Go East Young Man

There are people who have never been to Manhattan, and have no intention of ever going. 

Which is a shame, because Manhattan is one of the most exciting cities on the planet, and well worth the effort to visit.

The most common reason I hear for not wanting to visit Manhattan is that the people are rude, and everybody is trying to rip you off.

That reason is usually given to me by people whose only exposure to New York has been via television shows like NYPD Blue or Law & Order.

Which, of course, were shows that played up the worst possible light that New York could possibly be shown in for the sake of drama.

Seinfeld offered a far more accurate picture, except not everybody is as oddball as Kramer or as quirky as George - they're all somewhere in-between, just like in every major city.

The stereotypes about the denizens of New York are a few decades out of date. Manhattan is a vibrant city full of great people and thousands of things to see and do.

It is a bit more expensive than say, Columbus, Ohio, I'll grant you that, but then again, so are most world capitals.