I was always told that New York City was a cold place, both literally and figuratively. But when I went there, the air was hot, and the people were warm—just seconds after my arrival, as I was making my way up the stairs from the metro onto the street, I saw a guy a few rows ahead of me carrying two big suitcases in each hand. Out of nowhere, two other men showed up by his side, lifted the suitcases for him, and, after they reached the top together, simply let go and wished him a nice day. Luckily for me, most of my visit felt like that small moment of kindness. I don’t know if that’s what the city is like, but that’s what it can be—and how I will remember it.
I believe that it’s worth seeing your surroundings through the eyes of a tourist: no established routines or old grudges to influence your judgment, just an entirely clear slate. It can really put things into perspective—the good, but maybe also the bad, if the comments are made honestly. So when someone on Reddit asked non-New Yorkers who had visited the city what the weirdest thing about it was that locals don’t even realize, the responses quickly poured in. After all, the Big Apple welcomes more than 50 million travelers every year.
#1
Just how international it is. A lot of New Yorkers truly don't stop and think of just how lucky they are to live in a city that's basically a nonstop world's fair. I thought Washington DC and Chicago were international, but it's NOTHING compared to New York City.
Practically every commercial street has restaurants or grocery stores (Korean markets, Jewish/Israeli kosher markets, Arab halal markets, etc) that don't even have any English on their signs. Even in other fairly international US cities like Washington DC, it's rare that they won't even include English on their signs.
Practically every commercial street has restaurants or grocery stores (Korean markets, Jewish/Israeli kosher markets, Arab halal markets, etc) that don't even have any English on their signs. Even in other fairly international US cities like Washington DC, it's rare that they won't even include English on their signs.
19points
#2
A man collapsed on the ground in front of me as I was on my way to catch a Flix Bus back home out of the city.
Not a single person stopped. Not one but his friend was staring absentmindedly down at him.
I called 911, happened to have food prep gloves and got the guy on his side and within about 2 seconds he began to vomit profusely. Clearly would have choked on his vomit. NYPD & FCPD shows up asks how I know him (don’t obv) and they just take him away.
Some people had been watching and someone told me I saved the guys life. Another said he was “glad to see there are still good New Yorkers.”
Whole situation was weird but nobody stopping bothered me more than I thought it would.
Not a single person stopped. Not one but his friend was staring absentmindedly down at him.
I called 911, happened to have food prep gloves and got the guy on his side and within about 2 seconds he began to vomit profusely. Clearly would have choked on his vomit. NYPD & FCPD shows up asks how I know him (don’t obv) and they just take him away.
Some people had been watching and someone told me I saved the guys life. Another said he was “glad to see there are still good New Yorkers.”
Whole situation was weird but nobody stopping bothered me more than I thought it would.
18points
You might doubt the depth of these insights, but lately, visitors seem to have broadened the way they familiarize themselves with the city.
By the numbers, travel to New York City looks more and more like it did before the pandemic, but what travelers want from their journeys has fundamentally changed over the years.
While Manhattan remains highly appealing, many now look farther afield. They are taking the time to enjoy more of what the metropolitan area has to offer. According to a wide meta-analysis, Manhattan was the only borough in New York City that saw a decrease in visitors between 2019 and 2023. During the same period, the number of city visitors taking a peek at Times Square declined, as it did for other classic sites such as the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the Statue of Liberty.
#3
I traveled to New York a lot for work a few years ago. Everyone in New York just kind of has a base assumption that everyone either lives in New York or wishes they did. They'd ask when I was moving there the same way people ask newlyweds when they're going to have a baby. All I had to do was tell them what I paid for rent in Wisconsin and the conversation would end pretty quickly.
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15points
#4
The weirdest thing about it is that's it's not as weird as US citizens paint it to be.
i'm from south america and grew up watching shows that feed the stereotype of new yorkers being rude and always in a rush. i was shocked to find that it was quite the opposite, in my experience.
ppl are wayyyyyy nicer than they are here. y'all love small talk and telling me about your life. a man saw me struggling to use my metrocard and scanned his phone to pay for my ticket. two ladies walked with me down fifth avenue when i asked for directions. a barista gave me a discount on my coffee just because, and so on.
i'm from south america and grew up watching shows that feed the stereotype of new yorkers being rude and always in a rush. i was shocked to find that it was quite the opposite, in my experience.
ppl are wayyyyyy nicer than they are here. y'all love small talk and telling me about your life. a man saw me struggling to use my metrocard and scanned his phone to pay for my ticket. two ladies walked with me down fifth avenue when i asked for directions. a barista gave me a discount on my coffee just because, and so on.
14points
#5
The subway musicians who are genuinely talented but everyone just walks by like theyre invisible - saw a dude absolutely shredding violin down there and people acted like it was elevator music. Also pizza by the slice at 3am being completely normal blew my mind, back home everything closes at like 9pm.
13points
Instead of confining themselves to the standard itinerary, travelers are now more likely to cross the East River to enjoy Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, for example, or to take in a Major League Baseball game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx or at Citi Field in Queens.
Also, there’s more demand for day trips outside the city to places such as the Hudson Valley, a culinary and artistic hot spot, and Long Island’s North Fork for its wineries. Visitors appear to be spending longer periods in the city, which may encourage exploration of more distant neighborhoods and attractions.
So these takes might be pretty well informed!
#6
How corroded the bases of the street lamps are from having dogs pee on them for decades.
11points
#7
People basically getting bumped by cars as they cross the street and their reaction is to slap the car.
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11points
#9
Okay this one isn't weird rather it's kind of magical but NYC is the only place I've ever seen it because the city is so uniquely dense. Off leash dog hours in the parks in the early morning happen many places but in NYC between 8-9am there are SO many dogs all just playing together and running around it's such a joy to see.
When I'm visiting for work, I like to go and just sit and listen to a podcast or something and watch them all have so much fun.
When I'm visiting for work, I like to go and just sit and listen to a podcast or something and watch them all have so much fun.
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11points
#10
Trash piles on the sidewalks. But I appreciate how neatly the cardboard is packaged.
10points
#11
The honking. Yes, there's cars everywhere, why are we honking? Not helpful.
10points
#12
The what to do in case of choking posters at every bar.
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10points
#13
How insanely convenient everything is in New York compared to other cities. Being able to walk to everything is insane compared to the rest of the country. The things you can access with a short walk would be a drive or a very long hike everywhere else.
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10points
#14
Cops. And cop cars. Everywhere. Literally one on every corner. I’ve travelled all over the world and I have never seen so many cops in one place at one time in my life.
It was like someone had a buy one, get ten free sale on law enforcement personnel.
It was like someone had a buy one, get ten free sale on law enforcement personnel.
9points
#15
Good weird? Bodega cats.
Bad weird? All the rats.
Now that I think about it, perhaps there is a correlation.
Bad weird? All the rats.
Now that I think about it, perhaps there is a correlation.
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9points
#16
Multiple occasions of strangers getting into heated interactions where they swear and yell at each other for like 10 seconds then just carry on with their day like nothing happened.
8points
#17
I love NYC but always feels like I'm on a film set since I know what NYC looks like mostly through films and TV, it's quite surreal.
The steam coming out of the vents in the road always freak me out too. I still don't know what they're for 😂.
The steam coming out of the vents in the road always freak me out too. I still don't know what they're for 😂.
8points
#19
I’m from London so I didn’t find anything weird, but NY has a distinct streak of fun and whimsy that London doesn’t really have. I’m thinking stuff like the Halloween dog parade, or all those people dressing up as pigeons to say goodbye to the Highline pigeon. New Yorkers are also much, much nicer and more extroverted than Londoners.
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8points
#20
My small Canadian city family visited New York in 2017 and here are a few things we noticed (or rather, in many cases DIDN'T notice):
*I had been home for months when I realized I had not seen a single gas station
*ditto the schools: if you aren't passing by a school at a time when kids are outside (lunch, recess) you would have no idea it was a school. They just look like any other building.
*parking without bumping another car's bumper is rare. Waiting in line to get into Live with Kelly and Ryan, I watched an older woman in her massive car from the 70's find a spot outside the window I was at, and parallel park, backing up until she hit the bumper of the car behind her. Then she got out, grabbed her shopping bags and went on her way.
*moving large items in a city like NY is just on another level. I cannot even fathom moving my furniture into a fourth floor walk up. Or buying a piano and having it swung into my apartment by a crane.
*parking in a lot that has a lift that raises your car in the air. Parking in NY is fascinating to watch.
We had a great time and I genuinely love to visit New York. The logistics of having so many people living in a small area are mind blowing. And yet, you actually have neighbourhoods that feel like traditional neighbourhoods, where people know each other and watch out for each other. Kudos to all NYers who make it such a great city.
*I had been home for months when I realized I had not seen a single gas station
*ditto the schools: if you aren't passing by a school at a time when kids are outside (lunch, recess) you would have no idea it was a school. They just look like any other building.
*parking without bumping another car's bumper is rare. Waiting in line to get into Live with Kelly and Ryan, I watched an older woman in her massive car from the 70's find a spot outside the window I was at, and parallel park, backing up until she hit the bumper of the car behind her. Then she got out, grabbed her shopping bags and went on her way.
*moving large items in a city like NY is just on another level. I cannot even fathom moving my furniture into a fourth floor walk up. Or buying a piano and having it swung into my apartment by a crane.
*parking in a lot that has a lift that raises your car in the air. Parking in NY is fascinating to watch.
We had a great time and I genuinely love to visit New York. The logistics of having so many people living in a small area are mind blowing. And yet, you actually have neighbourhoods that feel like traditional neighbourhoods, where people know each other and watch out for each other. Kudos to all NYers who make it such a great city.
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8points