The grip of New York City is strong. It grabs a hold of you once, and while you may leave, it never lets you go.
My story begins like any other suburb to city narrative.
I am, and will always be, a Jersey boy at heart, but as much as I am thankful to my parents for raising me in a quaint suburban community in south Jersey, I’ve always craved more. The concept of suburbia seems faultless at first, but after growing up in the same sedated town for a month of Sundays, the cheap thrills that a low-profile town can offer become repetitious. Midnight diner dates, Walmart escapades, and even the ever gratifying Wawa run that New Jersey is famous for can become mundane.
Then, I met New York.
To be completely honest, my first time in New York was certainly not what I had hoped. My family and a group of close friends visited the city when I was much younger. Back then, I was terrified of the crowds, had no sense of direction, and wanted nothing more than to leave. Now that I am older and no longer afraid of the bustle, those feelings no longer linger.
I was truly captivated by the city when I was almost seventeen years old and a few friends of mine decided to visit around Christmas time. We took a NJ Transit train up to Penn Station and explored. While we may have only experienced the typical New York tourist traps that locals scoff at, I was instantly enamored. Wide-eyed, I took in the buildings that lined the avenues like gods, the smells of a wintry Central Park, and the waves of diverse people. I was engrossed, but it was’t just with the popular destinations in the city that enticed me.
New York life isn’t exactly how it is portrayed in movies and television. It’s an expensive and cutthroat lifestyle. You won’t start out in a brownstone on the Upper East Side, you won’t be taking a cab everywhere you go, and the subway will certainly not drop you off directly at your destination.
Nonetheless, the allure of the city is not the “glitz and glam” that Hollywood frequently depicts it as; its the atmosphere of do-or-die ambition.
Everyone who has moved to or lived in New York City is absolutely insane. They are there to pursue their absolutely wildest dreams. From aspiring artists to future business leaders, people are willing to pick up everything they have and move from God-knows-where in order to accomplish their goals. The grit that it takes to make it in New York is not something to underestimate either. You have to be willing to start from rock bottom in order to rise to the top.
Fast forward two and a half years later, and I am currently on summer break from my freshman year at Hofstra University located on Long Island, a short train ride away from the city. New York had left its imprint on me, and I knew that the next phase of my life would take me there. I am ready to experience the good and evils the city has to offer so that I can turn my dreams into a reality.
New York has its hold on me, and I am never letting go.
