I’ve lived in New York my entire life. I was born and raised in Queens, am a diehard Yankees and Giants fan, and know the subway system like the back of my hand. I live off of bodega bacon egg and cheeses and Arizona Iced Teas. I used to spend my summers soaking up the sun at Rockaway Beach and lounging in Central Park. The sound of the Mister Softee ice cream truck and the smell of Sabrett hot dogs are some of the most distinct childhood memories I have. I am proud to have the opportunity to have grown up in this city and experience all its greatness. That does not mean however, that I want to stay here for the rest of my life.
With all the good that comes from living in New York, there is plenty of bad to come with it. The city is noisy, crowded, expensive, filthy, exhausting and in many ways, separated from the rest of America. All the things that make this city so unique and special, also make it difficult and tiresome to live in. The subway is dirty, crowded and always seems to be under some type of repairs. If you want to own a car, good luck finding a parking spot. Plus, constant traffic and small narrow roads make it impossible to enjoy owning one. There is no space either. You’re considered lucky if you own a house, and forget about having a backyard. Most yards in the city are just slabs of concrete. And the noise. The noise, noise, noise, noise, noise! It’s not so much that I mind the noises themselves as much as I hate how many of them there are. The ear-splitting clanking of train tracks, the constant beeping of horns on the street, hearing a motorcycle speed past at midnight, and let’s not forget blaring music out of car stereos and apartment windows.
Even the cultural diversity, one of New York’s greatest assets, can become tiresome after a while. While there is diversity, there is very little unity amongst the many different groups. Most people stick with people of their own culture and language, and all these enclaves can make one feel isolated and outcast from others. It also does not help that New Yorkers are not necessarily known for their friendliness and hospitality. It is easy to feel alone here, even in a city of eight million people.
When I visit other states, or even other areas of New York State, I often notice the things they have that New York City doesn’t. Things such as ample space, a greater feeling of community, trees, grass, and clean air, less expensive…well everything. A lot of people would balk at the idea that one could grow tired of living in New York, but for me personally, I could not live in one area my entire life. There is a whole big world out there, and for someone to never explore it would do themselves a great disservice. Just because New York is the greatest city in the world doesn’t mean that other cities and states aren’t worth exploring. They might even be good enough to live in. Perhaps after I have lived out of the city for a few years, I will grow fonder of the place of my birth, but as of right now, I am eager to move away as far as possible from here. New York will always be my home, but it will not always be where I live.
