Dirty, crowded, expensive, smelly, crime-ridden and generally a terrible place to live. The museums, restaurants, clubs and plays that used to offset the city's many downsides have all declined substantially in quality and quantity since the pandemic.

That is sad to hear, not at all like on TV.

It is sad and not what you see on TV. Crime isn't as bad as it was in the 70s - early 90s (yet), but in many ways the city is worse. As dangerous as the city was back then, at least it had character. The city got massively safer and "cleaned up" during the Giuliani era, but it also started a process of gentrification and corporatization. This only accelerated during Bloomberg's reign. Many independent businesses closed and were replaced by Starbucks, Trader Joe's and Bed Bath and Beyond. Many iconic bars, taverns and concert halls closed and were replaced by TGI Friday's. Back then, the crime was sort of rolled into the character of the seedy underbelly of the city that gave it a certain charm. Now the underbelly has been mostly stamped out but the crime is returning. Too many years of mismanagement and corruption have taken their toll.

But without the Ghostbusters.

Dealbreaker.