I've never been to New York City. Coming from the West Coast, would it be completely crazy for me to visit NYC on my own and spend a week there?
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ANSWERS: 5
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Well, I lived there for almost three years, and I've never been to the west coast. Just know that it's really not filled with short-tempered grumpy people, although those are not a rare find. A lot of the people are very nice, will help with directions, and can strike up very intelligent conversations. It is a very quick-moving and confusing city, but like I said, you would probably have no trouble getting directions from someone on the street.
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Sure, it's crazy. But so what? You'll be a bit disoriented. People will speak with unusual accents. Depending upon your hometown neighborhood, it's probable that being in NYC will statistically make you a more likely crime victim. But people in NYC are Americans. They speak English (even if day tawk funny...;-D...). They use American currency. And you are sure to find plenty of familiar bits of American culture (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.) I say GO FOR IT! Full disclaimer: I'd like to do the same thing myself and probably should. I, too, am a Californian who has never been closer to NYC than the Tappan Zee Bridge.
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I've known people to visit by themselves armed with a good guide book and suggestions from friends. Go for it!
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Venture out and have fun! (BRING MUG MONEY)
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New York is a super easy city to visit on your own. It is one of the easiest cities in the U.S. to get around as a newcomer. Unlike most of the west coast, NYC has a great public transportation system and things are not nearly as "spread out" as they are in the West. Pick up a guide book or two. Hit the visitor information center in Times Square first before anything else. I recommend booking in to one of the apartment shares instead of a hotel. A week is actually a really long visit for NYC unless you are really in to seeing museums and galleries, super-shopping or plan on seeing a number of shows. You could always do some of the outlying areas, too.
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