Sunday, February 28, 2010

I heart New York...sometimes.


I'm not a gambling woman, but if I were I would confidently bet that there isn't a single sane New Yorker who hasn't, at least once, proclaimed exasperated hatred toward some aspect of city dwelling. Don't get me wrong. There is, hands down, no place like New York City. It's a land of opportunity and boundless excitement, home to the planet's most influential movers and shakers. In so many ways it's the smack dab center of the universe, and at the end of most of my days here I feel lucky to know it well. But, there is an uglier side of living here that the hundreds of tribute pop songs don't mention.

In preparation for this post, I spent the weekend recording each time I experienced or witnessed an element of the city that falls under "ridiculous."

1. Yanked out of sleep at around 4:00am Friday when drunk dude yells, "It's too cold to wait for this (f-bomb) cab!"...and I sleep with ear plugs.
2. Toddled my way to work through 1 foot of gray slushy snow at 8:30am Friday morning.
3. 7 people are ahead of me in line to use an ATM at 3:30pm on Saturday in the East Village.
4. I'm invited to eat dinner at the Waverly Inn- a cramped, dark, loud, unventilated yet undeniably trendy West Village eatery at 8:15pm on Saturday. Luckily, the company I was with made up for the underwhelming, overpriced food and general socialite ridiculousness.

All in all, it was a successful ridiculous-light weekend. The weather was a little too chilly for prostitution, so I didn't have to ask a transvestite hooker to scooch so I could unlock the front door to my apartment building. A 200-pound man didn't sit on my lap in the subway. I didn't spot a hobo defecating in the streets. I didn't happen to make a trip to Trader Joe's where I wait 25 minutes to pay for my groceries. And my rent- at least double what I would pay in Florida- isn't due for another week. (All true stories.)

Enough hating. Yes, New York is ridiculous. It's crowded, dirty, expensive, inconvenient and a little stuck up its own butt. But, I'll always love it. I'll cherish it for this ridiculousness and the 10 million other nuts (most from out of town) who call it home. I love it for the same reasons that I hate it...because I know that I'm in a unique place, a crazy setting that can't help but offer unforgettable life experiences.

It's a city without comparison...apples to oranges.

1 comment:

  1. So I just told Lawrence about your blog and told him he should check it out. When I told him the title, he said, "Ooooh! That's so clever!"

    You've got fans missy! Better keep writing.

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