This image of the Chrysler Building was taken on the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Ave. This was the only photograph that I took on October 11th, and I knew immediately that it was the perfect shot for me to describe my snapshot of New York City. It is the perfect blend of the hustle-bustle city life mindset, mixed with the tourist thought process that I as a commuter still possess.

I often find myself in between the worlds of familiar and foreign when it comes to the city. As a Long Island native, I am used to the slow paced suburb life that I have been living for eighteen years. The city was a huge shock to me at first, but spending virtually every day here for the past few months has forced me to become familiarized with this place. I find myself very used to the sights, sounds, and smells of the city, and most have become somewhat boring to me. However, there are still the traditional landmarks, such as the Chrysler building shown in this photograph, that still leave me amazed and in awe; sights that a kid from the suburbs will always find incredible and fascinating.

The photograph is not particularly clear; in fact almost everything in the photograph is blurry except for the Chrysler building, which stands tall and clear in the center. This blurriness could not have worked out better if I tried for it to happen; this picture perfectly represents the world as I see it in my mind. The fast paced life of the city is just a blur to me now, for I no longer focus on the ordinary sights of the taxis speeding by, or the surrounding buildings and street signs. These objects, which would have shocked me or caught my attention merely a few months ago, have quickly become banal. There is basically no more wonder to the everyday life of the city, because it is the life that I am now accustomed to. However, a small part of me still remains rooted to the suburbs. I cannot, regardless of how often I see them, get over the magnificence of the historic landmarks and skyscrapers that decorate New York City.

This photograph is representative of more than just my own thoughts on the city. New York City is such an incredibly diverse place; there are those who have lived here their whole lives and find nothing about it fascinating, and there are those who have come from all reaches of the world, who cannot help but marvel at every little detail that the city possesses. Besides being a personalized snapshot, this photograph serves as a source of contrast that displays both the banal and the magnificent, and how they coexist to make New York City the incredibly unique place that it is.