Past the pollution that fills the streets and the skies, the stagnant economy that’s struggling to survive, the poor and homeless trying hard to stay alive, and the noisy masses scurrying from nine to five, there’s a small garden of Eden where hope can be derived. The flames of New York City caution us to move away, but there’s a large amount of us drawn to the warmth and the light the city portrays. I am of these people drawn to the flames. I do not refer to the flame of the destructive inferno- those two flames are anything but one and the same- rather, I refer to the flame of Lady Liberty’s welcoming torch. Such is the symbol of my hope and my dreams. New York City, despite all of its problems, is my home.
Growing up in New York, specifically, Queens, the city had always been a dreamy environment for me. The skyscrapers, overlooking every street and river, towered magnificently; the night lights shined brighter than anywhere else I’ve been to; and famous locations were always close by. Much of what I thought about the city still carries on today. The excitement was never lost. Like everyone before me has been saying, new things happens everyday in New York, no matter where you go. If you want variety, the city is the place to go. Oh and if you want opportunity, the city is the place to go! Also, I’ve always been amazed by how everyone gets along. Sure there are communities within New York that have large concentrations of specific ethnic groups, but they all mesh together quite nicely despite racial tensions such as what is seen in Spike Lee’s film, Do the Right Thing. Nowadays, racism has died down, or at least found a way to stay behind closed doors, and New York developed more into a “safe” melting pot of different cultures. It’s almost hard to find anywhere else where almost every nationality can be represented in a public high school. What I love about all this diversity is that it comes from the fact that we’re all New Yorkers. This unity that I feel as a New Yorker further roots me in its grasp. I belong to New York.
All the glorifying aside, New York is no where near perfect. So many problems exist in the city. I’m not talking about minor, subtle problems either. I’m talking about problems every New Yorker can tell you about. Pollution is a big one. You want nature? You want the smell of pine as you walk through your streets? Or what about some nice looking meado- okay you already know what I’m about to say. The city is an industrial place. There’s no room for nature, save Central Park and maybe a select few locations unbeknownst to me. The city air is anything but pure, and the stars aren’t visible in the night. Not to mention that all the pollution contributes to large environmental damage. Ouch. Oh and pollution isn’t as big a concern as say the stark economic differences between wealthy upper class New York and anyone underneath. Heck, just take a look at the Occupy Wall Street movement happening in the city as we speak. Everyone who’s not rich is having a hard time making it through the current recession. Unemployment is high, and homelessness has become a growing issue. Many more issues lay spread out through the city streets. They’re not so hard to find.
New York is a destructive place in the eyes of some people; however, I’m fortunate enough to be able to see New York in a different light. Much of my life, I’ve been able to witness the good, the glamorous, and the fantasy of New York. Such experiences, which can never be forgotten, have shaped my view of New York immensely as well as the fact that New York is my home. Here, I have all my friends, my family, a great education, lots of opportunity, and most importantly, my life. Sure I live every day inside this burning inferno that is the city, but I am relatively safe from the scorching heat of the fires, as I sit here in this pocket of my personal New York, my Eden.
