"I love New York!"

Having been born and raised in Long Beach, California, located in Los Angeles county, I arrived in NY with the expectation that one big city is like the next.  I was wrong.  Every time I ask someone if they like living here, they don't say, "Yeah, I like it" or "It's ok".  They say "I love New York!"  This struck me as curious since I first arrived six weeks ago.  Never before have I visited a city where residents have such an emotional connection to where they live.  It also helps to explain why New York is arguably the world's most popular, and most populous, city. I decided to look into why people love New York so much.

Like all good tourists, I started with a guide book and a plan.  Not surprisingly, many of the "Top 100 Things To Do in North America" are located in NY.  From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Walking the Highline to the Brooklyn Bridge and it breath-taking views of Brooklyn and Manhattan, the first thing that New York screams is "Action!"  There is SO much to do here.  Literally every minute of every day, there is something happening somewhere in the five boroughs.  (Even using the term "borough" rings distinctly NY to me).

Walking the Highline - a city park built on an old rail track

Walking the Highline - a great view of the city and its interesting architecture

View of Brooklyn and the East River from the Brooklyn Bridge

Looking north at the Manhattan Bridge from the Brooklyn Bridge

View of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge

My job at the United Nations is located in Midtown Manhattan, just off 5th Avenue and close to Central Park (the UN Secretariat building is currently under renovation, so most of the offices are spread throughout other buildings near UNHQ right now).  Midtown is home to some of the most famous places in the world: Rockefeller Center, Broadway, Times Square and the Empire State Building.  Just like the others I brush elbows with on my way to and from work every day, I'm one of those well-dressed, busy-looking people who commutes by train to Grand Central, then walks a few blocks to a high rise where I sit a computer all day, respectively.  This is the Manhattan we often see portrayed in TV and movies, and I'd say it's pretty much just like you see.  For the individual who has visited NY only via the media and for the tourist who has just a week or two to see everything, its impossible to gain a greater exposure to and understanding of NY culture.  One of the best parts of working and living here is the opportunity I have delve into "behind the scenes" New York.  I feel as if the best way to discover why my question is answered with "I love New York!" is to walk the streets of where New Yorkers live and work.

Midtown Manhattan from the Empire State Building (I didn't take this one)

We've all heard the names of Manhattan neighborhoods on TV or in movies: the Upper East Side, SoHo, the East Village, the Meatpacking District, etc.  To outsiders (and certainly to me before I arrived here), it's all just "New York" or "Manhattan."  What I've discovered in my short time here is that each neighborhood has a unique subculture.  With its distinctive history, architecture and location, each Manhattan neighborhood offers something new and exciting, thus providing another layer to the NY experience.

I feel that the best way to get a sense of a place is to walk its streets, talk to its people.  Fortunately for me, this is something I really enjoy doing.  Midtown Manhattan is a pretty neat place to work - it provides the perfect starting ground for exploring Manhattan's neighborhoods on foot.  I often pass my lunch hour walking the streets near my office.  It's exciting when a step forward takes me to a place I've never before been, each glance a sight never before seen.

On weekends I try to explore a new place.  Although no picture can do these deservedly famous locations justice, here are some snapshots of my travels thus far.

Bryant Park, Midtown

Civic Center District

City Hall Park, Southern Tip of Manhattan

The Famous Bull, Wall Street

The place where the South Twin Tower once stood

The MET, Central Park

Montauk, the easternmost point on Long Island

A quiet neighborhood in Chelsea

This last photo has special significance for me as there are actually TREES on this street.  It may sound strange, but trees are a rare sight in the city.  This was actually the first tree-lined street I noticed.  Coming from Oregon, perhaps the most verdant state in the US, I quickly realized how much I love trees, and how much I take them for granted. 

New York, in all its splendor, is teaching me a number of lessons, not the least of which is what a rich life I lead.  When I returned home from living a year in a rural West African village, I promised myself I would never again take for granted the "small" things I enjoy every day: clean, running water, electricity, fresh air, a comfortable home.  But I still have days when I do take these things for granted.  In just six short weeks, NY has offered me a perspective that has served to remind me of how blessed I am, and has re-ignited my desire to do my part to try to improve our world.  

I'm grateful for this time I've been given at the United Nations, where every person I meet is doing their part to try and improve our world.  I challenge you to think about the contribution you're making to improve our world.  We all have a role to play...what is yours?