What does it mean to live in NYC? As a native New Yorker, I have always been home. I went to grade school, high school, and even college in this city. I found that my love for this city will never face. But as someone who currently lives in NYC, there are things that I have learned that define this city, the impact it has had on my life and what it means to live here.

1) I have found that there are countless people here, hence the name “melting pot,” but hell people are still racist.

2) There are some great opportunities. No matter who you are, where you come from, you will have access numerous opportunities. You only have to be looking for the opportunities and go after them.

3) If you have lived here for most of your life, you spend very little time in Times Square or even the Herald Square area. They are always crowded, and if you are always on the clock, and have to be somewhere, you can forget about getting there on time.

4) If you’re a native, and a college student, you can find numerous opportunities at your disposal. If you look for them, you will get one. But, if you don’t get those opportunities you will be at the bottom of the social, economic tear.

5) Although I am guilty of this, and people probably have the same thoughts I do, is that people when sitting at a Dunkin Donuts/Starbucks, where there is free Wi-Fi won’t leave for hours at a time. Yes, I have Wi-Fi at home. But a lack of concentration towards work is what pushes me to stay there. And to get to campus, I often have to spend much time traveling.

6) As of 2017, if you are unlucky, you may spend 2x the average times your used to, on public transportation. Yes. The “summer of hell” has not yet ended. Therefore, your commute can quickly go from 30 minutes to over an hour, sometimes even more.

7) You have countless food options. Because many people may refer to New York City as a “melting pot” you find so many people here who have immigrated from all over the world. This allows us to gain access to the countless cultural dishes around the world that would enable us to enjoy the tastes that emerge.

8) The skyline. The New York City Skyline. When looking at the skyline from street level, it shows you how far the world has reached. Although this skyline has so much beauty behind them, it shows you that you can achieve for any goal you set for yourself.

9) You can never be bored. With countless activities around the city, you can’t be bored. With a public transportation that runs 24/7, and countless activities to part take at countless hours of the night, you may always be entertained.

10) Last but not least, you may think many people here are rude. But, it may seem that way because of the high paced life that people live in. This high paced lifestyle, makes New Yorkers seem distant, rude and stuck up, but if you approach someone at the right time, you can never go wrong. You may even discover that many are kind and usually helpful.

So, can we genuinely ask if New York City is such a horrifying place to be? We have to be able to adjust and take the time to get into the flow that has been established in the Boroughs to fall in love with such a city indeed. You may never know how it feels to be in the town until you spend a lot of time here.