Not to come off like a smug New Yorker but ... there really is a unique vibe/energy to the place that you're only going to get by coming here. It's not just another city (while there are plenty of parts that are just-another-city-ish), particularly in Manhattan... It's not for everyone, but film/video can't begin to capture it. It's just a bunch of buildings the same way the Grand Canyon is just a bunch of rocks, but until you've been here, it's impossible to get it, I think.