E.B. White’s description of the three New Yorks certainly has not changed in the last 60 years. Even today it is very easy to categorize yourself, or people you know, as either native New Yorker’s, commuters, or settlers. However, the superiority he gives to the third group is overstated because New York’s character is equally dependent on the three categories of people. Finally, White’s understanding of how impossible it is for New York to exist is grossly unrecognized by most.

White’s categorization of each New Yorker into three cities is still relevant because it is easy to identify the group to which you belong. For myself, I am a commuter. I almost feel guilty contributing to the “tidal restlessness” of the City. In fact, it felt like an unexpected attack when White merely characterizes commuters as those who “fished in Manhattan’s wallet and dug out its coins, but never listened to its breathing… (White, 27)” It seems as though White makes a generalization by implying that commuters do not take time to appreciate the city, but only uses it as a means to earn their living.

Although the passion of the city stems mostly from those who settle here, they are not of more importance than the natives or commuters. The settler’s passion is on full display because that is their nature as artists, poets, and people who generally have a purpose for their presence here in New York. However, because their presence is outwardly expressed, it gives the illusion of contributing more to the character of the City. In reality, the commuters and even the native New Yorkers who accept their city as the norm, contribute equally to the nature of this city. Without millions of commuters, the city’s buildings would not need to continually extend upward. Subway lines would not connect spaces, culture, and people. In other words, New York’s liveliness and cultural diversity would be limited to its immediate residents.

While, I disagree with White’s generalizations and dismissive attitude towards certain versions of New York, I agree with his idea that the existence of New York as a whole is simply impossible. Its infrastructure alone is to be marveled. To think that an amalgamation of skyscrapers can sit on top a strip of land with hundreds of underground tunnels that shuffle people in and out through metal tubes is already bizarre. However, my greatest surprise is the fact that New York is truly resilient. As White pointed out, it has avoided being affected by deadly disease, mass hysteria, and the possibility of many casualties from a subtle mishap. Yet, amidst all that could happen, New York retains its cultural presence, its lively sidewalks, and continues to see its skyline grow upward.

Altogether, E.B. White does a good job of characterizing the various versions of New York from the perspective of its people. However, his decision to value the outward expression of the settlers over the subtle contribution of the natives and commuters is questionable. Nonetheless, White still makes a valuable and all-encompassing point that New York’s very existence is seemingly impossible because it is compact, massive, overpopulated, and still fully functional.

E.B Whites version of New York City is practically poetic in writing, and he does make a handful of great points. White breaks down New Yorkers into commuters, residents and settlers from a different place. His breakdown of what each group offers and gives is rather subjective in my opinion, because unless you have actually been all three it is difficult to pinpoint what one gains out of it. Nevertheless his argument of how nearly impossible it is for New York City to exist is one that should be taken.

Every New Yorker will fall into the category of a commuter, resident or a settler and that’s why Whites piece hits home for everyone. I am both a commuter and a resident of a New York City, and while I agree very much with Whites opinion of a resident, but I believe he was a bit too harsh on a commuter. Before I moved into the city, I used to commute to go to work and while it is true that as a commuter I didn’t experience roaming the city, it was a lot more then “entrances and exits.” Commuting to the city becomes a lifestyle and in that process a commuter learns how to navigate the city in the most efficient way as possible, while still getting as much out of it.

One interesting point that White makes is that people often say “it’s a wonderful place, but I’d hate to live there,” but actually New York City is consists of neighborhoods within neighborhoods. I currently live in Peter Cooper Village and just like White said everything I need is within a three-block radius at the max. Wandering away from my Gramercy, Union Square area makes me feel like I am in a whole different part of the city. Of course there is that loneliness and lack of sense of belonging here, just as there would be in any city, but I agree with White that outsiders often underestimate the community you do have by living here.

Another concept that White brings out, which to be honest I have not pondered is the concept that its almost impossible that this city exists and has continued on to be the capital of the world for decades. We have faced the Great Depression, plenty of terrorists attacks including 9/11, the economic recession, natural disasters including the most recent Hurricane Sandy, yet as a city we have grown and moved on.  As White says, “mass hysteria is a terrible force, yet New Yorkers always seem to escape it by a tiny margin,” and I believe that is because unlike any other city new York City is simply a mesh of all the craziest people who will do anything to maintain the reputation of this city as unparalleled to any other. New Yorkers have a sense of pride that don’t enjoy being brought down.

Overall reading Whites piece was rather enjoyable, because as a New Yorker as I mentioned above, his piece brings out a sense of pride. This city exists despites all of the dysfunctional parts of it, and I loved the passion that White put into writing this. I would want to further look into E.B White and the background on him to see where his perspective is coming from, because this was a subjective piece of writing on his opinion.