Expressive.
It’s the quintessential word to summarize NYC and it’s the reason the city remains top on my list for places to travel to in America. New York City is a melting pot that drives all walks of life towards it in the hopes to achieve the American Dream. While it may feel a bit dystopian at times, it is very rich with culture, unique and original art, and amazing food.
The part of New York that excites me the most is the expressive nature of every person, business, and section of town you find yourself in for the day. In one square mile, (I’m thinking of Canal St area where all the boutique shops are) you are surrounded by thousands of people, hundreds of businesses, and cultures from all around the world. I love walking into stores, especially ones that are completely unique, and talking to the people that work there. I often find that nicest and most open people typically look right at home within their workplace. Almost like the more time they spend there, the more their essence blends in to match the environment. This for me, is the beauty of visiting such a unique place. Being able to feel excited by the originality of the stores, each maxing out their expressive nature to stand out, but also staying true to themselves to not get lost in the culture of hustle. The best businesses have the best employees, the best employees are the people that make the city worth wanting to visit. They are the people that dress how they want to dress, act how they want to act, and be who they want to be. It’s absolutely beautiful and easy to take some of these traits back with you wherever you may reside.
What I also love about the city are the people that live there, it doesn't matter the duration, they have something exciting happening most days in their lives. Whether that be a march for something you believe in, or some crazy person looking at you funny, the city is unmatched in the energy put forth by the residents. With this energy comes an overwhelming amount of curiosity, especially for someone like me who is still trying to make their way in the world (Can I become who I want to become in a place like this?). You either move to NYC and take off sprinting back home, or adapt to the demanding nature of the environment. Because of this, people tend to be more hardened, and less likely to give a damn about whatever bs you carry around with you. I absolutely love this aspect of the city because you have to rely on mental acuity versus nonchalant tomfoolery.
Another aspect of NYC that I love is the efficiency and ease of use for the local transit. If you want to get somewhere, within thirty minutes maximum you can be anywhere you want to be. My preferred method of transport while I’m there is the subway. What I love most about the subways are people watching, and knowing that everyone else around me has a destination. Everyone has somewhere they are trying to go, and knowing that, the subway feels like the Upside Down from Stranger Things. Millions of people move through those tunnels, leaving a shadow of their identity in the wake.
New York City is truly an amazing place. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to see it at least once in their lifetimes.
Thanks for reading.
With love,
Kai
Weekly Poem:
A singer sings
A dancer dances
A writer writes
A New Yorker expresses whichever version of themselves that walked outside that day.
