working to keep it that way
We’ve forgotten more languages than other cities have even heard of, since as many as 800 tongues are spoken in the five boroughs. There’s even an Endangered Language Alliance, founded by professors from CUNY, NYU and Columbia to preserve the fragile Garifuna, Mamuju and Nahuatl languages.”
4. “Because you can see A-list comics for cheap in intimate spaces nearly every night of the week
Recently, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle caused a stir by performing an impromptu, nearly hour-long set together at the Comedy Cellar. It’s not the first time the iconic West Village club has been unexpectedly visited by big-name stars: Louis CK and Jerry Seinfeld are among the comedians who occasionally drop by to perform in the intimate space. The best part? These drop-ins often happen during the weekly shows (Rock and Chappelle showed up on a Tuesday night), where the cover charge is only $12–$14.”
5. “Because you can travel the world without leaving the boroughs
Between the still-sluggish economy and our workaholic tendencies, Gothamites can’t always prioritize vacations—especially ones that involve traveling halfway (or all the way) across the globe. Luckily, we can feast on traditional dishes from destinations near and far by simply hopping on the subway (or the Staten Island Ferry). Even beyond the well-known enclaves (Flushing for Chinese cuisine, Elmhurst for Thai), there are myriad countries represented in our own backyard: In Jackson Heights, you’ll find Colombian arepas (the Arepa Lady) right around the corner from dozens of Indian and Bangladeshi eateries, and in Greenpoint you can sup on Polish borscht and blintzes (Pyza). Vietnamese banh mi can be sampled in several different ‘hoods (Hanco’s in Boerum Hill, Banh Mi Zon in the East Village), while a trip to the Upper East Side yields both German and Burmese dumplings (spaetzle at Heidelberg, phet-htoke at Café Mingala). Feel like Canadian poutine or smoked meat? Mile End represents Quebec’s staples with aplomb. You can also spend a Sunday afternoon comparing a half-dozen Mexican tacos or swapping Benedicts for pork buns and other dim sum delicacies without ever leaving Sunset Park. And when you’re in need of a noodle fix, you don’t have to look far for top-notch ramen whether you’re in Manhattan (Ippudo, Hide-Chan), Brooklyn (Ganso, Chuko) or Queens (Hinomaru). The best part: no passport required.”
What do you love most about New York City?