RippedMan said: "Yeah NYC is basically bank bank bank bank drug store bank bank bank chain store bank bank bank chain restaurant bank bank."
NYC covers over 300 square miles of land (not counting the water), and you are basically describing 1% of it. That's fine, but it is important to remain mindful that the history of NYC is one of resilience and adaptability, and to not understand her dynamic evolution is to misapprehend the essence of the place. Yes we have cherished landmarks, but so does Rome, the eternal city, and they are not diminished by the juxtaposition with a pizza joint. It's about priorities.