Fleet Week in a fleet concentration area? WTF is the point? Fleet Week in an appreciative US city with no military presence nearby is incredible. It's like being a rock star for a few days. Especially when your boat is moored in Manhattan and is open to the city. Wearing whites got you in EVERYWHERE (Yankees games, empire state, subway, museums) for free and no end to free drinks and food. The experienced enlisted guys had multiple Dixie cups with them so they could give them away to kids and girls. We had guys get a ride back to the ship from the NYPD with the lights on so they didnt bust liberty expiration. Wife drove up to meet me, Boss gave me overnight libo, and we had a grand time out in town. Sex In The City had a Fleet Week episode if that helps give you an idea of what Fleet Week means to the single ladies of NYC.
You make a good point. I went to school in NYC. Started in summer 2001 at the USMMA. After 9/11, whites were a free ticket to literally anything for about 6 months. Liberty was incredible!
My initial response was based on the fact that, as a city, I vastly prefer San Diego to NYC. Better weather, nicer people, cleaner town, still expensive as hell, but the Navy occasionally pays me to go there. That said, your point on fleet week is well taken, and I must concede you are right.