I Heart NY

I finally found a real-life "Happy to Serve You" cup of coffee - down the block and only a dollar!

Whether or not I've had a significant other in my life, I've always loved Valentine's Day. Back when I was in elementary school, my mom and I used to spend hours crafting the perfect valentine holder out of a shoebox, and we always went overboard. I think there's something so wonderful about a day when it's perfectly acceptable if not a little bit mandatory to express your love for something or someone special — we should all be so lucky to have more such days in our lives.

This year I'm spending the day of love in, and with, the city I love: New York. I've loved this city ever since I first visited with my parents as a naive (and totally awkward) 14-year-old kid. My dad likes to tell the story of a bartender he met on that trip, who upon finding out that my dad had brought me here for the first time said, "She'll never be the same," and he was right. I've been finding ways to get back here ever since, and with every trip I fall in love a little more.

Since today is the day that you let your loved ones know how you feel, I thought I'd tell New York what I love most about it. Are you reading this, New York? This ones for you.

• The Subway - taking the subway home at 1am in a blizzard > driving home at 1am in a blizzard
• Tap Water - New Yorkers like to brag that they have the best-tasting tap water in the country, and I have to agree. It might not seem like a big deal, but to someone who orders water at every restaurant religiously, the quality difference does not go unnoticed.
• The People - New Yorkers are notoriously grumpy, but I've generally found them to be kind and complimentary and not at all axe-murdery.
• The Nature - I've never met a park I didn't like, but New York has the best manufactured nature expanses that I've ever been too. I could walk in Central Park every day for the rest of my life and still not get bored.
• The Museums - I am currently 20 blocks from some of the most famous paintings in the entire world, and I can see them 7 days a week for a nickel.
• The Newspaper - I've always preferred the New York Times to any other paper, local or national, but having the Metropolitan and Real Estate sections every Sunday is a real treat.
• The Food - for a picky eater like myself, having a million options is a great thing. It means that I'm never far from something that I can or like to eat, and my limited palette is constantly being expanded and introduced to interesting things that I may have never experienced living elsewhere.
• The Seasons - I know that having four, distinct seasons is not a trait exclusive to New York, but it is something that gives it an edge over places like California. I wouldn't trade my 11.4" of snow for 342 days of sunshine, and you can't convince me otherwise. Every season here has its own special treats and it's hard for me to pick a favorite, I love them all.
• The Service - People here don't waste time. They get in, they get out, they know what they want and how to get it. There is no room for indecision or incompetence. And if there is, ain't nobody got time for that.
• Apartment Living - Houses have their merits, for sure, but living in an apartment frees you from a lot of the constraints and hassle of home ownership. I can't think of the last time my friends in apartments had to rake leaves or mow the lawn, and while those things are necessary and can be rewarding, I can see how one can get used to devoting that time and energy to more enriching pursuits.

New York isn't the city for everyone, but I find new things to love about it every single day I'm here. I only have a few more weeks here until I return to Ohio, but I definitely don't think that our journey together will be coming to an end just because I have to leave for a while. True love lasts a lifetime, and me and New York, well we're just getting started.

UPDATE: Upon reading this post, my sister sent me this photo of a postcard I sent her from my first trip to the city (how awesome is it that she kept it?). You can see that not much has changed in the past 13 years — except of course now I know how to correctly use the words "were" and "where."

For shame, 14-year-old me.