A lot of people have a personal attachment to their home state and I’m definitely one of them. I love New York and I plan on never leaving. Even if I do live elsewhere for a few months, I know I’ll always come back because once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. If you’re not a New Yorker, I feel bad for you because you’re truly missing out. Here are the reasons why I love N.Y.
1. Four seasons.
New Yorkers get winter, spring, summer and fall. Yes, our winters may be harsher in some areas more than others but nonetheless we get the full experience. Can you imagine never being able to go sledding or skiing in the winter or not being able to swim in lakes or oceans in the summer? I can’t, which is why I don’t want to live anywhere that’s missing snow, rain, or sunshine. Even if weather is inconvenient sometimes, there are still perks. For example, you can’t have snow days without snow, right?
2. Beautiful landscapes.
New York is beautiful. From the New York City skyline to the Appalachian Mountains, we have every vacation destination. Not to mention one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Niagara Falls. New York has oceans, lakes, mountains, hills, and plains. Also, it has rural towns, major cities, and suburbs. What else could you want?
3. Food.
New York not only has every place you could possibly vacation, but it has amazing food. This mostly applies to New York City, but the TV show, "Man vs. Food," also featured restaurants in Rochester and Syracuse, NY. New York also has the best pizza and bagels. No one can argue against that. Take a trip to Manhattan and experience authentic Korean food in Koreatown and Italian food in Little Italy. You don’t have to leave the state to taste foods from all around the world.
4. Diversity.
New York is the seventh most diverse state in America. New York City ranks 19th most diverse city in America. In my opinion, these ranks matter. Although we have some more work to do, at least New York has a place for everyone.
5. SUNY System.
New York has the largest public school system in the nation. There are 64 institutions, including research universities, academic medical centers, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, colleges of technology and an online learning network. It educates approximately 463,000 students in more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs. Coming from someone who attends a SUNY school, they’re pretty damn great especially because in-state tuition is a fraction of the cost of private universities.
6. Sports teams.
New Yorkers are dedicated fans to their sports teams. There’s even a ton of N.Y. fans from neighboring states. We have the Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Rangers, and even more! Sports are just another reason to flaunt our N.Y. pride.
7. Canada.
Is being close to Canada a good thing? I’m not sure, but you can find out for yourself if you live in N.Y.
8. Fashion Capital.
New York is one of the four fashion capitals of the world. Twice a year, there’s New York Fashion Week. I guess this means we’re trendy.
9. Opportunities.
Because New York is large and well known, this opens up lots of opportunities for its residents. If you want to be a performer, then audition for Broadway. If you want to be a farmer, then buy land upstate. If you want to own a hot dog stand, then find a street corner. If you want to be a live mannequin, body part model or an ice cream man, you can do that in N.Y.
Contrary to popular belief there’s actually a lot more to New York than the five boroughs. I’ve lived upstate, downstate, and in central, N.Y. However, I hope to be in Manhattan some day. I feel like I’ve lived all over but I never had to leave New York. Why would I?
It clearly has everything. New York has more to offer than people with annoying accents and road rage who are always in a rush. New York is home to almost 20 million people, and I will always be one of them because New York is simply the best.
