The greatest city in the world
I’m from a rural suburban neighborhood in Connecticut and I wouldn’t change where I grew up for anything. Small town values, good people, low crime, great schools, awesome childhood. But I’ve always enjoyed trips to NYC as a kid and enjoyed them even more when I actually had friends that lived in Manhattan.
New York City, like London and Paris, is a world city. A place where the human race congregates, where ideas are shared, where cultural paradigms overlap and where people of all backgrounds, belief systems and nationalities live together. It’s the ultimate melting pot and I would argue that living in Manhattan at some point in your life is the ultimate human experience. Aside from being the most exciting city on Earth, it’s the focal point of the “times” in which one lives. What I mean by that is when you’re old and gray and you’re telling your grandchildren about your life, one of the few concepts that reaches across the generational bridge is New York City. Everybody knows about NYC. It’s THE city. Instead of telling your hypothetical grandchildren that you lived in some obscure town or city, you can say you lived in THE City, and all of the sudden your “war stories” become more exciting to the listener because NYC provides a familiar reference point.
But what really makes NYC THE City?The people. Those that call Manhattan home are endlessly fascinating. While the scum plague every large city, NYC attracts the social elite. Wealthy and successful people in America usually have a residence in the city. The people you meet in NYC (if you’re a young professional) and the circles you’ll find yourself in are the pinnacle of high society. It’s almost like the aristocracy of the people. I mean that in the best way possible.
The best minds, the most ambitious, the most successful people live here. And to rub shoulders with people of this caliber, whether the experience is good or bad, makes you a better person. A more confident person. You can move back to the country and settle down, but you will have had meaningful exposure to a broad spectrum of people and I believe that makes you a more interesting person. The experience of living in NYC can’t be attainted anywhere else in America. I might go so far as to say it’s the only place in the world where one can be introduced to the myriad cultures, customs, ideas and
political theories.
Go live in the city. Make it happen. Especially if you don’t have a family or a significant other. Go solo. You’ll find yourself. You really will.
I believe it is part of the purpose of the human experience to meet as many people as possible. Your connections with other people is the foundation of the human condition. Nothing is more fundamental. Shared experiences are the essence of our lives. NYC is the city where the the social elite reside. The term social elite has gotten a bad connotation lately. All I mean when I say social elite is the intellectuals, the successful, the smart and the drivers of the generation. If you think you’ve got something to offer to that cauldron of thoughts and ideas, then go to NYC and associate with these people. If you’re ambitious, you know what I’m talking about. Hanging around with people like that elevates you. This is not as shallow as it seems. Let’s be honest, nobody wants to hang around with broke, lazy, unambitious people. I think many of us want to be involved in the “goings on” of the highest levels of American society. I can already hear the critics condemning me for saying poor people don’t matter. But that’s NOT what I’m saying. I’m saying nobody aspires to hang around with poor, uneducated people and if you do, then good for you, you can do that, this is America after all, you can do whatever you want. What I’m saying is that New York City can, and will, change you. If you ever get the opportunity to live there, I recommend taking advantage.
The American Millenial 