Being back home for an entire summer has a way of making you forget all of the nitty gritty details about the other worldly land of Manhattan. Its the little things that you come to love when you live here that make New York City, New York City. Things like:
How loud it is at night. There always seems to be random construction, yelling pedestrians, honking traffic, ambulance sirens, this city REALLY never sleeps, but we do and thats rough.
Metro card Shenanigans. Those flimsy little yellow cards are the most temperamental thing about the city. You spend good money on them and then they decide not to work. You swipe 100 times and still nothing. Then you jump the turnstiles and get a ticket.
How easy it is to actually live here. Once you first get here Manhattan is a lot to process and you do have to train yourself to live here successfully but coming back to it all its just like riding a bike. Once you get over all that anxiety its really just another city
The smell. The magic of the city is potent but after a while the glamor fades and the only potent thing left is the smell of trash and urine at every corner. Sometimes it feels like every street is a landfill and luckily you get used to it but coming back after a summer of fresh air that smell hits you like a freight train.
The gorgeous people. This city houses some of the most breathtaking, fashionable, well kept humans on the planet and once you get passed the feeling of hopelessness, they are really just nice to look at. We all aspire to be them or be with them and New York will surprise you, it might actually happen.
The artsiness of everything. There are always artistic elements surrounding you. You’re in an exhibit all of the time and you have to pay attention because this city is never stagnant. You will miss something great if you don’t stop and just absorb whats going on.
How expensive living here is. Back home a meal and a drink is easily under 15 bucks but here just your burger is 17 dollars and you drink water and get no french fries because you have to make it through the week. Its like living in an amusement part with 4 dollar small drinks, loud children, and the occasional crazy trying to scam you.
Im so happy to be back, urine smell and all. I feel honored to get reaquainted with my new city.
