New York, New York—Why We All Want To Be A Part of It

As an almost lifelong citizen of New York City in his mid-50s, I go through the usual phases of “What have they done to my beloved city?” and “Hmm, things aren't as bad as I thought they were.” Right now I'm definitely in the second stage of my relationship with Gotham. What's changed? The answer nearly everyone gives is “da Knicks.” I'm not a huge sports fan, but when it felt like the whole city was dancing around me and Spike Lee was throwing block parties in Fort Greene, it was hard not to get caught up in the joy. And then, to up the good-vibes ante, the World Cup came our way, and Norwegian soccer fans were Viking-rowing in Times Square. The other thing that changed was the answer to the perennial question that haunts this super-expensive city: Who is New York for?

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