New York State of Mind

They say this place is the city of dreams. But to me, New York City is more than just a place; it is a destination. Ever since I was twelve years old and took a trip to New York City, I knew this was where I was supposed to be. I could just feel it, like maybe I lived here in a past life, but there was something so fitting about this city. There is something very intimate about blending into a crowd of people and not knowing a single face. To some people this may seem scary, but as I have grown up in a relatively small suburb where everyone knows everyone, this New York reality is relieving. It is a dream of mine to one day be working in New York City among the skyscrapers and cab traffic. I imagine I’ll come home from a long day of work and lay down on my bed in my studio apartment with a view that overlooks the city. One can dream. Since my trip to New York, I have visited many other cities including Chicago and Los Angeles, but none of them even come close to the Big Apple.

There are certain stereotypes that outsiders immediately think of when they think about NYC. This city is sometimes thought of as being the pinnacle of polluted cities and homelessness, filled with high crime rates and fast pace traffic. It is believed that the people are rude and always in a hurry. While I was aware of these stereotypes before I traveled to New York, I came to find out that the people here are among the most genuine I have ever met. I began to realize that everyone here has a story. No one simply “ends up” in the city of dreams. Whether it was the cab drivers or the aspiring artists, everyone here was in search of something much greater than themselves. Here anybody can be anything they want to be. It is diverse; it is beautiful.

While people may have their preconceived notions about New York, you cannot judge it until you’ve walked the streets of 5th avenue, and the lights from Rockefeller Center illuminate the night, or until you’ve seen Lady Liberty holding her torch over Ellis Island. One cannot truly judge this place until they’ve seen Central Park on a crisp autumn morning right when the leaves begin to change from green to vibrant yellow, orange, and red. No one can really understand the inspiration that runs rampant in this city until they’ve experienced it firsthand.