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ASIAN LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:11:28 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which NYC area offers the best environment for Asian Americans?
Manhattan | 53%
Queens/Flushing | 32%
Westchester | 3%
Long Island | 5%
Brooklyn | 4%
North Bergen | 3%

What's the best thing about living in the New York City area?
Being at the Center of the Universe | 32%
Great Street Life & Nightlife | 22%
Not Having to Drive Everywhere | 13%
Intellectual & Cultural Stimulation | 33%

What's the worst thing about living in the New York City area?
Horrible Winters | 32%
Lack of Personal Space | 2%
Rampant Ignorance & Prejudice toward Asians | 5%
Cramped Overpriced Housing | 61%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
"Most of the conglomerates in Hong Kong were and are owned by Shanghaiese families who fled after the communists took over most of the motherland in 1949.
They are now moving their head offices, banks, and other financial institutions back to Shanghai and the old status quo (with Shanghai as the chief city in China economically and culturally and its business elite as the chief powerbrokers) is resuming."

After that long of a stint in HK, I doubt the descendants of the ones who moved in the first place have much connection to their hometown. It's just like the kids who were born in the US. We don't feel much connection to the town our great-grandfathers were born in,
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net    Sunday, December 01, 2002 at 00:30:31 (PST)    [67.116.231.66]
ABC HK Lover:

>NYC is freaking scary compared to HK and if you aren't careful, you WILL get robbed, raped, beaten or murdered (esp. if you are a female).

very true, but that is also true for other American cities (like LA, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, DC, etc.) lots of sickos and predators everywhere in this country... cant run away from them :(((( In HK, I also got the feeling things were much safer and cleaner.

> HK girls are less feminine than ABC girls and overall are not as high maintanence (unless you find some rich chick or Prada wannabe).

Well, not sure about this comparison, but in NYC at least, the ABC girls do not impress me at all... they are totally outclassed by the foreign Asian women (from Japan, Korea, China or HK).

Anyway, your observations are interesting, thank you for posting them.
another ABC HK lover    Saturday, November 30, 2002 at 05:40:19 (PST)    [24.90.51.12]
"Shanghai has restored it's waterfront to the glory it was in it's heyday and will soon have a world class skyline of enviable beauty.
Chinese government officials believe Hong Kong has served its purpose and to put it bluntly: can be left for the dogs.
So gloat while it lasts Hong Kongers. The party will soon be over."

What else would you expect a Mainlander to say? Shanghai's waterfront is of enviable beauty? Have you seen the bund lately? My toilet bowl after a Taco Bell feast looks cleaner than that. The city is smog central. It makes LA look like a pristine paradise. The people there are so unsophisticated as well.

You Mainland boys can claim Shanghai all you want. HK'ers never cared much for you guys anyways. HK will always be the "jewel of Asia."
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net    Friday, November 29, 2002 at 10:52:01 (PST)    [64.163.215.168]
I can't tell you much about New York but I can tell you a bit about Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is just an anomaly.

Hong Kongers love to claim how Hong Kong was built because of their brilliance and innovation when actually it's wealth was based solely on the fact that for almost 50 years it was the chief transit for goods and capital coming and going out of China. It's monopoly on a billion person market is what fueled its growth.
With the rest of China now economically expanding Hong Kong will slowly become just an average sized Chinese city with many competitors of equal size in its vicinity. It is on the wane and in 50 years it will be a backwater.
The process has already begun. Property markets have crashed putting stress on the already shaky economy and unemployment is at an unheard of rate.
Most of the conglomerates in Hong Kong were and are owned by Shanghaiese families who fled after the communists took over most of the motherland in 1949.
They are now moving their head offices, banks, and other financial institutions back to Shanghai and the old status quo (with Shanghai as the chief city in China economically and culturally and its business elite as the chief powerbrokers) is resuming.
Shanghai has restored it's waterfront to the glory it was in it's heyday and will soon have a world class skyline of enviable beauty.
Chinese government officials believe Hong Kong has served its purpose and to put it bluntly: can be left for the dogs.
So gloat while it lasts Hong Kongers. The party will soon be over.
New Shanghai    Thursday, November 28, 2002 at 04:09:45 (PST)    [24.77.96.13]
ABC HK Lover:

"HK women are nothing special. They are very skinny and fragile compared to ABC's. ABC's have more curves (not saying much) but ABC's also wear tons of more makeup. HK girls are less feminine than ABC girls and overall are not as high maintanence (unless you find some rich chick or Prada wannabe). HK guys are um... hmm.... Lets just say HK guys help me look better"

Dude, you are trippin', dog. I'm ABC myself, and I ABSOLUTELY HATE ABC girls. HK girls have all the class and elegance, without the attitude that ABC girls have. ABC girls are much too Bananarama for me. There is a reason why they like to shop at Banana Republic. HK girls to me are like Japanese, but way more sociable. Then again, I'm only talking about the high end ones, not the average ones on the street. I don't even notice those. haha

LSD:
"The main reason why HK is more expensive than NY is not really the prices, but the spending habits of the people. HKers eat out too frequently, hang out in the clubs, and spend way more than New Yorkers."

Yeah, but this is the defition of Cantonese around the world, not just HK. I'll bet you the Cantonese in NYC go out more than the average person there too. In Vancouver, Toronto, LA, SF, and everywhere else, it would be the same. It's just in our nature. We never want to stay home. Out here in the Bay, all the normal malls and shops are closed by 9, but the Chinese places are open up late, and still packed. White people go out less often, but spend more when they do. Cantonese go out all the time, but don't spend as much on each occassion. It all depends on how you want to spend your time and money. I go out to the Chinese mall near my house almost every other night. Even at 11 on a weeknight, the HK hunnies be up in the spot in droves!
TSJ Eric@KristinKreuk.net    Wednesday, November 27, 2002 at 12:04:53 (PST)    [64.163.215.168]
ABC hong Kong lover:

Interesting how you got all those prices seemingly out of nowhere. but I'll take your word for it.

Remember this however: wages in HK are comparatively lower, hence the lower prices. Just like how wages are lower in the midwest, but the price of good and services are also accordingly lower.
Yup...    Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 17:45:05 (PST)    [128.253.186.46]
'In NYC, we're too damn poor to actually do anything with our infrastructure so we just leave it "as is" and then say it's "rustic nostalgia". ;-)'

This is the reason why NY is behind!!!

People in NY are still using dial up modems to connect to the Internet. This is a big joke to the average HKer who are now rendering DSL as obsolete.

'What crack have you been smoking? Yes, Japan is expensive but HK??!? I lived in HK a few years ago and have been there 7 times in the past 3 years. Compared to NYC, HK is cheap as hell.'

U didn't mention the sky high prices of American import items which are so favored among HKers. U didn't mention the living standards in HK???? A livable apt in HK costs a freaking fortune for rent or for sale. U also didn't mention wages in comparision to consumer spending. In HK, the average working class person earns a meager salary. Blue collar and White collar workers in HK earn much less than those in NY, yet the standard living is just about the same for both cities. One last thing, have u paid any taxes in HK? Because HKers pay extremely high personal property taxes for homes and cars.

The main reason why HK is more expensive than NY is not really the prices, but the spending habits of the people. HKers eat out too frequently, hang out in the clubs, and spend way more than New Yorkers. They spend less time at home due to the small and oppressive living quarters, so they are likely to head out and spend.
LSD    Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 13:33:42 (PST)    [66.212.81.229]
>>HK is a much more sophisticated city >>than NY. Everything is very >>progressive and tech-oriented unlike >>NY, which time after time wants to >>see itself in the past due to the >>European American penchant for >>nostalgia, something not found in >>Asians.

Different Strokes for Different Folks. LOL. As for nostalgia, Chinese have plenty of it... nostalgia seems rooted into the culture, just like any other ancient human culture has a heavy basis for nostalgia.

It's just that the designers in HK dress their nostalgia up in brand-new shiny silver and glass testaments to capitalism - In NYC, we're too damn poor to actually do anything with our infrastructure so we just leave it "as is" and then say it's "rustic nostalgia". ;-)
B.E.Verins beverins@aol.com    Tuesday, November 26, 2002 at 09:41:47 (PST)    [148.4.33.125]
"HK is the 3rd most expensive city in the world, only 2 Japanese cities Tokyo and Osaka rank 1st and 2nd. NY is ranked in the teens."

What crack have you been smoking? Yes, Japan is expensive but HK??!? I lived in HK a few years ago and have been there 7 times in the past 3 years. Compared to NYC, HK is cheap as hell. Perhaps prices have changed in the past year but the last time I was there, prices were as follows (all prices are USD):

10 minute cab ride (including tip):
hk= $3-$5 nyc=$5-$10

big mac sandwich (not the meal)
hk= $1.50 nyc=$2.99-$3.99

subway ride
hk=$.40-$3 nyc=$1.50 (flat fare)

movie ticket (adult fare)
hk=$5-$8 nyc=$9.50-$10

night club cover (for the guys)
hk=$7-$10 nyc=$15-25

big bottle of pocari (japanese gatorade)
hk=$1.50-$2 nyc=$3.50-$5

vcd of your favorite hk movie (legal)
hk=$1.50-$5 nyc=$5-$15

1 play of a non-ddr type arcade game
hk=$.25-$.50 nyc=$.50-$1.50

bubble tea (bobo, sago, whatever)
hk=$1-$2.50 nyc=$2.50-$4.50

bowl of wonton mein
hk=$1.50-$3 nyc=$3-$4.50

I know this is an odd assortment of things to price. Some things are oddly more expensive in HK than NYC like KFC (fried chicken). Overall, everyday items in HK are much cheaper than NYC. Luxury items in HK are much more expensive than NYC due to luxury taxes. Gasoline and cars are among those "luxury" items.

If you want to see an expensive place, go visit London! Almost $10 for an extra value meal at Micky D's! Overall, HK is a much cooler place for Asians to hang out because there is very little racism and in fact ABC's are much more respected than scorned. Not once have I ever been called a "chink" in HK. Plus, the guys are much skinnier so I am actually pretty buff over there. Oh yes, the leaner population makes it 100 times easier to find clothes that fit (unless you are a rare fat asian).

And you hardly see any Asian fetish over there. Having lived in the Village/Soho area of NYC, it is sick to see more AF/non-AM couples than non-AF/non-AM couples. I don't mind interacial dating but there are limits to what shocks my conscience. Another big plus about HK is the low level of crime due to guns being outlawed and the fact that HK people are so peaceful. NYC is freaking scary compared to HK and if you aren't careful, you WILL get robbed, raped, beaten or murdered (esp. if you are a female). People in NYC look for fights and for trouble if you don't mind your business. HK people don't give a hoot and therefore can be plain rude but they don't resort to violence like New Yorkers.
HK women are nothing special. They are very skinny and fragile compared to ABC's. ABC's have more curves (not saying much) but ABC's also wear tons of more makeup. HK girls are less feminine than ABC girls and overall are not as high maintanence (unless you find some rich chick or Prada wannabe). HK guys are um... hmm.... Lets just say HK guys help me look better. Im not trying to be cocky, its just that most of them look like my dad when he got off the boat.

In terms of the arts, NYC has more visual and performing arts of course. But once you've seen the Moma and the Met, you aren't going to want to go back for a few years. Broadway shows are nice but the $60-$100 ticket prices aren't as kind. Food in NYC is overpriced and often overated. Food in HK is cheap and the dim sum is as good as it gets. Western food in HK is nasty and not that cheap so if you don't like Chinese food, stay away from HK. The air pollution is worse in HK I must admit and the tap water gives you some nasty poo. You have to bring your own napkins to most non-upscale restaurants too (you get used to it). However, all in all, HK is a much friendlier place for ABC's to live than NYC. I would never live there forever but it is def. a great place to live at least once in your life (like NYC). Thank you for reading my super long post and please dont hate.
ABC HK Lover    Monday, November 25, 2002 at 21:33:19 (PST)    [66.65.23.62]

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