The Siren Song of NYC

“I like to visit but I could never live there.”

“I need to move to NYC.”

Moving from Boulder, CO to NYC four years ago we got only two reactions. Most people living in Boulder said, “why the hell would you leave here to go to New York City? This is paradise and all people do there is work all the time?!” It would quickly come out that they themselves lived in NYC or SF (or both) for over a decade before settling down in Boulder. The other reaction we got was “don’t tell anyone but I secretly want to move to NYC and I’m just trying to figure out how to make it work.”

New York City is a very polarizing place. People either have to live these or can’t possibly fathom making their home in NYC. My current Manhattan address reveals that I fall into the latter camp. There is something about this city, I just felt pulled in. I remember visiting every month or two from Colorado for sales trips. I was incredibly jealous of my friends who got to stay here week after week.

There is an energy I get from just walking around the streets. The speed of the pedestrians, the ebb and flow of the traffic, the familiarity with the grid-system. Exploring new neighborhoods and side-streets and the incredible diversity of the people on the trains and busses.

Being within two blocks of every single type of food and store is also something that spoils us about this city. I always have to get used to being in other cities and states where things shut down at 9 or 10pm (or midnight at the latest).

One of my favorite parts about NYC is that everyone is hustling, you can’t afford to live here if you don’t. From the cab drivers (licensed and otherwise) when you first step out of the airport, to the front-desk workers at the hotel, to the baristas, bankers and everyone in between, almost every single person you come across is pushing themselves and working hard. I find it inspiring.