The Real New York

More

Via Tyler Cowen, a bizarre rant about why New York will never have a real tech culture.  Bizarre not because he's necessarily wrong--the status hierarchy, and the expense, of New York do not encourage it. 

But still, his description of the place makes me wonder where the hell he was living.  I managed to find a studio for less than $2500 in Manhattan; was surrounded by foodies who cooked, thought, and talked about food all the time; had ample access to cafes; never met anyone who particularly worried about getting their wedding announcements in the Times; and never encountered this allegedly fierce prejudice against the Lower East Side.

Now, of course, one could argue that being a native New Yorker, I experienced a different city than he did.  Just so.  But being a native New Yorker, I never imagined that my city was The City.  There are thousands of different New Yorks--millions, maybe.  It doesn't sound like tech would be particularly welcome in the New York this guy experienced.  On the other hand, it also doesn't sound like he made much of an effort to experience much of New York.

Jump to comments
Presented by

Megan McArdle is a former writer and editor at The Atlantic.

Get Today's Top Stories in Your Inbox (preview)


Elsewhere on the web

Join the Discussion

After you comment, click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be asked to log in or register. blog comments powered by Disqus

Video

Miami: The Next Big Start-Up City?

How the city became a center for innovation

Video

Video

A Brief History of Romantic Comedies

From The Atlantic's Chris Orr

Video

Video

Life in 'the New Arctic'

A moving portrait of a fading landscape

Video

Video

The Rise of New York City

A fascinating look at Manhattan in the 1940s

Video

'I Thought It Was Really Funny, but No One Else Did'

A day with New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator

Video

New Yorkers: The Winemaker

Make your own wine ... in New York City

Video

What Is Methane Hydrate?

"Flaming ice" is a vast natural energy source

Video

NASA's Time-Lapse of the Sun

Now with epic dubstep music

Video

A Video Letter From the Editor

Highlights from the May 2013 issue

Video

Shaken Not Tuned: Cocktail Experiments

Can a tuning fork improve a cocktail?

Video

Video

The Rise of Environmentalism

Tracking 50 years, from the Love Canal disaster to Greenpeace

Video

Is He Cheating? A 1950s Guide

'That little blonde secretary from the office?’

Video

New Yorkers: Vintage Vacuum-Tube Amps

Risking electric shock to restore old amplifiers

Video

The DIY Piano-Bicycle

Everybody needs a hobby

Writers

Up
Down

More in Entertainment

In Focus

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Just In