What can be said about New York that hasn’t been said much more eloquently before by the world’s most esteemed writers, poets, musicians, and artists? This alone tells you just how unique this city is; it’s a place that inspires icons! I’ve traveled the world and there truly is no place like New York City. I’m just one of many who have fallen in love with this city. Its lovability is one of the things that make this city special– it truly is where dreams can come true. My friends will visit, and they’ll fall in love, too. “I want to live here,” they’ll say, followed by, “I’m going to look into it. What visa are you on?”
One of the many unique aspects of New York is that it’s a place where you’re free to be yourself. Once, I had a friend confide in me that he’d never had the courage to wear a certain pair of pants before moving to New York. He felt like he could be himself here. It’s a small thing – but so telling. Steam from the manholes, dancing to live music, sitting on a stoop in summer, Manhattan high-rises twinkling as you take a taxi over the Williamsburg bridge, 99 cent slices, 3 a.m. subway rides- these small details tell the stories of the city. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to put down everything you’ve been doing in your old life, pack up and start anew. The sacrifices New York asks you to make are worth it. You’re suddenly willing to share a tiny room with a friend just so you can make rent. You can rationalize putting your career on pause, or committing to not seeing family until you can afford the flights.
These may be hard realities to face, but rest assured you’ll never be alone in NYC. There’s always something happening in this city of 8.5 million, no matter what day of the week it is. It sounds cheesy, but I honestly believe that magical things will happen to you; you’ll sit next to celebrities at coffee shops, you’ll meet someone extraordinary on the train, and you might just land your dream job.
It’s all happened to me, and I’m just getting started.
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