22 Reasons to Love New York City

Like everybody else, I really got a kick out of seeing the "Sh** New Yorkers Say" video last week. 

I nodded my head at a lot of it, but especially when they exclaimed in two consecutive scenes...

"I love it here!" and "I hate it here!".  I frequently say both myself, but today I'm choosing to focus on the stuff I love about New York. Here are just a few reasons. 

Brownstones on tree-lined streets. If offered the choice between a six-bedroom house in 

the burbs and a one-bedroom brownstone in Brooklyn, I'd choose brownstone every time.

 A constant stream of free music that is both impressive and impromptu.

 You can wear literally anything you want here and most people will barely bat 

an eye. This disappointed a visiting friend who got more looks with her long 

blonde hair than she did while wearing a bright green bob.

Outdoor flea markets.

Old-school joints like Katz's that have been around forever and show no signs of changing.

In New York, even the graffiti is clever. 

The bocce ball courts in Queens.

The food. Black and white cookies. Pizza. Bagels. Hot dogs. Pretzels. Pastrami on rye.

Bold statements of city pride.

 You never know what you're going to see from behind a hotel room window and a zoom lens.

The new Brooklyn Bridge Park. It is fantastic and you should go there.

People-watching. It just never gets old. 

 How easy it is to escape to the beach, the mountains or farmland. 

How voyeurs and exhibitionists work symbiotically.

Central Park, and how if you time it just right, you can actually feel alone there. 

Flower stands outside of bodegas, and how they can elevate a 

common convenience store into something quaint and special.

Stumbling onto some kind of filming. One morning I woke up and they were shooting a music video on the front steps of my house. The landlord let them stay, but only if they brought him coffee from  Dunkin' down the street and left behind the mini bbq grill they were using for the shoot.

Street fairs in the summer. They're the same every time--cheesy boardwalk games, DJs, 

freshly fried zeppoles rolled in powdered sugar--but I get thrilled every time I see one. 

You can buy pretty much anything you need without ever entering a store. 

This is particularly handy during unexpected rainstorms.

Unexpectedly walking past unbelievable art installations that you didn't even know were happening. 

The way New Yorkers really utilize their outdoor spaces. When my dad visited 

from Texas, he couldn't get over how many people were in the parks. 

City sunsets. 

What's your favorite thing about NYC?