Their NYC vs my NYC
NYC: Time Square. Flashing lights. Living a luxurious life. A bunch of people that are all rude and stuck up. A city that never sleeps. Innovate. Diversity. High brands. The life that everyone wants. NYC has been branded as one of the best cities but from whose point of view? The rich white people on tik tok that take you on a day in their life don’t face the day-to-day reality of what a true New Yorker goes through. The harsh reality of the income inequality in NYC and how it has been steadily rising due to gentrification in low-income neighborhoods. The reality the effects of slavery trickled down and the reason why segregation exists within big cities like NYC. Your NYC is a fantasy. A surreal image. A figment of your imagination.
My NYC: Growing up in NYC can’t be put into words because you are exposed to so much like your income disparities just by hopping into the subway and taking the train downtown. You begin to imagine and question why can’t you live here. Why is my home different, but all in one city where we all should be connected? Why do I feel excluded from one part, but connected to the red bricks of NYCHA? Why did I connect a perfect life to one part, but my home was something I wanted to escape from? I engaged with my city through sight. Looked around and observing of what made NYC home to me. When I looked out the window all I saw from the next building was red bricks, windows, and air conditioners. Each glass told a story of someone’s hardship in life and exposed the world to their reality. Each apartment had a different story as to why they stayed. My view told a side of true New Yorkers that are often silenced and are looked at as foreign. The view of a New Yorker that wanted to escape from the red bricks, but grew up in it all their life. The red bricks symbolized home, a community that was unmatchable and provided me a sense of belonging and safety even though it was sought out to be “dangerous”. The red bricks were New York to me and were my home. The flashing lights and big screen didn’t make me feel I belonged but made me question every aspect of my life. I see my city as a place where multiple identities coexist and flourish through the usage of voice. The usage of music and the usage of being them. NYC allows you to walk down a block or street and be represented because someone is going to look like you or has been able to relate to you in some space or form. I am NYC.
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