You ever leave a place and wonder if it really exists? You look back at the time you had and you wonder; "are those people really real? Do they exist when I'm gone?" -- you leave New York and you leave it with an exact picture, and you're certain the picture will never change. You leave with a feeling - a bittersweet feeling of love, hope, sadness and life. The feeling sticks-- you feel it and you feel it and you feel it. You capture New York in a very specific way.
But what about the people who remained there? For them, that moment was fleeting. Maybe they never really felt it at all. They carry on; meetings in Manhattan, brawls in Brooklyn and quitters in Queens; but the picture you have of New York on your wall doesn't change.
You remember getting lost on Canal Street thinking it was Grand Street, and there was a girl waiting for you by the Williamsburg Bridge but you were standing by Brooklyn bridge thinking, where the hell is she?
You dream of New York actors. In New York, they give it their best shot. Call time is 8am but they're there at 7.30 with a brain full of questions. You're shooting in Central Park in the middle of December and they're saying "I love movies!" whereas anywhere else in the world they say "It's cold outside."
I miss being alone in New York City. When you're alone in New York City, the whole world is with you. The big, screaming lights of Times Square tell you a thousand stories; and then you head downtown and you know exactly who you are. In New York, you're always going somewhere, meeting someone, leaving someone. You wanna go back, but you're desperate to know; New York, do you remember me? New York has seen so many people are they're all so friggin' interesting that you wonder how it could ever remember you. But you hope it does and you hope it does and you hope it does.
And this guy said "I love hanging out with you," and this girl said "you changed my life," and this crazyo said "I gotta tell you everything about what happened last night, because who else would I tell?" - but New York carries on, and now the crazyo is telling other crazy things to other crazy people. You remember the sound of sirens, the smell of coffee and the weird, crazy magic that only New York knows, and you hope and pray you'll be going back soon.
Phoenix 16 August 2010 at 14:26
I do this all the time - but not for New York (as much as I love it). I miss London terribly, fiercely, I miss being alone in London and having the world at my fingertips.
I miss London like it's my breath sometimes.
Great post - fantastic writing :)
Kristin Quinn 16 August 2010 at 20:36
I love getting lost in New York. Somehow getting lost amongst the chaos helps me center myself again. Around every 4 months it gets to me and I have to get away. But one week away from NY and I miss it again. I've been away a month and I miss it terribly and reading this post makes me smile.
Philippe 26 April 2011 at 10:06
As a homeless man on Manhattan once told me, "You're never alone in New York."
Robyn 25 June 2011 at 22:01
Great Article! I have visited NY several times & you really caught the feeling of it;like anything is possible. L.A. just doesn't have that vibe(not for me,anyway..)
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