“You’ll love New York”
The other day, I was collared by a friend of a friend, and the subject got on to travel. Within roughly 30 seconds, I got a familiar harangue. “You’ve got to go to New York. You’ll love New York.”
Destination recommendations
This happens to me a lot. People meet me for the first time, hear that I’m a travel writer, and then feel the need to tell me that I’ll love a certain place, even though they don’t know anything about my general likes and dislikes. I’m sure most of us have experienced this.
New York is a common location for such arbitrarily judged recommendations, largely because I’ve never been there.
The conversation
It gets really annoying when I start contesting such opinions. Generally it goes a little like this:
“Well, actually, there’s a high chance that I’ll not love New York…”
“WHAT! It’s the greatest city on earth. How can you not love it? You should go – you’ll love it!”
“But I’m generally not a big city perso…”
“I can’t see how anyone can fail to love New York.”
“It just doesn’t particularly interest me.”
“That’s bonkers. You’ll love New York.”
Wishlist of travel destinations
And it goes on. And on. And on. When I go – and I almost certainly will at some point – I probably will enjoy New York. But it doesn’t particularly fascinate me, and is low down the list of destinations that I really want to go to. I’m generally not a fan of big cities, and the places that really grab me are either spectacular in a natural way or small, with a unique culture. Pacific islands, microstates, quirky oddities, vast deserts, rainforests and mountain ranges… that’s the sort of thing that draws me in.
Favourite US travel destinations
On my ‘would like to visit’ list, New York City comes below Alaska, Hawai’i, the Deep South, the desert States, Philadelphia, the Rockies, Washington DC, the Florida Keys, Boston and even Oregon. That’s in US terms only, and frankly there’s a whole world I’d like to explore before getting that far down the US wish list.
Globally, I’d have NYC in with Beijing, Moscow, Mumbai, Johannesburg and Nairobi – all places I’ll inevitably end up in and will probably enjoy in their own right, but not cities I’m particularly grabbed by.
Go to Thailand…
This phenomenon happens with other destinations too. People bang on about Thailand constantly, to which my (internal monologue) reaction is usually: “Why would I want to go to somewhere where I’d be surrounded by people like you?” I’m sure we’ve all felt this about somewhere.
Places to visit before you die
Unfortunately we live in a world of hot destination lists, must-see destinations and places to visit before you die. There’s no accounting for different tastes and interests; an authority has spoken and everyone must jump to obey.
We don’t have to like the same things. We don’t have to be intrigued by the same things. That’s the beauty of life. And we shouldn’t have our throats jumped down when we confess to being rather disinterested in something that has been decreed overwhelmingly brilliant.
For me, New York is the epitome of this. What I know of it – from the experiences of people I respect, what I’ve read and what I’ve seen on the big screen – doesn’t grab me. In the same way, what I know of Bob Dylan’s discography, Japanese food or motorbike Grands Prix doesn’t grab me either.
Stop playing travel agent
So I make a plea to all the well-meaning would-be travel agents out there. Before bleating on about a place that you loved, and you’re told that everyone should love – consider the interests, personality and preferences of the person you are talking to. Adjust your recommendations accordingly, rather than taking it as an opportunity to bore about your last holiday. And, please, shut up about New York.
Tags: mass tourism, New York, Thailand, travel agent, travel recommendations
As a fellow travel journo, this cracks me up. It’s amazing people think
you haven’t considered New York/Thailand/Venice/Ireland, as if it’s some secret new hot
spot. Having been to NY several times, I can tell you I’m not a fan, and I LOVE big
cities. Also, as someone from the Deep South, I’d suggest moving it down your list. Apart from the mountains, Memphis and New Orleans, it’s mostly just dirt and pine trees with an undercurrent of racism and sexism.
Thanks for the comment, Jill.
Actually, you can add Ireland to my list of places I’m not particularly interested in too.
As for the Deep South, I’d want to do it as a road trip. Something about going to dodgy bars in hick towns just fascinates me.
OK, but don’t forget your gun, redneck baseball cap and chewing tobacco.
I do think that travel writer JS-G is being a bit unfair about the south. If she made a trip back perhaps she would find that some attitudes have changed in last fifteen years
. There are many lovely, warm, open minded people here and we don’t all carry a gun! She may be right about the baseball caps and chewing tobacco in hick town bars, I really don’t know about that but I think you would find that even they would be warm and welcoming, so come on down!