EB White’s Here Is New York noted many descriptions that accurately convey New York City. One description that stuck out was “A poem compresses much in a small space and adds music, thus heightening its meaning. The city is like poetry: it compresses all life, all races and breeds, into a small island and adds music and the accompaniment of internal engines.”  New York City is nothing short of an amalgamation of people with different backgrounds. We happen to be one of the most diverse cities in the world with different languages being spoke around each and every corner.

His piece touched upon the three different types of New Yorkers: those who were born in the city, those who commute to the city, and those who came to New York City from a completely different place in the world. These categories made me reflect on myself as well as on the people in my life.

I am a first generation American, with both of my parents being born out of this country and came to America in search of a better life. They are both the third kind of New Yorker, and have had the opportunity to completely change their lives around. I, on the other hand, am completely stuck in the middle between the first type of New Yorker and the second type. Though I have lived in Brooklyn all of my life, I have never truly experienced Manhattan until I started commuting to college. Every morning, I take the B100 bus, then take the B train to the 6 train, and walk to Baruch. Since August of 2016, I have taken almost every train that stops in Manhattan and commute every where I go, never staying in one place for too long. New York City not only offers a perfect blend of concrete and nature, but is the hub of almost every single industry one can think of. From an outsiders perspective, the city can be loud, confusing, and unnatural. However, to me, it is home, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else in the world.

Though EB White reflects on the three types of New Yorkers, we are all one. We are “compressed” into one large, vibrant life. No matter where we come from, we all have one objective: to succeed in this unique city. We all have different ambitions and hopes, yet we all come to the conclusion that if we want our hopes to come to fruition, we need to do it here. With the subway under our feet, we can make the most of practically anything. It is up to us, however, do discover our own fate and make the most out of this amazing city.