The Evolution of New York City
In Cynthia Ozick’s essay, The Synthetic Sublime, she wrote, “The paradox of New York is that its disappearances contain constancies…” (949). This statement could mean several things, ranging from how old buildings have been demolished to make way for new ones, to the vivacity and spirit that have always filled the streets of New York City despite changing times. This brilliant city is evolving everyday; with every loss comes the arrival of something new and exciting to look forward to. In New York, you’ll never feel as if something is missing because almost always there will be something in its place. For instance, the 13th anniversary of the horrific attacks of 9/11 was this past Thursday. Although it is a day that we remember the many lives lost to the cruel acts of terrorism, it is also a day when thousands of Americans meet at the World Trade Center Memorial to recognize the importance of peace and harmony among all people.
On page 956, Ozick discusses how it is incredibly rare for neighborhoods to be situated in a single location. There aren’t any visible boundaries that separate neighborhoods; only habitual routines that lead citizens to live with people of similar backgrounds. But this doesn’t stop them from working and interacting with people in other parts of the city. Ozick writes a detailed list of people with different personalities doing regular activities and states that “… all these [people], and inconceivably more, can emerge from any locality to live, if only for a few hours, in a sympathetic neighborhood of affinity” (957). It’s highly unlikely that the same diverse group of citizens will converge on the same location on more than one occasion. Again, we return to this idea of non-stop activity of people from all walks of life—the evolution of New York City in my eyes.
Towards the end of the essay, Ozick discusses how hard New Yorkers work to achieve their goals: “New York prefers and prefers and prefers—it prefers power and scope to tranquility and intimacy, it prefers struggle and steel to acquiescence and cushions. New York is where you go to seize the day, to leave your mark, to live within the nerve of your generation” (959). This is true of all inhabitants of New York City, especially for us college students. When applying to various colleges this same time last year, I discovered New York City for all it had to offer. It is a hub of activity and commerce where ideas thrive and dreams flourish—a prime destination for young adults to prosper and succeed in whatever they set their minds to. “Ambition need no longer stand in line and wait its graying turn” (960). Ambition set in motion is all one needs to achieve their goals in a city like New York.
