Diff'rent Strokes, Diff'rent Folks.

I was asked the other day to name three things here that I find different from where I come from. I said:

1. Aggression
It's simply trademark of the place--for most it's what draws them here. It's fiercely competitive, people move here from all over the world to be the among the elite economically, socially, artistically, intellectually...according to my friend literally the world's best whistler lives here. Aggression, it's how they get what they want. Waiting for the subway, people are not afraid to cut in line or press up against you to squeeze in. That kind of tension sometimes explodes into yelling ethnic slurs (like I saw yesterday). But I've witnessed bold camaraderie as well as conflict. Strangers may laugh along, butt in, give advice or directions. These days I hand out fliers on the street corner for work; I encounter some of the most fearless snubbing I've ever seen (once by Tim Gunn), but I've also had a number of good conversations with others on the street, and they've always approached me first.

2. Respect for Art
Broadway has endured where other theater districts haven't for one reason: people attend more. They like going; they get excited about it, they buy subscriptions, they discuss its significance. Recently I was in Madison Square Park (not Garden), and I saw the field by the burger stand was closed off. Right in the center of the lawn was a collection of light bulbs suspended on strings. I thought to myself "man…only here…" Already a sight to see in the daytime, I couldn't anticipate what the nighttime would bring…
And for what purpose? Just to put art up, that's it! Art for art's sake. I was walking down to the subway in Herald Square earlier this week and I noticed for the first time, for no functional purpose, these giant blades hinged on bars that spun when the train came by. Art for art's sake, I hadn't previously conceived of a city that would spend so much money on that. New York has thoroughly restructured my understanding of and appreciation for art.

3. Connection to History
Over near Grand Central I stood one day, darting my focus back and forth between two adjacent buildings; one with colored brick and decorated with moulding, the other angular and consumed by windows. I pondered culture's transition from the former to the latter.
I have this picture in my room. In it I can see buildings that I pass by regularly, Central Park, and the Essex House sign that still stands today. Uta Hagen spoke of New York City's advantage over other artistic pools due to the rich presence of history, and how it connects us to them. You see the Statue of Liberty, the Chrysler Building, the public libraries, and as you delight in their beauty you can't help but imagine the lives of those who've encountered them in the past, the daily routines of others who've also sometimes walked by and thought nothing of it.

The day I leave this city, these are among the things I will miss most.