A Tribute: New York City



There are few locations in the world which are as renowned for both their uniqueness and their general appeal than New York City, New York. The five boroughs that compose the greatest city in the world have reached legendary cultural status around the world, bringing with it the status of being the economic center of the planet. The hub for all things imaginable, this single set of structures that spans approximately 303 square miles and houses more than 8 million people, is a veritable cultural and ethnic breeding ground. Despite the fact that almost every nationality in the world is represented within the city limits, somehow a brand of people known as "the New Yorker" has developed into a persona whose legend is surpassed only by that of the city itself. It's the city of blinding lights, where no one ever sleeps. It's New York City.

It's a city of yellow taxi cabs, and foreign taxi cab drivers. There is a "town" for all sorts of ethnic groups, with the most prominent foreign sects of the city being Chinatown and Little Italy, both hubs of cultural diversity and culinary excellence. As for the rest of the city, there are more areas than can possibly be listed here. From the shopping districts of SoHo and Fifth Avenue, to the sparkling lights of Broadway. From the blinding commercialism of Times Square, to the countless, fameless housing streets, where the simple residents of this great city dwell. On the streets, people rush by without saying a word, or quickly dart into diners and coffee shops for a quick bite to eat at lunch or a hurried "cup of joe" before work. Prima donnas and fashion moguls roam the streets, passing by Wall Street brokers who hold millions of dollars at their fingertips. Going unnoticed are the prototypical NYU students or any one of the many pretzel vendors waiting for tourists to sucker into buying some of their fresh New York cuisine. On the streets, horns are blaring and manhole covers are steaming, while anxious pedestrians jaywalk into the traffic, taking their lives into their hands. The buildings of the city may all look the same at first sight, but with time, all differentiate themselves from the others. There are gated houses, welcoming storefronts, cascading museum steps, and simple doors that house the true mechanics and businesses behind the political and economic force that is New York City. There are fickle sports fans, reading the Times and the Post for the latest scoop on their team, likely either the Mets or the Yankees. Finally there is the surreal quality that the sight of the streets possess, although they are teeming with life.

New York can not simply be described by these things. The feel, the smell, and the sights can only be truly understood by experience through visitation. As soon as you breath the intoxicating air that blankets the city and the feeling of New York courses through your bloodstream, you will be hard pressed to survive for a long time without returning. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the city is the fact that there is such a rich ethnic and cultural diversity that houses itself within the city limits. To capture the essence of the city is impossible in a blog entry, because there are simply too many layers and facets to the city that I even have no idea about. No matter how much time you spend in the city, and how much you think you know, there will always be something new to experience or to learn. And yet, ironically, the spirit of the city is captured perfectly as soon as you pan out and observe the dazzling skyline of the greatest city in the world.