I ❤ NYC, and I Think it Loves me Back…

New York City: the most unique city in the world. It’s a city where you can meet people from every walk of life within the span of one block, try the most bizarre foods like grasshopper tacos in the Village, and discover some of the most bizarre fashion trends. It’s the city where rent is sky-high, smells are incredibly distinct, and sounds are extremely loud. It’s the city where I was born and raised, and the city where I plan to live until the day that I die.

I guess you can say I have been to all 3 New Yorks E.B. White mentioned.

1) I was born in New York, and sometimes I take for granted everything the amazing city has to offer. NYC is such a fast-paced and busy city that sometimes one can forget to appreciate the true beauty of NYC between rolling their eyes at tourists who move at the pace of a snail, or yelling at obnoxious taxi drivers in the middle of the street.

2) Coming all the way from the southern tip of Brooklyn, I have no other choice but to commute to the city for school, work, or leisure. I have to cram onto a train cart early in the morning and then fight for a seat on my nightly rush hour commute home just like your typical NYC commuter.

Most of the time, between running from one train station to another, I forget to look around and just soak in all the sights. I walk right past the mariachi band jamming out in Times Square (always happening), the crazy man who strolls his pink and blue-dyed poodles around Central Park in a shopping cart (yes, I witnessed this), and the man who pulls out a python from his bookbag on the corner of St. Marks (yes, I really witnessed this and I attached a picture of my friend holding it as proof).

3) Although I was born here, I am the daughter of Soviet immigrants who instilled in my head that America is the land of opportunity. My family fled the Soviet Union to escape communism and the persecution of Jews in hopes that they’d be able to make something of themselves. My parents have always told me that if I was ever to make something of myself, it’d be only in New York.

Besides all the chaos, I can easily say that NYC is a big part of who I am. It is safe to say: New York, I will never leave you…

christosbakalexis says:

September 9, 2014 at 10:31 pm

You did a good job in capturing a lot of what makes New York the amazing place it is, clever title btw!

layanahnsouli says:

September 9, 2014 at 11:19 pm

You did a great job in describing yourself as the three types of New Yorkers, I like that you broke the boundaries between them and recognized that a single person can be placed in multiple categories. This is something that I can relate to as a resident, a commuter, and a daughter of two immigrants.

nicholasleung says:

September 10, 2014 at 7:30 am

I love that you listed the three types of New York that relate to you. It makes it a lot easier to digest, compared to big blocks of text in paragraphs. I totally feel #2, cause I’m pretty sure I ran into both the python man and the poodle guy. It’s also awesome that your family line contains so much history with it; it supports E.B. White’s statement of how many different races and religions all emigrated to the city, even during his time.

Bethany Freynk says:

September 10, 2014 at 10:09 am

You are very original in the presentation of your feedback on E.B. White’s essay. I admire how personalized your response is and coming from the same neighborhood and family background I can relate to your post in many ways. It is amazing how you added humorous visuals to completely true facts about your New Yorker identity as they help the reader figure out who you are as a person and as a city girl. I agree with all your comments about New York’s spontaneity. You have a very witty writing style and I thank you for making me smile with this original response!