10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
New York City has long been deified in film and television, inspiring generations of people to flock to the city that never sleeps. But one thing remains, movies and TV shows about New York City seem to depict the city a lot differently than the average city dweller experiences it.
Here’s what movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City:
Manhattan is NOT New York City
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
For decades, the big and small screens have focused on Manhattan, the borough some New Yorkers call “the city”. Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge (which connects Brooklyn to Manhattan), Rockefeller Center, and the Empire State Building are just some of the heavily reused locations in TV and movies. Oh, and let’s not forget Times Square and the wide shots of the Manhattan skyline. This myth is so prevalent that even some New Yorkers believe it. But don’t get the wrong information: New York City is not just Manhattan.
Everyone lives in big and spacious appartment
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Yeah, it’s obvious, but everyone you see on TV probably is living in a far nicer apartment than they would in reality. Most people live in shoeboxes or with a ton of roommates unless they’re incredibly wealthy.
The apartment Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica live in look to be worth about 8,000 at month. How a waitress, a massage therapist, and a cook can afford this — particularly in the 90s?
It’s one step away from total anarchy
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
New York City is way, way safer than it’s portrayed on TV. If you just watched TV, you’d think people go walking in the park, or turn the corner in the Subway … and there’s a dead person! Someone’s been murdered! It’s totally not like that at all.
Fears that New York might descend into an all-out war zone by the end of the 20th century were real, and these fears were reflected in the films of the ’70s and ’80s, such as Taxi Driver, Escape from New York, and The Warriors. Fortunately for everyone, things started to turn around for New York, and the country at large, in the 1990s.
The 1968 trash strike never ended
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Movies love to portray New York at its lowest moments — one such moment was the 1968 trash strike that left mounds of garbage piled up on the crime-infested sidewalk for weeks. A lot has changed since then. In fact, these days New York is looking pretty pristine thanks to efforts that have reduced carbon emissions, created pedestrian-friendly streets, and cleaned up rivers and parks.
However, New York is still famously more dirty than other cities. This is because simple design flaw, in which there are very few alleys (despite movies always showing them), so that trash is piled on the street for pickup, instead of hidden out of the way. Seeing trash then encourages more litter.
New Yorkers are friendlier than portrayed in movies and TV
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Blame New Yorkers’ reputation for being rude, but it seems people think we are always trying to start a fight in movies. But that’s simply not true. In fact, New Yorkers are usually very apologetic, love giving directions and don’t mind holdings doors — so long as you stay out of their way.
If you find a New Yorker who happens to have time for you at the moment, they will be happy to recommend a restaurant, give you directions, let you know where to closest subway station is, or walk around your party as you take up the entire sidewalk (as opposed to through).
There are only two hotels in NYC
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
According to movies like Home Alone 2, Bride Wars, and American Hustle, the Plaza is the only hotel in town. But should the Plaza, for some absurd reason, be booked, you’ll have to slum it over at the Waldorf Astoria, New York City’s only other hotel.
In fact, New York City has the third-largest hotel market in the nation after Las Vegas and Orlando.
Two-thirds of the City’s 696 hotels are located in Manhattan, but the number of hotels in Brooklyn has tripled since 2006 and the number in Queens has doubled.
Being homeless is not funny and romantic
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Numerous shows and films feature a homeless character in some way or another, most often for comic relief. Bur there are far more homeless people in the city than just your neighborhood vagrant.
It’s not surprising for a New Yorker to encounter several during a commute at any time, especially in the subway during the winter, as it becomes a haven from exposure to the brutal elements a person without shelter has to deal with above ground. They’re in the subway cars, usually with at least half of it to themselves thanks to the wide berth given by strap-hangers, on park benches, laying on sewer grates, squatting beneath scaffoldings, or lingering pretty much anywhere that’ll likely keep them as warm and dry as they can get.
New Yorkers often travel by taxi
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Given how popular taxi cab-related plots are in movies about New York, you might think that they are a common form of transportation for native New Yorkers. In truth, even though taxis are indeed everywhere throughout the city, something you won’t learn just from watching movies is that New York residents rarely use them. Other forms of public transit, like the subway, make up an exponentially larger part of the average New Yorker’s regular commute.
The expense associated with them means that most New Yorkers will only grab a cab in special circumstances, such as when they are travelling somewhere unusual, or when they want some privacy.
There is always an empty seat on subway
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
Rush hour on the New York City subway of the movies seems pleasant: No pushing or shoving, no running to catch the train at the last minute and no parade of beggars/mariachi bands/urban gymnastics. And, most frustratingly, this fantasy subway always has an empty seat for you. The reality? If a 10-car train has 440 seats and the trains make 7,817 trips a week on average, 3,439,480 people get a seat. That sucks for the remaining 1,960,520 people who ride the train every week.
It’s a city that never sleeps
10 things that movies and TV shows get wrong about New York City
While it’s true that New York has some 24-hour establishments, but New York City might be a bit less night-owl friendly than you’d think, as most businesses do close down a little after sunset, and the streets are not constantly lined with pedestrians at all hours.
Bars, for instance, are not allowed to be open all night. Last call is at 4 a.m., which is later than some parts of the country, but not as late as places like Alaska, where bars can stay open until 5 a.m., if they want. One possible origin for New York’s reputation as a “City That Never Sleeps” might be the fact the subway system runs 24 hours a day, an incredible rarity among public transportation systems for major cities.