Last year, NYC became the #1 US destination for international tourists, but remains #3 (maybe 2, but i am pretty sure its 3) for US visitors. We just call all of them out of towners-- they go around looking for "Avenue of the Americas" and other mythical places. They are useful because they pay retail-- but if they all disappeared, it would just be a 2 or 3% drop in NY income.. So they cause congestion, and pedestrian traffic jams (yes, you can get a pedestrian traffic jam) and they don't even really add much to the economy! Sometime they are fun..

and to be honest, i have traveled a bit-- and haven't found a US city to compare-- but when i was in Seattle, and Victoria BC, i gawked at the trees, the same way tourist here gawk at the buildings. they have some really big trees in Pacific Northwest! (don't know what native called tree qawkers like me)

(AnnaS-- you mentioned you were a NYC tour guide-- what site do you think the best in NY? I think Empire state building, 42nd Street library, and Brooklyn Bridge the three best places (last two are free!)


my other obsession