New York is an interesting place. It makes its own rules and the city is unique in its personality because you can’t find it anywhere else in the world.
It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, legs tired, eyes weary, baby crying, luggage filled with your life back home but the second this poor and tired immigrant family steps out of JFK International Airport it was all worth the struggle. Doesn’t that sound beautiful? This is the optimism of an immigrant that all Americans would love to have. I’m not an immigrant though. I’m just your average New Yorker, sick of the Italian food in Venice because it wasn’t authentic enough.
An immigrant comes to New York City and sees its beauty and alluring nature but I only see two pigeons having sex next to a homeless guy with no legs and a stray dog near the 33rd street subway entrance.
These are the two faces of New York. On one side you have the dream for a new life, with a twinkle in your eye when you look up and see all of the lights and big buildings. On the other side you think to yourself “so this is what it’s like to live in the most light polluted city in the world?” While you’re looking up, pray to god you’re not in East Harlem because you’ll get mugged too. But through all its ugliness, chaos and fast pace, the City has an eerie sense of order that can only be described as a middle eastern bazaar with rules.
Next time you’re in Penn Station and you’re too lazy to take those massive stairs out of the station, you know the ones I’m talking about, they’re always empty and only an insane person would risk sweating in their suit just to get a leg workout, look at the escalators. The right side is for the people who just enjoy the ride while the left side is for the walkers. Next time you take the subway and you stop the doors from closing just so you and your friends don’t have to wait for the next one, look at the people’s faces. Look at their expressions and notice how much they hate you for being selfish and holding up the subway. This city is chaotic, but somehow, someway, it runs like a well-oiled machine that curses at taxi drivers.
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