From a young age, I knew that where I lived was special; however, at almost 20 years old, I’m still realizing the magnitude of how brilliant the old adage, “the city that never sleeps” really is. Under seven miles from my home in Queens, the greatest city in the world stands tall and proud.
At 14-years-old, I was already hopping on the Manhattan-bound M or R train with my friends to explore the city. Unlike many of my friends who begrudgingly travel to the city every day for school and work, I always find myself filled with excitement and pride when I step out of the train station.
New York City is full of such diversity that it actually still astounds me every time I think about it. There are so many languages and countries that most people aren’t even aware of that are represented within the walls of small apartments and two-family homes. “Different strokes for different folks” is a mantra that my father has always preached to me when I’ve expressed a negative attitude toward someone else’s food or practice, and it’s really changed the way I think about how I perceive people and how they perceive me. The woman sitting across from you on the train might think your bagel with cream cheese and caramel macchiato are equally as disgusting as you believe her unidentifiable breakfast to be. New Yorkers have a certain sense of tolerance that most people around the world seem to lack.
We are often portrayed as rude and in a constant rush, which isn’t true at all. I’ve seen the most beautiful gestures and I’ve heard the most amazing stories about compassion in New York. We aren’t unapproachable (however some of us may be), and we’re more than willing to slow down and help you with directions. We just tend to try and be as time- efficient as possible when it comes to weaving through crowds of slow-paced tourists.
One thing I have NEVER taken for granted is the vast amount of variety that there is when it comes to food. There are so many different kinds of cuisines offered at every single block and corner, from Italian to Thai to authentic Spanish food, we definitely have it all.
As a New Yorker, I’ve tried to explore each and every corner of the five boroughs and Long Island humanly possible. From Chesapeake Bay, to Soho, to the Rockaways, there’s something special at every destination. You can honestly never get bored living right outside of the biggest city in the world, because there’s always an endless number of restaurants, bars, movie theaters and malls. There are so many things to do: row-boating at Central Park, paint balling and rock-climbing in Long Island City, taking in that breath-taking skyline from Astoria, Bay Ridge, or Long Island City’s piers, the list goes on and on.
Despite the negative things that can be said about New York, such as that discrete train odor, stand-still traffic, and graffiti adoring virtually every brick wall, there will always be positives to outshine the negatives. No matter where life takes us, we will all be proud New Yorkers at heart.
