“Start spreading the news…” sings a deliveryman in his thick New York accent as he walks down 5th Avenue.
“I wanna be apart of it, New York, New York…”
I looked at him and smiled, as he continued the iconic tune and quietly sang the song to myself as I walked into The Park.
“These little town blues, are melting away.
I’ll make a brand new start of it, in old New York.”
The ebb-and-flow of Sinatra’s voice combined with each thoughtful lyric was fixed in my brain from this moment to present, as I write to you.
Approaching the anniversary of moving to New York City, I remember this tune and how much I have grown and adapted to the city since my arrival. Things that seemed impossible to me at the beginning of my journey have become second nature.
“If I can – make it there I’ll make it – anywhere."
This phrase has become a timeless anthem for each new, New Yorker during various odysseys.
I’m attracted to the energy of this city. I’ve fallen in love with it – the food, the people, the culture - everything. I survived in a place where most people assumed I wouldn’t make it. I have started to thrive and I couldn’t imagine going to college anywhere else.
New York City is more than just Times Square or the Statue of Liberty, there’s a bounty of museums, cleverly named restaurants in The Village, and a surprising amount of green space.
I’ve lived in three different parts of the city: Midtown, the Financial District, and Brooklyn Heights. Each are unique and distinct about what makes them great and difficult, but they’re all equally magically magnetic.
“These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it, New York, New York.”
As I walked, humming along, I remembered the deliveryman. He’s someone who probably lived in the city his entire life, but he continued to sing a tune about being apart of New York. This puzzled me. I didn’t understand how he could long to be apart of something that is already apart of him.
Then I remembered that New York isn’t made up of the legendary buildings or criss-crossing streets, but that it is comprised of people. People from every culture, religion, and ethnicity created an empire and without them, New York wouldn’t be New York.
New York can chew you up and spit you back out, but I promise it'll make you stronger. No place on Earth has given me creative energy like this city.
I’m convinced more than ever that there’s a time for everything. Right now, it’s my time to live in one of the most amazing cities in the world, to grow, to learn, and to become a better person. One day, my time here may come to an end. That’s all the more reason to take every chance to explore and grow while I am here.
If you live in New York, really live. Take every opportunity to grow. This city is what you make it.
"It's up to you, New York, New York."
