Manhattan is dirty dirty dirty. No bulletin there, but WOW--dirty dirty dirty. Some of the subways are extra disgusting, and many parts of them are rusting/disintegrating away. The smells are many and constant--some wonderful, like flower stands and fantastic food, and some awful, like the smell of urine and filthy standing water . It is sensory overload for me, so I can't imagine what it must be like for my dogs. There is so much pollution--whenever we go out, especially when we take the subway, within an hour I feel like I need to shower again. I am super clean since we got to Manhattan--I bathe twice a day to not feel slimed. The city wouldn't be so dirty if people picked up after themselves. Many people don't bother with trash cans--just throw whatever you are done with on the ground. That's a shame--people who are fortunate enough to live in or visit this remarkable and unique place should show it the respect it deserves.

Manhattanites are a little precious. Few people exercise basic etiquette on the street. Manners and kindness are not a priority. I wouldn't say most people are truly mean--just very self-serving and self-absorbed. It's a type of courtesy to pretend no one else exists when you are packed together, a way of maintaining your privacy and that of others, but it is taken too far--it's as if these people have taught themselves not to see anyone else, so they bulldoze their way along. They also don't stop to smell the roses, so to speak--a cute puppy, pretty flowers, a smiling baby--few pause to enjoy their surroundings--it's just rush rush rush to the next thing. There are so many amazing sights and stores, remarkable people and things to do. Storefronts change overnight. But Manhattanites seem to pride themselves on not reacting to anything, or being visibly impressed by anything. They don't smile much either. I wouldn't say people here are unhappy, but you really can't tell--faces are like closed doors, expressionless, and eye contact is avoided.


So, attention New Yorkers--love your city. Reward it for the one-of-a-kind sights, smells and sounds it gives you every day. Put your trash in a can, clean up your pet poo, stop abandoning belongings on street corners. And please, please, please stop spitting in public. The subway tracks are not a spatoon. People who live in conditions like ours should take public health as seriously as religion.