Reasons I Love New York

New York Magazine has its reasons to love this city, and as I mentioned last week, I love New York for all those reasons too. But I also thought, as I sit here, pining for California, where my sisters will be visiting my parents this weekend and wining in Napa, I should reflect on my own personal reasons for loving New York. And so, I resurrect “the list”:

1. Art Deco is lustrous, and everywhere.
2. No one does St. Patrick’s Day better (except maybe in Ireland).
3. There is a reward for surviving awful winters: incredible springs.
4. Even after three years, I get a chill every time I see the Statue of Liberty.
5. We can enjoy picturesque landscapes and dance in the streets, all in the same day.
6. Fashion Week.
7. We know how to celebrate.
8. People stop on the street to offer directions, or slow down in the subway to help carry a stroller up the stairs.
9. We’re living in, and on, history. And also unearthing it.
10. It causes mothers to pick up friends in coffee shops.

New York is a gritty, fast-paced, difficult place. You have to have a lot of determination and a little bit of humor to make it in New York. But that’s what makes surviving it all so satisfying. Additionally, a good portion of New Yorkers are transplants, folks who flocked to New York to follow a dream, whether it was to make it on Broadway, or simply to live in New York. That makes for a very interesting crowd of people, and amid all that grit and determination shines optimism and a whole lot of energy.