The Big Apple

Hi ho fans and friends. I arrived in Washington DC on Saturday, spent a few days with the parents, and am now up in NYC. I'm staying with my brother and just generally hanging out for a few days, and then will be attending a wedding on Thurs, Fri, Sat. Yes it's an Indian wedding, so it's all three days.

I've been pondering what it is about NYC, the Big Apple, the City That Never Sleeps, that attracts people like moths to a flame. Everyone I know has friends in New York. You ask a friend if know someone in LA, or Chicago, or DC, or Miami, and you never know. Sometimes you'll get a yes, sometimes a no. But with NYC, you always get a yes. Everyone knows someone here. And every year draws more and more people out from other cities, suburbs and rural areas to experience the magic of this giant mass of humanity, steel and concrete. What I want to know is why?

I'm reminded of less developed countries, such as in South America or Asia, where people from rural and suburban areas flock to cities. They've heard that they'll probably live in slums, have a worse standard of living as a result of the proximity of so many people without clean sewage or water, and that it's hard to find a job that pays anything. They've heard all this, and yet they still come. And not just a trickle mind you -- they come in droves. Why?

I think it's the possibility, the oppportunity, the promise of a chance. In these other countries, it's the possibility of a better life. A possibility of change. In many ways, it's reminiscent of the American Dream. The idea that if you work hard, you can get lucky and make it big. You could be that guy or gal in the mansion, on TV, sipping Champagne while lounging in your jacuzzi. And I think in a lot of ways that's what NYC is -- it's the heart of the American Dream. It's where a nobody becomes a somebody overnight (okay, that happens in LA too, but face it, LA is boring if you're not in Hollywood). But more than just that, it's where you can be in the middle of things. Walking down Broadway, through Times Square, you can almost feel the cultural center of the world around you. Walking down Wall Street you can feel, literally feel on your skin, the epicenter of the world's economy as companies die and new ones are born. It's addictive.

It's not the life for me, I can tell you right now. But I can understand why some are drawn to NYC, and why others swear they would live nowhere else.

PS - The Redskins are now 3-0, and I'm loving it. Brunell actually emerged as a leader, and he converted so many 3rd downs I was beginning to get flashbacks to his heyday. Moss was brilliant, and the O-line held. The defense was great up until Q4, when it broke down. They gotta nip that in the bud. Overall though, great football. I'm lovin it.