I’ve been back in my beloved city for almost a week now. Here is a list of some of the differences that I’m noticing between New York City and Abu Dhabi.
The good
There’s real beer here. The first night here we went to get pizza and beer. I had an IPA. And I stared at the glas for like an hour after that first sip because I was so amazed at how awesome beer can taste.
There is pork everywhere. I jokingly made it my mission to eat pork every day that I’m back in the States because I could. And I kept doing it! Every restaurant had something on the menu that would fulfill my pork requirements. I had no pork yesterday, but it was by choice, not because I couldn’t have had it if I wanted it.
Clothes are cheaper and there’s more variety. I went shopping for the first three days here just because I could. I also know where to buy cheap things here, so I’ve found some great buys. In Abu Dhabi, there are probably cheaper places, but they all seem overcrowded and overwhelming.
The bad
NYC is way dirtier. I cannot imagine ever seeing dog crap on the corner of a street in Abu Dhabi, but I have seen it every single day of my trip so far . I also come home and there is dirt under my nails even though I wasn’t gardening. I just feel dirty in general all the time and I don’t want to touch anything.
The streets are so uneven. There’s constant construction in Abu Dhabi, and yet I’ve never tripped there. I trip almost daily in NYC because the pavings are all just a mess. I skinned my knees something awful the first night out because I wasn’t yet used to watching my step so carefully.
It takes forever to get places. I have to walk for like half an hour from my friend’s place to the subway. As a result, we tend to stay in the area. I always judged people for never leaving their neighborhoods, but I really do understand why, now that I’m not used to it.
I’m a 32 year old female living in New York City.
Arrivals and Departures 
I’ve never had NYC beer and can’t wait until the day I do. Beer in Montreal, Hong Kong, and Beijing suck. And until I visited Hong Kong, I thought New York clothes were cheap and varied too.
Where do you live to see dog doo on the streets? That’s illegal (with heavy fine) and I haven’t ever seen it in the parts of Manhattan I venture. It’s a prevalent problem in Queens and Brooklyn though.
I think you have gotten un-used to this place. I trip a lot because tourists walk too slow, and taking less than an hour to get anywhere is strange to me. XD
Yeah, I’m staying in Brooklyn at the moment, so that’s where it’s happening, haha. It is illegal here too, but people just know that it’s nearly impossible to get caught for that shit (literally) so they don’t care. And on one hand, I don’t blame them. But it will feature in the photo album I eventually post, so the world shall know the wrath of the dog poo, haha!
I came back from Malaysia a month ago and I am still eating pork nearly every single day, and like you, also enjoying being able to choose not to eat it. I never imagined NYC to be dirty. It always looks so pretty in photos. But London is the same- it leaves one feeling very dirty…something about the air.
I’m glad to see that you’re enjoying New York! And as someone from the countryside, I envy NYC’s subway system. So, that means that it must be really really easy to get around in Abu Dhabi!
Out of curiosity, do you know what brands of beer they serve at the bars? Most of the beers that I’ve tried taste bad.
They serve all sorts of stuff! In general just the taste of an IPA is impossible to find in Abu Dhabi. I mean, starting from Magic Hat to Brooklyn IPAs to random local brews. It’s just so weird to taste the gritty taste of the hops that is so not present in Stella or Heineken or whatever, you know?
And yes, it is super easy to get around Abu Dhabi! You literally hail a taxi from anywhere and it takes you anywhere. I’m usually outside for like a minute, versus here in NYC where I’m walking for like twenty minutes and it’s the norm.
Are taxis cheap in Abu Dhabi? I would never ever take one in the western world (way too pricey).
This is to eemusing: Yes, taxis are suuuper cheap in Abu Dhabi.
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Welcome back! One question, is it hotter here or there? There’s nothing like the smell of fresh dog crap right smack in the middle of an NYC heat wave.
It’s hotter in Abu Dhabi. And just as humid. The difference is that in Abu Dhabi, I am never outside for more than like a minute. In NYC it’s impossible to not be outside when you’re going places. And ooooh the subway!
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