It seems needless to say that for the elite New York City is their Eden. It’s their magically place filled with anything their little wealthy hearts desire. Following this logic, one would think that those who are not as affluent would be less satisfied with the city and view it more as an inferno. However, for me, the awe of the city prevails despite my lack of a penthouse on Central Park West.

Being that I don’t even have my permit, and my family doesn’t have a car, one of the primary things that I love about the city is the independence that public transportation grants me. Yes, I have MANY grievances with the always late, and not always reliable service of the MTA, but despite these reservations, I love the city’s public transit system. With busses and trains, I don’t have to worry about having a ride to and from work, school, or any place for that matter. All I need is my beautiful unlimited metrocard (which I have no idea how I survived without before this semester), and a somewhat decent sense of direction, and then I’m on my way. Not to mention the entertainment that the people on public transit provide. Where else is it acceptable to fall asleep on a stranger or break out your mariachi band?

I also love New York for its diversity and easy access. Walking less than a block from my house, I can find a Laundromat, deli, school (unfortunately not mine), a couple restaurants and more. For someone who is an avid walker like myself, New York is the ideal location. I remember talking to a friend of mine about this about a month ago, and she was telling me that where she lives (Oklahoma) there aren’t even paved sidewalks for people to walk on because it is expected that everyone just own their own car. If New York was like that, there is no way in hell (or in my case Eden) that I would be able to stay sane.

The variety of culture draws me to life in New York as well. It is one thing to learn about a nation’s dress, food, and customs in a textbook, but a completely different experience to learn about such things first hand. I’m so grateful that I do not live in a place where everyone shares the same beliefs, customs, religion, and ethnicity because quite frankly I think that would be INCREDIBLY BORING. I love the freedom that one is given in New York City to explore new things, and the generally accepting nature of those that live here.

Yes, New York has its flaws. There are many who are crazed by the frantic and overall cramped experience of the city, but I love it. The hustle and bustle keeps me feeling engaged in the world around me, and even if I don’t get my penthouse any time soon, I still have may Eden, my New York.

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof.” (Genesis 2:19)

As someone who has always learned Bible in school, the comparison of New York to Eden brings up some interesting imagery in my mind. The verse above refers to Adam naming all the animals. Although God had created them before, and they had been around, Adam was given the job of assigning names to each creature. In a strange way, this immediately reminded me of New York. Although structurally the city has been around for quite a while, it’s up to man to “name” it. The city is what people see it as. Times Square could be a quasi-Red Light District, or a tourist mecca. TriBeCa could be an area for factories, or a new trendy neighborhood. The Village could be a place for artists, or a college town. Our views of New York are ever changing and subjective.

That being said, on a less literal note, New York is definitely my Eden. As a kid, going to New York was a fun and exciting activity. Sure, we might have to visit my great-grandmother (which at the time felt like a chore), but after we could walk around the streets, get a Mr. Softee ice cream, maybe find an interesting fair going on.

As I got older, New York was an escape from suburbia. Rather than being stuck in Bergenfield New Jersey with very few options, groups of friends would make the trip to the city. Bright lights always greeted us as we exited Port Authority and the possibilities seemed endless. (Although I will say these outings usually ended up consisting of shopping and eating, things we very well could have done in New Jersey).

Family trips to New York also became more exciting as we learned about Student Rush Tickets. Over the years, I have been to more Broadway shows than I can remember and I have loved every minute of it. For the low price of $25, I watched shows in awe, bopping my head to the music, trying to guess the plot twists, and coveting every costume.

Even now that I live in NYC, the magic hasn’t disappeared. I love exploring new places that Macaulay sends me. This year, I’ve seen even more theaters, finally got to go inside Lincoln Center, and spent a lot more time in Midtown than I would have guessed. Because NYC is so big, there are always new places to explore and interesting things to discover. Just today, I was in the Financial District for the first time. Walking around I saw adorable restaurants, buildings, and even a bar that’s been around since 1817.

I think New York can be compared to an Eden in that it holds everything you need to survive. It is filled with a variety of food and entertainment. It is an almost universal dream to live and New York and just be able to take advantage of all that it holds. If I could spend every day wandering through the city finding interesting art, food, performances, and history, I would be so happy.

“I want to be a part of it, New York, New York…” Well Frankie Boy, I gotta admit, I completely agree with you there. I mean, honestly is there anywhere else in the world you’d rather be? I grew up on Long Island, been to Albany, Binghamton, and now I live in queens. I have to admit, I am simply infatuated with New York.

As a musician, businessman, actor, writer, whatever your profession, if you want to make it, come to New York. It’s the epicenter of all things great, the true place of opportunity. A place where struggling, out of work musicians aren’t looked upon as lazy, but as the norm! So come on hippies, bohemians and beatniks, and unite!

But it’s not just because of all the connections and jobs one can attain just by standing on the streets of New York City (and no, not that kind of job, but there are plenty of those here too), but it’s also because of the magic that hangs in the air. There is the statue of liberty, the empire state building, the centennial ball, the tree in Rockefeller center, approximately three million museums, madison square garden, and, my personal favorite, the NYC Subway. With a swipe of that mystical yellow card your shuttling off at unimaginable speeds to any of the aforementioned places.

I know that I am relatively new to New York City having only lived in Queens since September, but regardless I am still a little kid whenever I hop onto the subway (so much fun!) or step onto a bus (okay, not so much fun).

I remember the first time I went onto the long island railroad and exited into penn station. Everyone was running around, headed to some destination at a speed unreal to a mere mortal such as myself. I had to force myself through the throng of businessmen and women, giving alms to every singer in the place because I was not yet accustomed to them. To me, Penn Station was chaos, pandemoious and complete awesomeness rolled into one. But it was nothing compared with the streets of manhattan.

I remember the first time I was on a subway, and one of my closest friends lost balance and fell on top of me, causing me to slam into the crowd of people in front of me and causing a domino effect on the C train.

I remember the first time I went to Carnegie hall, touching the stage with the hopes that maybe some of its magic would rub off on me.

I remember going to the planetarium, and shuttling off into space.

I remember how amazing it felt to sit in the audience of my first broadway show (which was by the way The Producers, if you have never seen it, you should probably do it because it is a fantastic show!)

I remember, I remember, I remember…

All of my greatest memories take place in New York, whether it be in the city or in my hometown of mastic. Sure, I may be biased, living in New York my whole life, but I’ve been outside the state and trust me, it doesn’t get much better than this.

So, yeah, It’s safe to say that when I wear one of those infamous shirts sporting the logo I love New York, it’s because I truly, truly mean it.

OK, so in class I said that none of the movies we’ve seen represents “my New York”.  That’s because in all the movies we watched, the people all lived in New York, but I’m from Long Island and I’ve lived there essentially my whole life, meaning I’m just a visitor.  I actually was born in the Bronx and lived there until I was three, so I have vague, random memories of living in an apartment; mainly of cutting my own hair while watching Cinderella and subsequently hiding in the hallway.  There was one scene in a movie that I really related to, though, and that was the scene from In America when Christy and Ariel first see New York—the fabled lights, colors, and sounds that just enter your very being when you first see them.  That is my New York.

I have so many wonderful memories of New York throughout my life, mainly because going into the city was always a special occasion.  My earliest memory of going into Manhattan is when I was in fourth grade or so and my parents took me to the American Girl Store.  It was a little girl’s paradise—or Eden, if you will—and I even remember picking out a skirt to wear especially for the occasion.  As I’ve gotten older my New York experiences have changed as well.  The summer before seventh grade my parents finally decided that my brother and I were old enough to appreciate going to a baseball game, and we went to Yankee Stadium for the first time.  You never forget the first time you see that impossibly green, perfectly manicured grass.  For my thirteenth birthday I was in my huge Beatles/John Lennon/phase, and I made a special request to go to Strawberry Fields.  (For the record, I now believe Paul McCartney to be the superior musician).

When I was in tenth grade I entered my Broadway phase, and my first show was Hairspray with my mom.  I had also begun my enduring love of all things Monty Python, a love I inherited from my dad, so he and I went to see Spamalot.  For Christmas my brother Tommy gave me my greatest Christmas surprise ever—tickets for the two of us to see Wicked!  Then in March my English class went to see In the Heights, and in May I saw Hair for my sixteenth birthday with some of my friends.  I must’ve exhausted the family funds, because I haven’t seen a new show since (unless you count 2 years ago when I saw West Side Story with my English class, but that was so wretched that I try not to).

This year I’ve begun some completely new New York experiences—mainly having to go to the city versus wanting to go.  In August I actually began to have some serious doubts about whether I was cut out to go to a school that required going into New York so much.  I cried every night for a week before I moved in to my dorm and wondered why I didn’t go to Marist or something else in its own little bubble.  I had never even taken the Long Island Railroad without my parents or friends.  But over the summer I began to learn my way around and I’ve been getting better at it each time I do it—although I still hate buses, and I think I always will.

Despite my hatred of the MTA, I’m still (to borrow a word from Zohar) enchanted by New York City each time I go.  It just has this magic feeling about it, like this is the place to be if you want to get something done and make an impact on the world.  I feel like being in New York City brings out qualities in people that they may not have known they had.  I know that for me, having to go in for school on a regular basis has given me a much better sense of direction, as well as feelings of accomplishment an independence.  And it’s not just regular folks like me that feel that extra little swagger in their step!  Just look at Jackie O!  When her second husband died, instead of kicking back in Cape Cod, she decided it was time to really do something with her life.  She moved to New York City and became an editor/activist, and you can see the lasting mark she left on our city every time you walk into Grand Central Station.  Even her style changed and became more confident—pantsuits, scarves, and her famous sunglasses replaced the A-line dresses and pearls she wore as First Lady.

Like in any relationship, New York and I are sometimes at odds.  There are definitely times when I feel like too much is going on and I would rather stay home in my little Long Island cocoon.  But when I really sit down and think about all of the memories I have in the city, and all of the things I still want to do, I really couldn’t picture myself living anywhere else in the world.  Despite our little fight over the summer where I probably would’ve called it the most horrible inferno I ever deluded myself into thinking I could live in, I think it’s pretty safe to say that New York is still my Eden.

Heads – Eden

Tails – Inferno

Merry Sunday to you all! And no I did not actually flip a coin for this question but I was hoping it would attract your attention. ^_^ This question is difficult because I don’t think New York, or at least my New York, can be characterized as an Eden or inferno, good or bad, black or white, etc. My New York is gray. It’s a blend of both sides of the coin. It exhibits both the good and the bad. But that’s why I love it. It makes the city human-like.

Last year at this time I was scurrying around working on all those daunting college applications. Maybe it was the fact that we lived in a small Long Island town, but for some reason my friends were obsessed with getting out of here and I mean like going to Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia, California, etc. But I couldn’t imagine leaving New York. It always has, always will be my home. There is a certain magic about New York. It’s ability to amaze you every time you walk through her streets. It’s no joke, go to the same area of Manhattan or any borough every week and I guarantee you will see something different.

There was a piece we read in our English class earlier this semester by E.B. White called, “Here is New York” where he says, “To a New Yorker the city is both changeless and changing.” This line is so true and so beautiful because in my opinion White epitomizes the very essence of New York. As the seasons, times, people, etc. change so does New York. Times Square for instance is living proof of this. But at the heart of New York, the ideas that found it, its cultures, beliefs, etc. these will never change.

Earlier I said the city is human. In all of us is the potential to do amazing things, the potential to do good. Yet at the same time there is that little “devil” within all of us, the voice of our temptations, the source of our impulses. New York is the same way. We’ve seen the amazing things New York is capable of; unfortunately there are the other elements that make it an inferno. Such as the busy hustling, the insensitivity, the anarchy, etc.

I’ve spent my entire life here and I plan to spend the rest of it here too. I think Zohar was right on the dot in her point of taking a break, sometimes you do need to take a break and let the fires settle so New York can be your Eden again. That’s a reason why I love Long Island; it offers a sort of escape and solitude when things get out of control.

I still stand firm on my belief that New York is a blend of the two rather than one or the other. However, if I was forced to pick between the two…I would say New York is more of my Eden. There is a magic and beauty here that one can seldom find elsewhere.

Some folks like to get away,

Take a holiday from the neighborhood.

Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood

But I’m takin’ a Greyhound on the Hudson River line.

I’m in a New York state of mind.

-Billy Joel

New York enchants me.  Yet it ticks me the heck off.  Living here is something no one would understand unless he were here. New York isn’t any one movie we watched in class, or any one play we read.  It is a conglomerate of the experiences we have and share here, something that is unique to each individual.  And here’s mine.

I’ve spent the majority of my last 12 years of life in New York City–the five boroughs of it, not just Manhattan–and I can honestly say that I see something new of it at least every week, if not every day.  That’s what I find amazing and beautiful about it, that there’s just so much you can see, hear, smell, do, and you still would not have experienced it all.  In a way, I still walk around like a tourist, taking pictures and doing “tourist-y” things like walking around Central Park and going to Times Square, because after so many years, this city still enchants me.  There’s just something romantic and captivating about walking around Manhattan at night, about standing on an NYC rooftop and watching the sun set.  I can’t explain that magic in words, it’s just something you have to experience.  An Eden on planet Earth.

But it’s just so hard to be here.  You can try your hardest to get used to living here, but nothing, nothing, makes the feeling of missing your family go away.  I try not to think about it because the more I do, the sadder I get.  But when it comes down to it, my highest priority in life is my family, and living without them has tinted my New York City experience: it makes it hard to love New York as much as I want to.  I envy my little cousins in Israel who are best friends because they have grown up together since birth, and wish I could be a part of that.  And a message to all: never, ever, take visiting your grandparents for granted, because to some it is such a limited opportunity.

New York City is the inferno that’s been holding me back from that, my family bonding.  But then again, is it NYC’s fault?  If I had been living in a different city in the U.S. would I still feel the same? Perhaps.  How about another city in the world? Could be.  But to me that’s irrelevant, because the fact is that I’m here.

Otherwise, New York is an inferno of a commute.  You want a car?  Pay for parking…everywhere–and double anything you’d pay anywhere.  Miss your meter by a minute?  Ticket.  Highway?  Traffic.  Service road?  Traffic.  Perhaps I should take public transportation?  Leave your house an hour early, bus only shows up a half hour later.  Wait for the train, and be told belatedly that it isn’t running and you should take the alternative (the one that’s twice as long of course).  Does New York City care that you have your first Arts in NYC class and that your professor requested that you be in class on time? Nope.  Does NYC care that your friend’s been waiting for you an hour at the Met already? Nope.  Isn’t it nice to have NYC commute to blame for it all?  Sure. Does it change the fact that you’re in an inferno of a commute?  Sure as heck, nope.

So New York is an appealing place for me to be living–there’s just so much that I want to take in, and I never feel that I’m lacking in things to take in.  But it’s hard, and there are few people who can or will disagree with that.  But hey, nobody said life would be easy.  I just try to remember to take it easy, and to take it slow when I need to, even when the city is telling me otherwise.  And when the going gets too tough, I escape.  Escape the inferno enough to be able to calm down, and come back and see New York as my Eden again.  Boston at night on a building rooftop with people you love, the Charles River water flowing through, it’s enough.  Just take that deep breath, relax, and finally be able to come back to New York and see it as my Eden again.

View of the Charles River, Boston. Fall 2011

I have asked myself this question for more than five years. Five years ago, I definitely said New York City is my inferno. I don’t remember how many times I have cried at night before sleeping because I thought my life in here was a nightmare. When I was lying on my bed and thought about my hometown, my tears just began to drop involuntarily. Nostalgia was one cause, but there are reasons. Life is always full of changes, but I didn’t expect such large differences between the two places. Although I wasn’t rich in China, at least I had a more decent living condition than I did in New York City. I don’t know whether I am justified in having so much comparison between the two places, but that always happened when people have lived in more than one region. Perhaps people may wonder why I would even come to America if I had a decent life in my hometown. Again, this answer may not be justified, but that is my only answer—I didn’t have any control over this issue, just like I didn’t have control over who my parents are. I may be able choose where to go when I finish undergraduate school, at least for the past and present time, I had no choice.

Life is tougher for my parents. That was the reason my mother always said, “I come here because of you.” While I really sympathized with her, I never agreed on this matter. I know that my parents have given up a lot to come to America, but my life didn’t become any better either. She always says that my future will be better in America, but who knows what will happen in the future. Just look at today’s economy, and see how depressing it is.

What exactly are so bad about New York City? Just like other places, if people are poor, they can hardly survive. Being poor is not a sin, but people simply cannot live in poverty. This is true in any place. Therefore, I began to ask myself what the American dream really is. Is it only a representation of wealth and money? At least I don’t agree. There are too many stories about people who are well educated come to America and look for jobs that are incompetent with their educational levels. Are they satisfied with their lives? Some of them may yes, but most of them would say no. Money is not omnipotent. It cannot exchange for reputation. It cannot be the substitutes for the achievements people are pursuing. I finally figured out that the American dream is not special at all. It is just that people’s expectations are too high. It was true that America was very prosperous in the old days, and many people had changed their lives through hard work, but these days don’t exist anymore, at least not in 2011.

My opinion towards New York City becomes better after I went to college. College is a pleasant experience because I can experience the beauty of New York City. To be honest, I have never been to any performances in New York City before attending college. This was the reason I was so excited about every performance that I went with class. I cannot say I like every performance, but the experiences were very enjoyable. I can never forget how many people I have asked to get to the Cherry Lane Theater the first time I went to the Greenwich Village. I can never forget the glamour of the Metropolitan Opera House as well as the entire Lincoln Center. The arts in the city are really attractive to me. I also want to thank New York City because it teaches me a lot. It provides me with so many educational opportunities, so I can finish my high school and college educations without worries. It helps me to understand the importance of education after having so many nightmarish experiences. (Although it’s a digression, I still want to write this down. I finally understand why young people were fighting for colleges after the Cultural Revolution in China. It is a turning point of one’s life without any doubt.) I can now choose a field that I think can best change my life. Although it may not be the field that I like the most, it is the one that is the most beneficial to me. (It is sad to love something that you shouldn’t love.) I believe in my choice and myself.

New York City is a shining star on earth. Yet to me, it is just the same as the other cities, or maybe worse. People cannot experience its difficulty if they are not in it. New York City would never be my Eden, but it would not be my inferno either. After all, I have spent my most crucial time in this city. It is the most important place for my education. It shapes my future, and I cannot deny its influence on me.

Um, well, this is a difficult question.  I’m not too sure.  My image of an Eden is somewhere that is flawless, preferably white, clean, and meeting my every need.  It is a heaven where all feelings of pleasure and comfort are met.  My image of an Inferno is a torturous, painful place full of discomfort and agony.  In terms of these definitions, New York City is neither of these yet it is both.

NYC is far from heavenly, to say the least.  It is not perfect, but neither is anywhere else.  It certainly has flaws and thrives to play on my nerves, but in terms of my needs, it certainly meets them.  I have not looked for something and have not found it in NY.  Transportation is of the upmost ease, with many means of which to travel, food can be found in a variety of price ranges, and entertainment is as simple as walking through the streets. New York has everything; great sources of education, many creative opportunities, as well as many social advantages.  The entire world gathers here; this diversity allows for uniqueness and yet lets me fit in at the same time.

Is it my inferno? I don’t think that it is, though I cannot say that it is not. New York can be so frustrating to the point of absolute disgust.  The subway stations are the farthest from clean as it can get.  Now, I’m no germophobe, but sometimes it can get ridiculous. And the crowds! Don’t get me started on the pressing throngs that can suffocate you to no end.  I despise the 6 train during rush hour for that reason.  And the audacity of some of the riders, thinking I’m absolutely vile because I so much as bumped into them or because I can’t make room for them simply because there is no room.

The endless construction that is now a permanent part of the image of NY manages to sadden me further as I think of this city as a place to eventually settle.  Always the constant change, an upgrade to what’s better.  It has become a permanent mentality; we always want what is bigger, better, more expensive, never mind that what we have may be perfectly fine.  New York is never satisfied with itself, always needing to change and reconstruct as if to impress someone.  What are you, a teenage girl?

Though I have a lot of negative remarks about the ways of our city, I’m not ready to bolt any chance I get.  I could see myself settling here and beginning a family; it is not an unpleasant thought.  Yes, leaving is also a large possibility, as I want to travel outside the bubble that we tend to build around us.  I guess NYC, to me, is a cross between the two, a sort of neutral ground, earth (since earth is between heaven and hell). It is my home base, somewhere I can leave and return to, but not anywhere that I can completely reject or completely embrace.

Que pasa, amigos? Today I want to discuss with all of you why I consider New York to be my “Eden.” I resided in New York all my life and ever since have grown deeply attached to it. What I enjoy the most about New York is its diversity and breadth of talent. It truly astonishes me when I see people from so many different backgrounds and individuals that possess such fantastically unique skills. For instance, I remember when I went to Carnegie Hall for a school trip and the mellifluous sounds of musicians playing their instruments were angelic. Each note was so perfect, yet so soothing to listen to. Furthermore, observing people from so many distinct regions was scintillating. I felt that it gave me an opportunity to learn more about their cultures and beliefs. I do not regret once living in New York and always felt at home here. I say this because of the wonderful education available here, the myriad of places to visit, and the innumerable activities to participate in. For the most part, most people I have met while living in New York are amiable and enjoyable to converse with.

Moreover, I consider New York as a sanctuary because I was always at peace here and never went through any difficult circumstances. My family settled in New York with ease and they possessed the same intentions most immigrants had to live here: opportunity. I definitely agree with the fact that New York is a place of opportunity. In my case, I have been exposed to many research and internship programs, which I tried out for successfully and participated in volunteering. In addition, the breathtaking view of the city always makes me happy to know that I live in such a wonderful place. I remember when my family and I took the seemingly everlasting elevator expedition to the zenith of the Empire State Building. My goodness, what a spectacular sight! Also, I had the chance to traverse the Intrepid, which was a very exciting experience. The high-tech airplanes, submarines, and jets aboard the Intrepid were amazing. In New York, I always had something to occupy my time, whether it was hanging out with friends, visiting the park, traveling to the city, or just enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of my neighborhood.

Maybe the reason why I am so attached to New York is I have been living here all my life and have adjusted to its way of life well. I have traveled to many other states, such as Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Maryland but none seem to display the grandeur New York contains. The beautiful skyscrapers, various shopping malls, parades and diversity all define New York. I simply cannot imagine living somewhere else besides New York. Of course life can be rough here for some people, but with the experiences I have underwent with my family, no grievances are made. I also feel more comfortable living here because most of my family from India immigrated to New York, as well. Thus, I have the chance to visit my family relatives often and spend time with them. I remember my mom telling me how in India there was a lack of diversity and that people were often burdened with a plethora of restrictions. However, over here I have the chance to meet new people daily and can be my own independent self.

Essentially, my experience in New York has been a positive one and I am really glad to be living here. I’m just happy I have a gem of a family and that nothing can make me happier than living with them here in this splendid region. With the many opportunities New York has to offer, I’ll be sure to take advantage of them and become a successful person. New York is my haven and I hope to live here for as long as possible. When I think of home, I think of New York. Now that Thanksgiving is imminent, I can say with much assurance that I am thankful to be in New York! 😀