Winter used to be my favorite season. Especially the snow--hot chocolate, sledding, the possibility of school being cancelled..it was a magical time. But New York has killed the spirit of Winter for me, and here's why.
10. The second the snow hits the ground, it turns brown. There is nothing more repulsing than walking through puddles and piles of smooched, brown semi-snow. And sometimes, if you're extra lucky, as you walk on the sidewalks, speeding cars splash brown slush on you. It's fantastic.
9. After the holidays, the magic is gone. Yes, December was a fantastic time full of twinkling lights, cheerful billboards covering the city, and an overall happy feeling among everyone. But once January 2nd hits, the city is just a dull grey until Spring (ever) hits. I always used to say that winter is pointless without snow and holidays, but after all the snow we've gotten in NYC, it doesn't make winter any better.
8. The fear of slipping to my death on ice is real. In STL and Southern Illinois, we got our fair share of ice-covered sidewalks, so I'm used to the crippling fear of falling on the ice. But doing it in nice work clothes is even more fearful, especially when there's hundreds of people around you at all times of the day. At least when I would fall in school, no one would be around. But when I nearly slip in front of work every morning, I have a great audience looking. At least there are people nearby I can grab onto and bring them down with me if needed.
7. Public transportation backfires in bad weather. All trains, buses, and cars go so much slower when it's snowing, which makes the morning commute so much worse. Luckily I live in the city, so it's never really as bad as those who live in the other boroughs or NJ, but commuting takes at least double the time, even if it's just flurrying or raining.
10. The second the snow hits the ground, it turns brown. There is nothing more repulsing than walking through puddles and piles of smooched, brown semi-snow. And sometimes, if you're extra lucky, as you walk on the sidewalks, speeding cars splash brown slush on you. It's fantastic.
9. After the holidays, the magic is gone. Yes, December was a fantastic time full of twinkling lights, cheerful billboards covering the city, and an overall happy feeling among everyone. But once January 2nd hits, the city is just a dull grey until Spring (ever) hits. I always used to say that winter is pointless without snow and holidays, but after all the snow we've gotten in NYC, it doesn't make winter any better.
8. The fear of slipping to my death on ice is real. In STL and Southern Illinois, we got our fair share of ice-covered sidewalks, so I'm used to the crippling fear of falling on the ice. But doing it in nice work clothes is even more fearful, especially when there's hundreds of people around you at all times of the day. At least when I would fall in school, no one would be around. But when I nearly slip in front of work every morning, I have a great audience looking. At least there are people nearby I can grab onto and bring them down with me if needed.
7. Public transportation backfires in bad weather. All trains, buses, and cars go so much slower when it's snowing, which makes the morning commute so much worse. Luckily I live in the city, so it's never really as bad as those who live in the other boroughs or NJ, but commuting takes at least double the time, even if it's just flurrying or raining.
6. Subways are disgusting. Once you finally make the snowy trek to the subway entrance, you think you'd be in the clear. But then you look down at the stairs, and they're covered in layers of ice, salt, and brown muck. This causes you to actually have to use the germ-infested handrail, if only in attempt to save you from slipping on the stairs and your ass landing on the brown muck. Talk about stressful.
5. Even when you're dressed for the weather, you're really not. You may be bundled up perfectly for the walk to the subway or bus, but then you're dying of heat exhaustion while packed in the subway. Everyone takes up more space in the subway, so there's less seating room and less room to fit everyone, causing you to either be squished up against someone you don't know, or having to wait for the next available train. And having to walk everywhere in your 7 layers causes you to sweat out in the cold, which as every Jewish child knows, is how you catch a cold.
4. Everyone looks miserable. All the time. When I first moved here, maybe I was blinded by my own amazement of this city. But people seemed happier, even in the morning on the subway to work. But with this weather, everyone I walk past on the street is either so bundled up I can't see their face, or they're pissed off at the fact that they're having to walk outside in this weather. And you'd think everyone on the subway would be relieved to be indoors, but instead we're all just thinking about how hot we are, and contemplating if the wet floors smell worse or better than a bowling alley.
3. Radiators are the worst form of heat. Maybe I'm just not used to them, but I think in this day and age, radiators should turn on when they're actually on, not an hour later. It makes me really miss having a thermostat, but at least we don't have to pay for the heat here.
2. It's too damn cold to enjoy the city. I used to wander around for hours in my free time, just exploring and admiring the city. But with the temperatures of this winter, I'm lucky if I can even stand the walk from work to Grand Central. Going out is a joke, considering you can't really get into a cool bar wearing your down feather, puffy coat. And running any errands takes double the time since every time it snows, the whole city runs to the grocery store as if the world were coming to an end.
1. There is no way to avoid going outside. I don't miss driving, but it sure does beat having to walk outside everyday in the cold. In Chicago, I remember they had underground tunnels connecting a lot of the buildings. I really think the city needs to start planning this for the future, because winter really would be a lot more enjoyable if I could just observe it from the window.
Hope you're all enjoying the impending doom that is the storm coming tonight. Happy Winter!
xoxo,
Ms. Manhattan
5. Even when you're dressed for the weather, you're really not. You may be bundled up perfectly for the walk to the subway or bus, but then you're dying of heat exhaustion while packed in the subway. Everyone takes up more space in the subway, so there's less seating room and less room to fit everyone, causing you to either be squished up against someone you don't know, or having to wait for the next available train. And having to walk everywhere in your 7 layers causes you to sweat out in the cold, which as every Jewish child knows, is how you catch a cold.
4. Everyone looks miserable. All the time. When I first moved here, maybe I was blinded by my own amazement of this city. But people seemed happier, even in the morning on the subway to work. But with this weather, everyone I walk past on the street is either so bundled up I can't see their face, or they're pissed off at the fact that they're having to walk outside in this weather. And you'd think everyone on the subway would be relieved to be indoors, but instead we're all just thinking about how hot we are, and contemplating if the wet floors smell worse or better than a bowling alley.
3. Radiators are the worst form of heat. Maybe I'm just not used to them, but I think in this day and age, radiators should turn on when they're actually on, not an hour later. It makes me really miss having a thermostat, but at least we don't have to pay for the heat here.
2. It's too damn cold to enjoy the city. I used to wander around for hours in my free time, just exploring and admiring the city. But with the temperatures of this winter, I'm lucky if I can even stand the walk from work to Grand Central. Going out is a joke, considering you can't really get into a cool bar wearing your down feather, puffy coat. And running any errands takes double the time since every time it snows, the whole city runs to the grocery store as if the world were coming to an end.
1. There is no way to avoid going outside. I don't miss driving, but it sure does beat having to walk outside everyday in the cold. In Chicago, I remember they had underground tunnels connecting a lot of the buildings. I really think the city needs to start planning this for the future, because winter really would be a lot more enjoyable if I could just observe it from the window.
Hope you're all enjoying the impending doom that is the storm coming tonight. Happy Winter!
xoxo,
Ms. Manhattan