New York, New York

New York City has a power of its own. It is a city with character, with ambition and will. It is full of possibilities. It is a metropolis, without a doubt. It feels like the centre of the universe, like all the different strings of the world come together in this magical place. I love NYC, and I love it even more after spending two weeks in June there. It was not my first visit, I spent almost a week in NYC during my first trip to the States close to ten years ago. We did all the touristy must-sees, a lot of museums, and spent time with our friends, with whom we were also staying. (That last part was also true for this trip and made it all the more enjoyable.) Back then New York was the last stop of a three- week journey starting in Chicago, all the way to Des Moines in Iowa and to the Niagara Falls. It wasn't necessarily the highlight of the journey, it was one of them, and I believe that's why I wasn't able to appreciate it in all its glory.
This time, New York literally took my breath away. I wanted to pinch myself each and every day, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. The city is incredible. It has a palpable energy, there's 'something in the air' that gives you a feeling of invincibility. Frank Sinatra knew what he was singing about: 'If I can make it there I can make in anywhere.' There is so much to see and do, it seems endless. I was surprised by the effect the city had on my creativity - it made me want to read and write, to get together with like-minded people, to explore the arts and different cultures. It is an inspiring place.

Then there's the architecture. I don't know if it gets any better than NYC when it comes to architectural miracles. By walking around any part of the city you get to marvel at these buildings, old and new, wondering how it all fits together, how it was (and is) possible to build like this. It looks like a perfect puzzle where all the pieces have found together. It is never finished, however. As much as the buildings impressed me, it was also fascinating to see so many building sites and cranes in between an already dense spread of skyscrapers. The word 'urban jungle' truly fits.

We can't forget the arts, of course. New York has everything, and not just a little bit of it. We didn't overdo it museum-wise this time, the weather was simply too gorgeous to spend too much time indoors. Even so, we got to see a fascinating mixture of classic and contemporary art, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art to the fancy galleries of Chelsea.

New York would be nothing without New Yorkers. The term 'melting pot of nations' may not be the catchiest one, but it does truly apply. The mix of different cultures, the co-existing of various backgrounds, nationalities and religions, all of this makes New York. All the people that came in the past brought pieces of their culture and history to the city, as will the future arrivals. And that gives the city its rich character. The city is the sum of its people. And that is what makes New York so amazing. The writer Jason Diamond wrote the following in an essay collection: 'Hemingway wrote about Paris being a moveable feast, the kind of place that stays with you for the rest of your days once you've truly experienced it. That's what this place feels to me. No single city truly affects a person like New York does.'[1]  There is definitely some truth to that. New York is still on my mind, and I'm sure it will be for quite a while, maybe until I get to go again. Until then, I'll just write about it some more.

 

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[1] Never can say goodbye. Writers on their unshakable love for New York, ed. by Sari Botton, NY: Touchstone, 2014, p 21.