While reading through E.B. White’s “Here is New York,” I found myself agreeing to many of the points in which he discusses. Furthermore, as I read through it I noticed that I tended to compare many of his discussions to my everyday life as a New York resident. For instance, in the beginning of this excerpt, when he discusses the three different types of New York, I imagined myself standing in midtown Manhattan, watching all of the people passing by. On one hand you have the commuter, who as he mentions is the “queerest bird of all.” To them, New York is a place where they get it, take care of their business and get out. They don’t care about all of the extracurricular activities that New York has to offer. All he cares about is the bus and train schedule and has never roamed around New York adventurously trying to discover what’s hidden under the next rock.
However, on the other hand I thought about myself, the resident, who takes the “city for granted.” As a resident, I don’t get amazed by the sight of the Empire State Building and have never been to the Statue of Liberty. In my eyes, these are just everyday, natural things that are routine in my life. I don’t take the time to be fascinated by the things that are not common in the lives of people who don’t live in such an amazing city as New York. Although I am so fortunate to live in this city, by reading this essay I noticed that being a resident of New York has, in a sense, spoiled me in the fact that I fail to notice beauty in its very essence.
Another one of White’s points that fascinated me was when he mentioned that although Irving Berlin’s journey from the lower east side to his uptown apartment may have been a couple of miles long “it was like going three times around the world.” When I read this line, I immediately understood what White was trying to say. I began to picture the lower east side and all of the diversity it has to offer. I imagined myself accompanying Irving Berlin on his journey “around the world.” It was almost as if I could see myself walking through Chinatown, Little Italy and many other neighborhoods that were occupied by such diverse yet amazing people nonetheless. I could imagine myself having discussions with them and hearing about the stories as they and their families entered this city. And although their stories may be different, they are all citizens of New York.
Lastly, I was fascinated White’s discussion of New York being a city that is a “composite of tens of thousands of tiny neighborhood units.” I never thought about New York in that light and like the people who live in small towns and villages,in my eyes, New York was this one great, big giant city, where everyone is on his own. However, I soon came to realize that, like many other New Yorkers, live in an area that in itself can be considered its own unique neighborhood. As E.B. White stated, the area that I reside in can be considered to be self-sufficient. All around my building there are stores that sell goods and services that make my life easier. For instance, within a a 2-block radius you can find a supermarket, dry-cleaner, restaurants and many other stores that are found in the hearts of small towns and villages. This is what makes New York such an amazing place, the fact that there are neighborhoods within neighborhoods within neighborhoods, each with a diverse and unique group of people.
Although this essay has changed the way I view New York and the people that inhabit this amazing city, I still had a few questions that remained to be unanswered. First I felt that he contradicted himself when he mentions that New Yorkers escape hazards due to their “sense of belonging,” however, later he mentions that they feel uncomfortable and like strangers when they leave the boundaries of their neighborhoods. Lastly, I wanted to know more about his background and how he stumbled upon these observations.
