Love Your City

I had a thought, New York, kinda like masturbation, just does not get old for me (I could confess my love for this great city in many ways; the truth is, I think New York is BETTER than masturbation).

How much do I love New York?

This blog, aside from daily reflections and such, will also be an outlet for the passion I have for my current home, which IS this town of 5 boroughs and 8 million people. That's not to say I don't love Ohio - as a born & bred Clevelander, I will NEVER forget but rather always cherish my modest, midwest roots - but there's something about New York that gets me, every time, through and through. It's what's gotten countless writers, actors, artists, filmmakers, tourists, and students alike - that 'buzz' of an undeniable and all-encompassing energy that defines this great city. Many have loved this town; many also dislike or even hate this town. But I am this town; that is, I try my best to embody and live the dreams of New Yorkers past and present each and every single day. And each day that passes, I find myself finding new reasons to love this city - thus wondering if I can ever love New York TOO much. Don't see it happening anytime soon :)

At first, my new york was seen through the eyes of director's lense; I saw the New York that Hollywood so glamorously glorified. First it was Kevin McCallister galavanting around the streets of the Big Apple, taking in the sights & sounds, and enjoying his unexpected freedom - he does need a bit of guidance, though, from Donald Trump, "down the hall and to the left;" and Mr. Duncan, "You keep one, and you give the other to a very special person." Shortly after it was 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends' - peering into the awesome and oh-so-comical lives of young Manhattanites who could NEVER afford their on-screen apartments in real life. Neverthless, New York is in movies/TV like Ron Jeremy is in women - When the setting for a movie or show ISN'T new york I often find myself wondering (quite snobbishly, I'm sure), "Ok, like where else IS there for a setting?"

After a few years the glitz and gaudiness of the city wore off - plus I actually grew weary of Times Square and 30 Rock (imagine that!) but began to develop a whole new love affair with the city - isn't that such a woman thing to say!? haha - but it's true; having just moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan (and before that, living in the Bronx), I guess you could say I've developed somewhat of an affair with the city, penetrating it borough by borough.

New York is a crossroads for me; it's a city filled to the brim of people with stories, baggage, interesting tales, or sorroful woes. It represents the worst and best in America, the world, and humanity at large; it showcases the triumph of free enterprise but also unflinchingly illustrates the degredation and shame of poverty. People co-exist here and may never know their neighbor, but risk their lives to save a complete stranger from a burning office tower. Any of this probably holds true in other large, cosmopolitan cities, but New York has a vibrancy (is that even a word), an aura and determination about that sets it apart from all the others.