Love Affair
Love Affair
I have courted a lover from an early age. The depth of this love only grows with time. There is so much to love. And, daily opportunities abound to enjoy all my lover has to offer. New York City is my first and true love. When I return from a trip, I gasp internally each and every time I see the city skyline, affirming my devotion.
I have given up a lot, though it feels like a fair trade-off. I live in a small apartment, one in which our family of three regularly negotiates for space. But our rent is reasonable, for the city, due in large part to rent stabilization laws. This detail allows me to see the theater I enjoy so much, attend art exhibits, visit museums, listen to amazing music, and dine at restaurants offering delicious meals. The apartment is right off the unsung Carl Shurz Park by the East River Promenade. The volunteers work diligently to make it a haven for our Yorkville neighborhood.
But perhaps more than the art, the culture, the food our city offers is the diversity that brings the city to life. Walking the city block to block, park to park, borough to borough, I see a kaleidoscope of ethnicities, free music, international representation, class range, income disparities, architectural designs, clothing choices, anonymity and personage.
As with all loves there are aspects of the city that leave me cold. I don’t like how public housing is neglected, how there is inequality in the treatment by certain law enforcers. I am unhappy with the lack of access to good healthcare for the underserved. I don’t like how dirty certain streets can be. I don’t like how crowded the city can get. I am not happy with the lack of resources for mental health services, including no well-paid professional with manageable caseloads. These all matter to me, and other New Yorkers, and we are hopeful for lasting changes.
As I think about what I truly love about this city, I think of how long it took to build and rebuild the infrastructures that support the arts, the parks and the other gratifying outlets the New York City offers. With care and attention, I am hopeful that we can heal the issues that ail the city at large.
So, while the process is at play, I will continue to walk down the streets of my city, feeling the love, stopping to enjoy my favorite places that offer transcendence from every day stressors.
I have courted a lover from an early age. The depth of this love only grows with time. There is so much to love. And, daily opportunities abound to enjoy all my lover has to offer. New York City is my first and true love. When I return from a trip, I gasp internally each and every time I see the city skyline, affirming my devotion.
(Image from online stock)
I have given up a lot, though it feels like a fair trade-off. I live in a small apartment, one in which our family of three regularly negotiates for space. But our rent is reasonable, for the city, due in large part to rent stabilization laws. This detail allows me to see the theater I enjoy so much, attend art exhibits, visit museums, listen to amazing music, and dine at restaurants offering delicious meals. The apartment is right off the unsung Carl Shurz Park by the East River Promenade. The volunteers work diligently to make it a haven for our Yorkville neighborhood.
(Image from online stock)
But perhaps more than the art, the culture, the food our city offers is the diversity that brings the city to life. Walking the city block to block, park to park, borough to borough, I see a kaleidoscope of ethnicities, free music, international representation, class range, income disparities, architectural designs, clothing choices, anonymity and personage.As with all loves there are aspects of the city that leave me cold. I don’t like how public housing is neglected, how there is inequality in the treatment by certain law enforcers. I am unhappy with the lack of access to good healthcare for the underserved. I don’t like how dirty certain streets can be. I don’t like how crowded the city can get. I am not happy with the lack of resources for mental health services, including no well-paid professional with manageable caseloads. These all matter to me, and other New Yorkers, and we are hopeful for lasting changes.
(images from stock online)
(Images from online stock)
(Stock from Online)
(HuffPost)