“I’m not from New York,” I find myself constantly saying, as if it isn’t obvious enough with my Chicago accent and Midwest smile. It’s as though I want to distance myself from the city in which I’m spending my summer. While this may not be the case, I can’t deny that New York was never my first choice of summer residences. I wanted to be in Washington, at home in Chicago, or abroad. However, I felt this golden opportunity was too good to pass up and now I’m exploring America’s biggest city until August.
Much to my surprise, I almost immediately fell in love with New York! I like it way more than I ever thought I would. Before I moved here for my summer internship, I had spent very little time in Manhattan, a few hours maximum. Living and working in Manhattan is absolutely incredible! But there is more to New York than what you see when you visit as a tourist. My apartment building is in center of tourist traffic, as it is right next to the Empire State Building. This was great at first, but seeing as I want a real New York experience, it got annoying pretty quickly. While there are parts of the city that aren’t so crowded you feel as if you’re suffocating, they just aren’t in Midtown.
Before arriving in May, I had several preconceived notions about the Empire State and its occupants. I was always under the impression that New Yorkers are mean and cold. This is far from the truth. New Yorkers, like the city itself, have a tough exterior. The people here are all business, all the time, but they do not intend to be rude. Coming from the Midwest, it took some getting used to, but I think it is fair to say I have acclimated to the brusque pace of New York and its inhabitants.
When you see movies or TV shows that take place in New York, they show either a snowy winter day or a gorgeous summer day. What an inaccurate portrayal! New York has its gorgeous summer days, but they are hot and humid. And when it isn’t humid, it’s raining. Genuine city dwellers never leave home without an umbrella – no matter the forecast. On the same note, the weather changes in an instant. It can be cloudy and ominous when I leave in the morning, but by the time I get to my office, the sun is shining.
New York is definitely a global city. Having blonde hair and blue eyes makes me a minority almost everywhere I go. Of course, living on the edge of Koreatown doesn’t help much either. Whether I’m riding the subway or grabbing coffee, I find myself sticking out like a sore thumb. There are more languages spoken in New York City (about 200 languages) than in the actual United Nations on 2st Ave. Of the current residents of the city, about 35% were born outside of the US and about 50% speak a language other than English at home.
Because of all this diversity, it is hard to get a bad meal. Since moving to New York a month ago, I’ve had Naples-style pizza, gelato straight from Florence, sushi, French macaroons, amazing falafel, authentic Mexican salsa and guacamole, and New York bagels and lox, not to mention the restaurants from basically every other culture that I have merely passed and made a mental note to check out. As a self-proclaimed gourmet chef, I’m in heaven.
What I feel is the most deceptive part of this city, however, is how easy it is to navigate. Despite the city being huge, it is not hard to get from point A to point B. I live in a very central location in Midtown Manhattan, which is awesome because there is a subway station under my apartment building. So fabulous! Since I have figured the subway out, there’s no stopping me. I’m in Chelsea one night, East Village the next, and down to Brooklyn on the weekends. Public transportation is pure genius.
Though I have unofficially adopted New York as my home for the summer, my heart will always belong to Chicago. I won’t let that stop me from seeking out every graduate and law program in the Big Apple.