From The Peopling of New York City: Harlem
Joshua Karpiloff- Portrait of a Better Man
I am an American, and have lived in the suburbs of Mew York City all of my life. Ironically, I had never even been into the city until I was 14 years old, and at first I was not a huge fan of it. The honks of the buses and taxis, the pushiness of the people, and the intense crowds at all times made me long for my quiet dead end street in Westchester. However, over time I learned to love the city. What made this change? Over time my friends in college had me learn the ways to adapt and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city and also made me realize that there is much more to the city. New York City has a culture and identity of its own, and it takes a lifetime to grasp a glimpse of it.
Relating my experiences to Harlem, I have only been there a couple of times, but the experience that stands out most for me is when I got lost in Spanish Harlem at eight o'clock at night. I made it out alive, but nonetheless it gave me a scare. It was quite the adventure. While I first stereotyped Harlem as every other non-city person does, the more I am learning about its culture the more I am fascinated by it.
An example-
