Although it’s not the most appealing place, the Bronx is not all that bad. I feel like the thing I love most is that there is always something to do and it’s easy to travel around. Where I’m from, there are about six different bus lines that run to different areas which makes it easy for me to travel anywhere. And if I want to go by train, I have about four different options near me. Being at Pace has made me appreciate the fact that everything was walking distance. If I wanted to buy a snack at 11 pm, I could easily walk to the bodega behind my building and have it in seconds. Most restaurants were open 24/7 and delivered to your door (so no need to leave the building to pick up your food). But probably the thing I miss the most is the empanada carts on every corner. Everywhere I went, there were different food carts so I wasn’t limited to the same things every day. There were Spanish restaurants, Italian restaurants, Mexican restaurants, Jamaican restaurants, anything and everything. There are so many different cultures in the Bronx. Every single person you pass on the street is a different ethnicity, religion and background. It’s the most amazing thing in the world to be surrounded by people from ALL over.
The Bronx was great to me. It taught me how to walk fast (city people are always on the run), how to depend on myself, the best ways to get around, but most importantly it gave me an open mind. I feel that being from the Bronx exposed me to many different things at a young age and taught me lessons that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else. I’ve learned how to fend for myself, how to be tough, how to make the most of what I’ve got, how to work harder for things, how to appreciate the small things in life, but most importantly, it has taught me that life is short and there are much more important things. It is a place where your mood can change instantly. If you’re having a bad day, there will always be someone on the street that will make you laugh. If you’re having a good day, there will always be someone to give you road rage. If you’re in the mood to pick a fight, trust me there will always be someone ready, haha.
But all jokes aside, the Bronx is an amazing place. We do have our downsides and not many people think of the Bronx as a good place or somewhere that they would be proud to raise a family. But, I can tell you right now, with 100% certainty, there is no place like the Bronx. It’s the place where I call home, the place that has taught me life’s most valuable lessons, and the place with the best food.