The City That Never Sleeps

Growing up in NYC has given me the opportunity to be able to learn from many diverse groups of people. One thing that White makes clear is that in New York, everyone can feel at home. No matter what group you are from there are always people like you. There is also the fantastic opportunity to learn from all of the diverse cultures and to share with one another to make life most enjoyable.

There is no way to describe NYC without talking about the constant traffic and bustle surrounding it. At all times of the day there are millions of people roaming the streets, all doing something different. This is something that even growing up here has always fascinated me. There are so many people and everyone is so different, everyone is always doing their own thing which can be where White’s reference to ” loneliness and privacy” can come in. Despite the mass amounts of people lots of time can be spent on your own and doing your own thing.

I have always been fascinated by the larger buildings of Manhattan and specifically with the Empire State Building which is referred to by White. It stands alone in my opinion because of its location and size. Being right in the center of the city, it is something that is easily noticeable from miles away. It is something that always stands out when looking at the skyline and can be seen from far away. To me it is representative of what I easily considered to be the biggest city in the world.

It is impossible to respond to this piece of writing without speaking of the tragedy of 9/11. As we come back around to the same date, the tragedy is still felt and thought about by me almost every day. As i come in on the train and see the Freedom Tower, I try to picture what it was like with the Twin Towers in its place. It is a day that despite being only five years old i will never forget. Although it has not destroyed the city and for a long time led to lots of unity between New Yorkers, it has definitely changed my mindset. Traumatized can be a good word for it. Any time I see a plane or helicopter flying low over the City, it reminds me and scares me that it is still possible, and that it can happen again. It is a constant fear that will stay with me forever.