I never used to care for New York very much. When I was a kid I found it crowded, dirty and overwhelming. The tall buildings and the masses of people used to make me feel cramped and claustrophobic. Growing up in DC, just 4 hours away from the biggest city in the US, I had visited often but never really enjoyed myself.
Something changed though. My friends started moving to New York, I revisited the place over an over, as an adult (and a traveler), and was surprised to find I didn’t hate it at all! Actually, New York was kind of fun.
Over the last few years I’ve visited about a dozen times. New York became the place where I reunited with friends, and the city where I took risks and made new ones. It’s where I attended my first TBEX conference and where I fell helplessly for my handsome boyfriend. Then, this summer my best friend moved to Brooklyn and I got to explore New York from an entirely new perspective.
Basically, I stopped looking at New York through the eyes of a tourist, and started experiencing it, not quite as a local, but as someone who belonged and who felt comfortable. It’s not MY city, it probably never will be, but there are parts of me entangled in the tall buildings and city blocks. It’s a part of my story, and in some teeny tiny way I’m a part of it.
The ten year anniversary of 9/11 was this week, although that’s not why I wrote this. Honestly, it’s an event that touched me much more as a Washingtonian (who lives just minutes from the Pentagon) than as a New Yorker. Nonetheless I have been to New York dozens of times in the past ten years, it’s recovery coinciding with a lot of my own feelings and discoveries in the city. I feel a lot closer to New York now than I did 10 years ago, and it makes me happy that even after such horrible tragedy, the city is as vibrant and beautiful as ever.
i love how you found so much nature. 🙂
I was raised in NYC and then moved there once I graduated college. It’s a great city with so much to do.
But a city I would only visit. Too much eye candy and too expensive to fully enjoy everything on a daily basis.
I always say – everyone should visit manhattan, live there for 6 months and then move on to real life.
Ok so this post is like the most amazing thing ever because this is like…what i wanna do with my life
Live in New York.
I’ve had a similar experience with New York. Living and supporting Philadelphia I’ve always just frowned upon NYC. Like you I started visiting for certain reasons (mine was journalism things in school) then kept visiting as my friends all moved up there slowly. I do like New York for a lot of reasons. It’s a very special city and I realized that even more when I visited this past year with someone who wasn’t from the country. We’re lucky to have some amazing places so close to us on the East coast and for me that includes your city, Washington D.C. which I don’t visit enough, but love it when I do make the 3-hour journey!
“New York city. The city so nice they named it twice.”
I can’t take credit for that one (that was all Michael Scott) but seriously, that place is awesome!
Well, Michael Scott is a man of great wisdom
New York – simply the greatest city in the world.
It’s funny I feel the same way about NYC. First time I visited it I was so disappointed because I thought I’d really fall for it (I’m a metropolis girl…from Moscow). Didn’t happen. My first impressions were – too crowded, dirty, touristy and noisy. But after that, every time I visited the city, I felt more related to it. And I also think it’ll never become MY city, but now I can definitely see why so many people are crazy about New York.
I think maybe New York is an acquired taste?
“There ain’t no city like New York City” 🙂
Looks amazing. I’ll be passing through New York for the first time next June and I’m pretty excited to be finally experiencing it for myself.
I’m glad you included a photo of High Line Park, it’s such an original and beautiful place!
I was so happy I finally got to visit it this August- it’s such a neat spot!