The Big Apple

The Big Apple, the Concrete Jungle, the Capital of the World. In his piece, “Here is New York,” E.B. White effectively communicates why New York City is completely deserving of these titles. He does so by explaining how New York defies the odds and makes the seemingly impossible, possible. As an example, White cites the Empire State Building, which reached the “highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.” To me, this example of New York City history represents the common struggle to find hope during difficult times. Just as the architectural world was going through a slump during the Great Depression and the Empire State Building emerged as amiraculous feat, finding hope during a problematic time in your life can be similarly extraordinary. White goes on to say that it is “a miracle that New York works at all,” because even getting the necessary influx of resources to keep the city functional is a tremendous feat. The author’s praise of New York City made me proud to be a New Yorker. He awakened this pride so effectively that I had a sort of defense mechanism as soon as he mentioned some of the shortcomings of the city. For example, he describes the city as “overcrowded.” However, I believe that the congested nature of the streets is exactly what makes the city so special.

The beauty of being surrounded by people, yet feeling alone is unparalleled. This is especially true when considering how much goes on in New York City at one time. As White notes, some of the most important and iconic events occuron a daily basis in New York, yet the average person witnesses little to none of it. This realization makes me feel quite guilty because I realize that I have not taken full advantage of everything that New York has to offer. White’s description of the distance between himself and such events also made me wonder the proximity of myself to important people, events, or moments in history.

What contributes so heavily to this dynamic nature of New York City is its ever-increasing diversity. It is the “greatest human concentrate on earth” because “it compresses all life, all races, and breeds, into a small island.” However, the diversity of New York’s population is not solely expressed in its different racial groups. Rather it is in the diversity of its industries, the variety of its conversations, and the range of its talent. It is this diversity, which makes me so proud to be a New Yorker.