New York, New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made of...

Back in December 2021, I was in the US during the holiday season. My vacation took me to four cities across the East Coast. Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York. I just want to talk about New York.

My week in New York was the major highlight, and indeed life-changing. Now, I’m not dimishing the other cities. They are important and historic in their own right. I loved those places too, for their particular quirks and vibes. But New York has been a life-long dream.

Let’s begin with the less savoury parts of New York. It is true that the streets of New York is full of grime, there’s rats crawling out of drainholes, the dark alleyways and subways smell of piss. Even during the Pandemic the place was crowded and busy. It is a wonder that I somehow never caught Covid while I was in New York

Not to mention there’s that prohibitively expensive cost of living in the city. I’d live there, if I can make a living there. It’s like what Sinatra sang “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” Sadly, not everyone does, there’s some obvious markers of inequality in the city. It’s something I’ve noticed with major metropolitan areas in developed parts of the world. Be it London, Melbourne or New York. Plenty of homeless folks on the sidewalk or seeking shelter in the subway.

But above that, New York is the lights and skyscrapers and the busy crowded streets. The city that never sleeps. They define the city’s landscape and skyline. They define the city’s attitudes too.

There’s that indifferent attitude, maybe irreverent. Although, irreverence is indeed an American thing. What do I mean? Well, it is not like the people are completely indifferent. Ican ask for directions and the New York natives would point out to me how to get there, but whether I make it there or not is not their problem. It does not actually care about what you are, that kind of indifference.

The city itself, it does not care about me. It does not care for me. It is indifferent about it. It get’s right in your face about it’s indifference. So what? If no one cares, I am free to be me. Perhaps it is why the city breeds individuality.

But what I really love about New York is that it fosters a sense of ambition.

Yes, ambition. Ambition that characterize the American Dream.

Look at all those skyscrapers, or the crowded streets. It feels daunting, but that’s exactly the point. It felt like the city was taunting me, and making me feel inadequate and small. But it does not care about that.

Instead, I felt the city dared me. The city dared me to look at it again, but much closer this time. Look again at the skyscrapers. They tell me that greatness has been accomplished here. Look at the guys over at Wall Street or Broadway. That’s a sign of great things that can be done.

I just know that I have to raise my aim and up the stakes. I know that I have to set my ambitions much much higher

What else can I say about New York that nobody else has said about the city?

They talk about how great New York is in TV shows and movies. They sing about New York in popular music, how the big lights will inspire you, how everybody here is searching for a sound they never heard before.

Having been there, I can only say that it’s all true.