New York, New York

"There are roughly 3 New York's. There is, first, the New York of the men and women who were born there, who take the city for granted and accepts its size, its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second there is the New York of the commuter, the city that is delivered by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else, and came to New York in quest of something... commuters give the city its tidal restlestness, natives give it solidity and continuity but the settler give it passion"

This is about the 3rd or 4th time I've read this piece. The 1st time I read it, I couldn't believe how true it was. Being from New York I can say I have and still do at times take it for granted. I cannot really connect to the commuter except to say that native or not we are all locusts to the city. As for the settler well in essence native New Yorkers are settlers. We have settled for the noise, crime, pollution, tourism, beauty, parades, melting pots etc. Why are we still here? Because we all are praying locustsss who take the city for granted yet are in quest of something within the city that has everything. So to my native wearing yankee fitted new yorkers, my business suit wearing commuters and my 'I love New York' tee rocking tourists, keep coming. With out you, there is no New York.

AFF,

JeJa

Happy Monday

As I got on the 2 train, which actually turned into the 5 train, this morning in Brooklyn I began to ponder: 1) What am I going to eat for breakfast? 2) Why is it that people walk so slow in New York?! One of the biggest pet peeves that I have is people who walk slow/in the middle of the sidewalk. Left or right, pick a side please!!!

For many New York is a vacation (and place where you can proudly wear an I <3 NY shirt, even though that trend is about 3 months old) but for it's natives, this is home or work and we need to get to it.

I also found, as I walk down 8th Avenue, that people will pick the busiest streets at the busiest times to go for a run. Another fact is that people will invest hundreds of dollars for silly garments that are made just for running or jogging or yoga.. whatever, just so they can be "motivated" for exercise. Whatever happened to sweatpants?

Anywho... this man was doing his morning run, which is great, but right in the middle of 8th Avenue. If the herd of people slowed down, so did he still jogging in place until a red light allowed him to sprint across the street only to be slowed by the masses again. As a big part of me got aggravated, another part of me couldn't help but laugh. Only in New York.... Happy Monday people :)

AFF,

JeJa